Dairy, A Self Experiment

This week I have been doing a little self-experiment. I want to see which foods effect me the most, and if I can handle them at small doses. If you've been reading my blog, the foods that have been causing my pain have mainly been Gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes.

This past week I have been testing myself on the every so delicious dairy. I ate a donair plate(GF meat) smothered in cheese and donair sauce. Enjoyed cheese on rice pasta, gf pizza, and on the side for veggie platters. I indulged on sour cream and nacho dip. I tried to enjoy dairy at every opportunity. I know that sounds like a lot of junk, but I managed to keep up with the veggies and yummy, healthy foods, too! Moderation, right?

So, today ends the week of dairy. Most of my dairy consumption occurred over the last two days with home made onion dip, the base being sour cream. Conclusion: dairy is a trigger for my pain.

My shoulders have been achy and I have had a persistent headache all week. My feet have been bothering me, my ankle has been clicking. I feel slightly bloated and am really gassy(appealing, eh?). But the worst of it all happened today. I woke up with my fingers and wrist sore. My index finger on my right hand is stiff, and painful to move. For the first time in months, I needed my boyfriends help...I couldn't turn the key to the laundry room. After trying four times by myself, I went to him for help, and he easily opened it. That was a bit of a shock, it wouldn't have been so bad if he struggled with it, too.

So, dairy is a big no-no. I'm going to continue to avoid all the 'no' foods until my symptoms subside, and then I'll test something else. Maybe tomatoes. I am dying for spaghetti sauce ;) So until then, acidophilus, water and 'yes' foods it is!

Symptoms and looking for a little help!

I decided to do up a list of the symptoms I have been experiencing on a daily basis since June 2011. Since the doctor doesn't think I have RA and suspects I have Fibromyalgia but is not certain, I was hoping someone here could help with any thoughts so that I might be able to bring up some possible ideas at my next appointment in November.

In the mean time, I am making appointments with a highly recommended consultant at The Health Basket, a health store in Cole Harbour. He is known for helping people treat diseases naturally, and I hope he will be able to shed some light on my issues. I am also going for a Bio-Pulse Scan at Casaroma's(Info on Bioscans here) tomorrow, and will post how that goes.

With that being said, here is my (fairly long) list of symptoms. I really appreciate any input here!

·         -Pain in fingers, particularly index fingers

·         -Pain all over, comes and goes at different degrees throughout the day

·         -Sudden feeling of extreme tiredness, like energy has been zapped

·         -Feels like I have a constant flu(minus nausea) with body aches

·         -Pain ranges from 2-8 on a daily basis, changing without any indication

·         -Stiffness in fingers, mostly indexes

·         -Stiff when I sit still for too long

·         -Pain when I sit still for too long or move around too much

·         -Index fingers feel weak, hurt to use

·         -Pain in elbows comes and goes

·         -Wrists sometimes hurt, and when I put too much pressure on them extreme pain on occasion.

·         -Index fingers pop when they bend, painful

·         -Shoulders(mostly left) grind and is painful

·         -Knees ache, above the knee, beside the knee

·         -Ankles and feet hurt

·         -Big toes ache

·         -Sensitive spots to touch

·         -Shock-like pain on forearm occasionally, usually right forearm but sometimes left

·         -Tension headaches

·         -Anxiety, emotional

·         -Constantly feeling cold, usually have to have a blanket over me when at home even when it is hot out

·         -Wake up feeling unrested, regardless if I have slept 4 or 12 hours.

·         -Painful to hold a pen in my hand when I write one line.

·         -Hurts to brush my hair

·         -Hard to do up buttons, zippers, open bottles, use can openers

·         -Occasional shooting pain through the joint where thumb and wrist connect

·         -Can be hard to get out of bed in the mornings, stiffness and pain related

·         -Cannot use the bathroom as easily as before(number 2)

·         -If I bump my hand or knee on something the pain is intense and lasts

·         -14 of the 18 trigger points for fibromyalgia

·         -Sometimes have trouble thinking clearly and focusing

·         -No RA factor in blood work or anything showing auto-immune disorders. Checked for Lupus and nothing came up abnormal. No sign of joint damage or RA in hands. No inflammation indication in blood work.

·         -I constantly bump into walls(clumsy I know), I was clumsy before but it has gotten worse in the last few months

·         -Get words mixed up several times a day

·         -Memory has become worse since June, although this could be caused by the marijuana or the pain.

Fibromyalgia and Doctor update

I am so beyond confused right now that I don't know what to think. I have been believing that for the last several years I had RA. I just got back from my doctors appointment and according to my xrays and blood work I do not have an active condition of RA. My blood work showed no RA factor, no inflammation and my white and red blood cell count were all fine as well. My xrays showed no sign of joint damage or inflammation.

