Hot, Hot, Hot!

Happy Victoria Day Weekend(to those of you in Canada)! I don't normally do anything for the long weekend in May, but this year I did. I spent Saturday with my boyfriend, outside in the gorgeous weather! We went on a long walk, taking the Trans Canada Trail up to Shubie Park and then over to Dartmouth Crossing where we caught Iron Man 2-awesome movie. The picture to the left is a shot from Shubie Park, just thought I would share!

My pain has been absent for the last few days, although my fingers continue to be stiff throughout the day. I am continuing with my daily stretches, and it seems to be helping. My fingers are no where near as difficult to use as they were a week ago! I am sticking to the vegetarian diet, allowing myself to have dairy and eggs for now. I do not eat an abundance of egg or dairy, but allowing myself to have them is making the transition to vegetarian all the easier. I can eliminate them later.

Last night for supper I made a convincing mock-pork with tofu. I tried freezing and thawing the tofu before cooking it and than marinated it in soy sauce, some ketchup and mustard, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, chili pepper and dried mustard. While it was marinating, I fried up half an onion and then added the tofu and sauce into the pain and fried it until the outside was crispy and the sauce was cooked in. It had a pork like texture, picture the most tender pork pieces you have ever eaten. We kept expecting to bite into a piece of grizzle, it was so meat-like. My boyfriend said he would consider going vegetarian if I continued to keep this up!


It has been incredibly hot today, reaching 29 Celsius and hovering in the mid 20's as I write this at 8:50pm. It's going to be a long, hot night, followed by rain tomorrow. I don't mind the heat, but this is a little too hot for the end of May!

And the positive thought for today is . . .

Don't knock somthing until you have tried it. You would be surprised to find that you might actually enjoy it.

Happy Victoria Day!

Western Medicine

Today was Day 1 of being red-meat free, and I will be cutting out chicken and turkey in the next few weeks to come. I've been vegetarian before, although it was only for a year. I felt very healthy at that point in my life, and was involved in Yoga, ate lots of fruit and was pretty darn active. I don't remember what my arthritis was like at that time in my life, but I do remember it bothering me while writing, doing dishes, ect.

I made an appointment with my doctor today, and won’t be able to get in until June 14th. That's better than the original date of July 2nd! I am still against going on medication for the arthritis, but am slightly more concerned after talking to my boss's daughter, who has RA in her hands and feet. She told me that not only can RA cause heart disease, but it can also cause cysts on the lungs and other complications. Once I get in to see my doctor, get a check up and a referral to a rheumatologist, I hope to see if it is absolutely necessary to be on medication for this.

I think our idea of healing is all wrong. Why put something into our bodies that is filled with harmful chemicals, throwing the body’s natural healing abilities off course, that only cause more problems in the future? I have RA now, but I sure as heck don’t want liver disease, possible stroke, and other complications all because I put something into my body that was never meant to be there in the first place. Medicine isn’t food. It’s poison. It doesn’t heal us, it hurts us. We have everything we need to heal and live healthy lives right here, we don’t need to swallow pills in order to be healed.

Disease is the body’s way of telling us that something is out of balance. When the mind, body and spirit are balanced, disease is not present, and if it is, it can be healed by spending time with the mind, body and spirit in meditation, proper eating and gentle, loving thoughts. I’m just having trouble getting myself back into balance...it is much easier said than done.

Positive thought for today...

Be good to your body, it's the only one you have.

Getting Old

It's hard to believe that we are half way through May already. June is fast approaching, and with it comes stress, excitement and a little bit of mystery. My boyfriend and I are moving on June 1st, and there is so much left to do! I have just started packing up some plates and glasses that we do not need out right now, but have so much left to do. I'm at a loss as to what to pack next, there is just so much stuff!

June also brings around my twenty-first birthday. I've been having a lot of trouble with aging lately. I know there is nothing I can do to really stop it, and it's a little silly, but I can't help thinking about what my body will be like five, even ten years down the road. There are days when my body creaks and groans at me, days where I feel like I am much older than my soon-to-be twenty years. To be totally honest, it scares me. It makes me wonder how much strength will be in my hands later on in life when I have children of my own. Will I be in too much pain to hold my own children, to carry them into their beds when they have fallen asleep? Will I not have enough strength in my hands to tie their shoes or button their coats(tasks that I already have trouble with on some days)?

I know this kind of negative thinking will not get me anywhere I need to go, but there are days when the voice of doubt is louder than the voice of reason, hope and strength. I know that I have the power to change my thoughts, and that my body is an amazing healer that does not need the assistance of chemicals or drugs. There are people who have cured themselves of cancer and other diseases without medication. Why should arthritis be any different?

Positive thought for today:

The human body is an amazing healer. It can heal itself if given the right materials: healthy food, positive thinking and exercise.