He said that I may have RA, but it is in remission. But if that is the case why am I always in so much pain? I don't remember the last time I had NO pain. So we kept talking, and I mentioned I feel like I have the flu when I have a bad flare up, like I hurt all over. So he started to press on a few points to see if they hurt, and most of them did. He(by the way, 'he' is the doctor) said he believes I may have Fibromyalgia. He said my symptoms all match up and that would explain why I am in so much pain on a constant basis.

I am so confused...I don't really understand what is going on. He gave me a few pieces of paper to read and told me to do some research because there isn't much he can do other than prescribe anti-depressants, or medication for seizures to help with the pain.I asked him if me having RA in the past could have caused this, and he said that it's hard to say but possible.

I am relieved but confused and lost...I don't know what to think...

Positive thinking??

I have always been the type of person who constantly looks for the positive outcome in any situation, the person who never loses hope. In a way this has really helped me through the rough flares in RA, but I am wondering if I may have been slightly delusional about my entire outlook on my situation.

My positive thinking mind assumed that one day, this will all just go away. No more pain. No more inflammation. No more stiffness. No more RA. I had it in my mind that this, too, would pass, just like any illness I have had. I outgrew my asthma, and I guess I was thinking I would eventually outgrow RA, too. Well, it seems like my perception on this is slightly off.

I've had RA for close to 9 years now. I've had moments of remission where I was convinced that I would never again see or experience the pain, inflammation and stiffness(as well as other symptoms of RA) ever again. But like my mother used to tell me 'Never say Never'...wow, I should have listened!

I am beginning to see that no matter how much positive thoughts or hope I put into my RA, it is coming back, and getting worse each time. This year is by far the worst year I have ever experienced in terms of pain, although this year has also had a lot of stress due to the loss of my father, a serious issue in my relationship earlier in the year and family issues. So stress plays a role. I know that, and you probably do, too.

Even though there is a quiet voice in my head that reassures me that everything will be okay and work out exactly as it is supposed to...I can't help but hear the other one that says the pain will not go away. Even if it does, I know it will be back at some point. It always does.

Visualizing RA

Today was a rough day at work where I spent most of my day limping around work. I was surprised by how much pain I was actually in, when this morning the pain was around a 2 on the 1-10 scale and I thought I was going to have a great day, but by 9am it had been closer to a 7.

When I got home, I limped to the bedroom to rest and found that my boyfriend was still home. We laid in bed talking for a little while, and I have to admit that I was kind of hurt by one of the things he said.
My boyfriend is a very well meaning guy, who has been incredibly supportive and, well, awesome. He has good intentions, and believes in the body's natural abilities to heal itself. He asked me why I don't just meditate and ask my body to heal itself, to take away the pain.

This sounds like a great idea, but what in the world would make him think that I don't already do those things? I've tried meditating, most nights it is the only way I can quiet my mind enough to go to sleep. And as for asking my body to heal itself from RA and to take away the pain, well, of course I have tried. I think he gets this idea from several stories of people who have cured diseases like cancer by visualizing the disease being taken away, like in one example a woman with breast cancer visualized a white dove taking a piece of her cancer away each night.

One of the hard things about this is that cancer is usually in selected spots in the body, unless it has progressed to the final stages and is throughout most of the body. So in a way, it can easier to visualize a white dove taking away a piece of cancer each night. But how do you visualize a white dove taking away joint pain, or inflammation or correcting the immune system, when all of these things effect your entire body and not a localized spot? How do you take away something that you need(immune system)? 

So now it has me thinking, wondering how a person would picture their RA? I have trouble visualizing mine. I don't know how to remove something like this...It's not like there are mutated cells in my body causing this.

When you try to visualize what your RA looks like, can you?

Thoughts/update

Yesterday was a wonderful day and I was beginning to think that my flare-up was coming to an end. Although I was still in pain, the stiffness didn't last longer than an hour or so after I got out of bed and my energy levels were through the roof! I was goofy, laughing and felt great. By 8:00pm or so Sunday night I was starting to feel tired again, and the pain was getting worse.

Today I feel like crap(pardon the language). The stiffness has lasted most of the day and my energy had been okay in the morning, but now I am totally wiped. I had a lot of things I had wanted to get done today but am too tired to even get them started.

I heard back from the Arthritis Society today and was told the only way I could start seeing a rheumatologist again would be to have my doctor refer me. Unfortunately, my doctor can take up to 3 months to get in to. I haven't been there in years, but am hoping they might be able to squeeze me in soon. If not, maybe getting a new doctor will be on the to do list.

I'm concerned about how long this flare-up seems to be lasting, and how bad it is. The last two flare-ups have been really bad, but I don't know what that could possibly indicate. I feel defeated and upset because this isn't something I can control, and I am so used to being in control of my life. It bothers me that I am willing to give into medication that in the long run, may end up doing more harm than good. I don't know how people live like this every day. I just keep telling myself to hang in there and it'll get better, the pain always improves to some degree or another. Some days the idea of it getting better helps, and days like today, it doesn't. In the end, we will all make it through.

Is there a third option?

Maybe I am just having one of those days, but I feel like I am having a moment of realization. I am seriously beginning to wonder if RA can be managed by diet, exercise or any other non-medical form. Yes, I know that some people respond well to changes in their diet, or increased exercise, ect ect, while others respond to medication. I am just wondering where do I sit between these two options. Is there a third option?

I don't want to go on medication for the pain or to help prevent any further problems caused by the RA. I mean, when I sit and think about all of the "possible" side effects, is it really worth it? What would happen if I just decided to flat out say no to all possible medications for the rest of my life? Is my liver, stomach, kidney or other vital organ worth living pain free? Does medication really help or just temporarily off set the problems associated with RA?

So where do people like me sit? People who don't want to take medication but aren't really seeing a permanent change in RA with diet change?

One Year Aniiversary Reflection

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of me starting this blog, and let's be honest, I know I haven't been writing as much as I had originally planned!

The last year has truly been a learning experience, and although I haven't really come any closer to finding a way to manage my RA without the use of medication, I still believe that it is possible. Looking back over my posts I have noticed how negative I feel now compared to how I was then, so I think I'll start ending each post with a positive thought. After all, how are we supposed to go about our day when we look at everything with a negative twist. It kind of takes the joy out of living!

I've focused a lot on diet and food that could be possible triggers to my RA, but I have been shying away from the one diet change that I think would probably benefit me. I would love to have the strength to cut dairy and gluten from my diet, even if it was only for a few months and then to try them again to see if it might be causing some of my flare-ups. I guess I have been afraid to try, or afraid that I might actually have a reaction to these things. To be honest, I love cheese. And bread. I eat rice pasta sometimes, and it isn't too bad, although the texture is a little odd. I think that it is something I need to try, though.

So the positive thought for this blog is....
"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." - Willie Nelson

Possible RA Flare-up Triggers?

It's been a while since my last post, but not much has changed with my condition or any new information that I have found. I am no longer on a reduced meat diet nor vegetarian, and have found that overall, my flare-ups are still about the same.

For the last few months I was doing great. I have been going to the gym and eating healthy on and off(even though I know I should be doing it regularly). I am not sure if maybe my RA was in remission, or if I was doing something that had been helping to keep inflammation down and the pain to a minimum.

The last two weeks, however, my RA has been making itself known. I think there are a few contributing factors to the recent flare-up, which could be:
a) It has been raining for the last 18 days, with several low pressure systems(I live in Atlantic Canada and this is our wet season).
b) I have been eating a lot of dairy lately(mostly cheese).
c) I have been eating/drinking foods and drinks higher in sugar(pops, chocolate, cookies, ect)
d) I have been eating more starchy foods lately(white pasta and white bread)
e) I haven't had a flare-up in a while

Do you find any of the things listed can cause flare-ups in you? I am not sure if any of them have led to my current flare-up, but it is always a possibility.

I have noticed that the last few flare-ups that I have had have also included a lot of pain in my shoulders. There is also a spot on the back of my neck/spine that is very painful during my flare-ups, but I am not sure if that is due to the inflammation or not. It is the spot directly below the neck between the shoulder blades on the back of my neck, do you know where I am talking about?

I am not sure if I may have the RA in my shoulders, and would like to get in to see my doctor but I DO NOT want to be put on any form of medication. That is simply not an option for me.

Stiffness and Pain

My pain and stiffness have both been doing pretty good lately, well, until today. I have been experiencing stiffness all day in my hands and some pain and general weakness in my finger joints, too. I do not know if it was caused from a fall I had yesterday or if it was something I ate, or maybe just happening for some unknown reason.

I was under a bit of stress yesterday and was very tense last night when trying to go to sleep...It was one of those nights were I wished I could just disappear, but no matter how tight I huddled under the blankets things didn't get better. So stress may have caused a bit of a problem with my pain today, but it is nothing but a theory.