Less Pain

I am happy to say that we were granted a day of warm sunshine that lasted until about 4pm or so, and then turned into overcast. My arthritis wasn't even too bad, other than the stiffness. I am trying a new herbal cream for sore joints, and it is composed of black pepper, ginger and, another ingredient that I can't seem to remember. It has a pleasant smell, is gentle on the skin and helps to relieve a bit of pain. I purchased it from a holistic store by the name of Casaroma. The store is just around the corner from me, but they have a fabulous website. You get to by clicking here I'm going to continue to use it for a few weeks on a daily basis to see how it goes. I'll update on any changes I notice.

It has been a bit of a stressful day. My father was diagnosed with liver disease yesterday, and my mother is having a few complications with her back(she had a spinal fusion yesterday morning). There may be nerve damage as a result of the condition her back was in before going in for the operation. As for my father, he is currently on dialysis for his kidney's and we had a close call with him back in January. He is still recovering from that incident, and now to add the liver disease on top of it....It's discouraging to see two wonderful people in a position where all you can do is sit back and see what happens. I've been visiting my father, and will be making a trip to the hospital tomorrow to see my mom. I still have to find out more information on liver disease, but all in time...We don't know what will happen until he goes for his MRI and biopsy.

It's been a long, tiring day so I am going to head off to bed. I'm looking forward to a little rest on the weekend.

Oh and today's positive thought...I almost forgot. Let's see:

Everything happens for a reason. There is little point in worrying as it will only bring more worry into ones life. Acknowledge, accept, and release the problem. 

Pain

Upon waking this morning I was sure it was going to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was warm and there were very few clouds in the sky. The hands on the clock continued to click away minutes and sunshine. By 9am, the sky was filled with clouds and the temperature had dropped.

I'm starting to think that my pain might be more related to food than I had originally thought. I know Nightshade veggies(tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers) can cause flareups in people who suffer from arthritis. I've been eating potatoes for the last three or four days, and I have tomatoes on an almost daily basis. I know I should probably try to cut Nightshade veggies out, but it can be so hard! I need to find an alternative to potatoes and tomatoes. You can find more information on Nightshade veggies and other foods arthritic people should avoid here.

There are days where the pain is a little too much to deal with. Last night I was in bed by 8:30pm, and today after work I felt so exhausted that I had to lay down. I didn't sleep, I just laid there talking to my boyfriend for a little while. I am hoping to get in to see my doctor and hopefully get a referral to a rheumatologist. I have not seen a rheumatologist for at least three years, because the one I had was in the children's hospital and I am no longer a child. I am also concerned about my wrists. I was told I have tendinitis, but I am wondering if the arthritis may have moved into them. I hope not...

Today's positive thought is:

I release my pain into the Earth and draw in warm healing energy. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening. Here's to warmer weather!

Learning To Live

Weak. Stiff. Hot. Pain. These are some of the words I'd use to describe my arthritis. If you had told me seven years ago that I would be diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis within a year, I think I would have looked at you like you were off your rocker. I was a child in my last year of Junior High when I was diagnosed. I knew my hands hurt, but it certainly wasn't something I was too worried about. I was more concerned about the way my index finger looked. The middle joint almost looked like it has been reversed, so it was sunken down into my skin. My finger clicked when I bent it. My friends thought it was "kinda gross."

Now, a grown woman of twenty, my arthritis has continued to effect my life. I do not believe in taking medication that treats the symptoms but provides no solution to the actual problem. I rarely take Tylenol, Advil or other anti-inflammatory drugs. I take the pain and deal with it, try to cope with gentle hand exercises and am now tackling my diet, too.

When I was first diagnosed I was put on Naproxen. I was on this medication(my dose being increased every month or so) for about six months. I remember arguing with my mother about how I did not like taking the pills. They made me sick, sick enough that eating was uncomfortable and I would have sharp pains in my stomach. The doctor said my body needed to get used to the medicine. I said "Enough!" and refused to take them any more. I honestly think this was one of the best things I had ever done. The list of problems Naproxen causes is, well, discouraging to say the least.

My pain is usually manageable on most days, on other days it results in me curled up in bed snuggling my cat, boyfriend or a pillow crying. Sometimes the pain is easier to deal with than the emotional burden.

Growing up we were taught that older people had arthritis. You know, our Grandmothers, Grandfathers and elderly neighbors. It was what happened to you when you got old. No one ever mentioned children getting arthritis. Not in my neighborhood! I think that the idea of elderly having arthritis and younger people having healthy joints plays a large part on my mind. There are days where I feel like my body is seventy years old, where moving my fingers takes enough effort to send me into the land of depression. Other days I feel my age. It is a constant roller coaster.

I know there are things that I can do to help lessen the pain, and I plan on doing them. I invite you to join me on my journey to healing my arthritis. That's right. I think, no, I know it can be healed. I also invite you to share any stories of your arthritis and how you cope.

Tomorrow will be a new day, a new start. Today I will start my journey, today I will learn to live.