It has been beautiful here in Nova Scotia for the last few days, very nice to see the rain has stopped and the sun coming out! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

A little pain...

I haven't been posting as much lately due to my pain and stiffness decreasing, but I am trying to keep everyone updated and if I find any interesting articles, I will be sure to pass them on!

The pain has been, well, pretty much non-existent for the most part and the stiffness is a lot less than what it used to be. I have noticed something that I would be very interested to know if other women experience. It seems that during menstruation, or the closer to menstruation I get, the more my joints ache and become stiff. The pain is not like it used to be, but it is there and has been for the last 2 days. The stiffness is also there, but not as bad as what it used to be. Do you experience an increase in your RA symptoms during certain times of the month?

I am continuing to eat a vegetarian diet and am enjoying it a lot, too! I've been experimenting with beans, using them to make burgers, "meat" loaf and soon going to try to make a bean roast. They taste great and the consistency is very good, too.

I hope everyone is enjoying their week!

it's raining, it's pouring...

It's official. The next time Environment Canada issues a rain warning for my region, I am going to listen. I thought the storm might bring a bit of rain throughout the weekend, but it hasn't stopped raining ALL day. Wind, rain...Yikes! At least it is warm(about 15 degrees Celsius).

I did something today that I haven't been able to do in years: I played my flute. The last time I picked it up to play resulted in pain and I wasn't able to hold the weight of the flute in my hands long enough to even play a few simple notes. My fingers would ache and it would be hard to move them without pain, making the instrument even more difficult to play.

Today was different. I played for two hours. I played even though I couldn't remember all the notes on the sheet music or all the fingers for the notes. I played what I remembered, and what I couldn't remember I looked up. I am pretty much a novice again, but that is fine with me. It's exciting that I am experiencing almost no pain and less stiffness even on a rainy day.

I do have to admit that I am missing meat a bit, though. I am not eating chicken or fish, or any other form of meat. Some meats turn me off anyways, but the thought of BBQ chicken is mouth watering. In the end, it is not worth the RA. I just need to remember that.

Exciting News!

It's been a few days since my last post, but I am FINALLY feeling better! That cold is a nasty one that seems to attack everything and anything in your body. It started in my throat, went to my sinus's, my body ached, I had headaches and a sore throat, went temporarily deaf from the sinus stuff and now it is in my chest. On the bright side, I am feeling better today than I have been all week!

I found out a few interesting things to help with the common cold during this week, using my body as an experiment...and since I was already sick, it couldn't really hurt, right? I discovered that Tabasco sauce, salt, ginger, black pepper, lemon and honey mixed with a bit of warm water then gargled helps relieve a sore throat. Mind you it burns the tongue. I also discovered how much I hate halls and how badly they upset my stomach, but Fishermen's Friend are lovely and help a dry, scratchy throat more than Halls. They are also easier on the stomach and cheaper on the wallet...

I am also thinking about cutting out ALL sources of meat, including eggs and dairy. The thought of eggs has been turning me off, but cheese, well cheese is always tasty! I am just cutting down on the cheese and avoiding the eggs. I am not eating fish anymore, it just doesn't appeal to me in any way.

Another very exciting thing I have discovered is that my pain is very minimum, hardly there at all and my stiffness! Oh my! Are you ready for the news...? My stiffness, which I have been having for years and years, that causes trouble with me in the kitchen and doing every day things with my hands...It is INCREDIBLY LESS!

I am so happy to see this change! I was at work today cutting tomatoes and noticed it wasn't hurting. I was preparing Spicy Chicken Salad for the sandwiches at work, slicing lots of chicken nuggets and chicken burgers...Normally I would have to stop every few minutes to give my hands a rest. This time, I didn't have to stop once. Not once! I am very happy and excited about this!

It will be interesting to see how things go tomorrow, because we have a rain storm starting tonight. If I am pain free and stiff-free tomorrow, I will be ecstatic. I am already ecstatic, but I'll be even more so tomorrow!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying the weather. Does anyone have snow yet?

Take care!

Feeling kinda sick...

I'm not feeling so great today. I woke up with a dry, sore throat and tried drinking hot tea, sipping water and sucking on peppermints and hard candy but it is still dry and sore. So I decided to lay down after work and woke an hour later to feeling like my tonsils are swollen. My fingers are aching, swollen and stiff but I don't know if the RA is causing the sore throat or if a cold or virus is causing the sore throat and my RA to act up.

It's been a busy week and I am hoping to get better quickly because I have a cousin I haven't seen in eons coming up this weekend with his wife. I really don't want to spend my time with them sick. Especially on Halloween!

Other than all of that, I've been feeling pretty good. I had fish today but have been sticking to tofu and vegetarian dishes other than that. I noticed the stiffness wasn't as bad this week and I hardly had any pain. Energy levels were up(except for today) and my sleeping patterns were good, too.

I still think this vegetarian(plus fish) lifestyle might be the answer for me. I've been making some interesting dishes and even my boyfriend likes them, especially the Breast of Tofu(recipe here). It's pretty good!

That's all for now and I hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween!

This week's goal

It's been one of those hectic days where I sit back and just hope Friday will come a little faster. My stress level has gone up and down like a roller coaster, and things are now starting to smooth out. I had thought I needed to get a new job due to the person I am filling in for coming back to work, but it turns out she isn't coming back for a while, if ever. So now I do not need to find a new job, which is great, but I was really looking forward to a few days off. I guess I will just have to wait until my vacation in December!

Pain is a bit bad today. I have not had red meat for a while now, and had chicken on Saturday. I feel good, except for the pain. I really hope I do not have another flare up so soon. I'm trying to listen to my body, and I know I over did it today with my very long walk(I got lost and ended up getting off the bus way too early and had to walk the rest of the way to a meeting). It's also been raining all day and I have been having a bit too much sugar.

So the goal for this week is to continue eating a vegetarian diet(with the exception of fish every now and then) and reducing the amount of junk food sugar I am consuming. I just need to remember tomorrow is hump day. Soon it will be the weekend, and Halloween!

RA and the immune system

I know I already blogged today, but I am having a bit of a brain storm and thought you might want to hear it.

We know that rheumatoid arthritis is when the body's immune system begins to attack the joint tissue, in particular the synovial fluid between the joints. So maybe the way to begin to treat arthritis is to help with the immune system. Some questions I have are:

Why is my immune system attacking my joints?
What caused my immune system to attack the synovial fluid?
What will help(naturally) with the inflammation and pain?
Will eliminating red meat from my diet help?

I am hoping to find the answers to these soon. Maybe by reducing the inflammation it will help with reducing the pain, and reduce the amount of damage. I just have to find some natural ways to reduce inflammation!

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!

Bacon-like Tofu!

Today has been a little easier, with little pain(although a bit of stiffness). One of the best things I find for stiffness is warm water. I don't have a heat bag or heat pad, so running my hands under the tap with warm water seems to help, or if I hold them in a sink of warm water. Add a little lavender essential oil and you have a pampering, stress and pain removing technique!

I cooked some tofu last night, and although I was a little hesitant about using it in my recipe because of it's spongy texture, I'm happy I used it. I baked sliced tofu for about 20 minutes with some oil, chili flakes and chili pepper. When it was done, I cut the slices up into cubes and tossed it in the frying pan with some bok choy, onion, veggies and soy sauce. I then threw in some cooked rice and some pineapple, lemon juice and a table spoon of teriyaki sauce. When that was mixed together, I spiced it up with curry, chili and mustard powder. It was delicious, and the texture of the tofu was similar to bacon. I will definitely be using tofu again!

Tomorrow looks like it will be a busy day! I'll be getting up early to go hiking with my boyfriend and then be coming home to continue packing. This is my final week to finish packing before the move next week. I should really get to work on it quickly, but I can't pass up the opportunity to go hiking when the sun will be out and the temp will be up to 20 degrees!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, I'll try to post a few pictures of the hike!


Oh and I almost forgot, the positive thought for today is . . .

Do something you enjoy. Do it for yourself every day. It is much easier to get through the hard times when you have something positive to turn to or look forward to!

Have a great weekend!

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.

One Of Those Days...

Please pardon the lack of blogging yesterday, it was "one of those days". For those of you with arthritis, you know what those days are like, days where you are in so much pain that you cannot think of anything except how much you hurt, how much it hurts to move and yet there are still things that need to get done.

It was a little odd, because I had had a wonderful, easy going day with very little pain and than out of no where, with little warning, it started. I had been stiff, but when am I not stiff? Supper still needed to be cooked, so I made a simple casserole dish that required very little work then curled up on the couch and waited for my boyfriend to come home. I hadn't eaten since mid-afternoon, but I wasn't hungry. I didn't want to be touched, and my patience was incredibly thin. So I got myself to have a few bites of food, ran a warm bath with some lavender essential oil and sea salt than laid in bed and watched "Hot Fuzz"-a comedy about a cop who goes to a small town.

This morning I had no pain, but the stiffness was still present so I did a few finger exercises. I was fine for far for most of the day, I had even walked home from work, ran some errands and went to the library for a little bit. Tonight I am in pain again, although no where near the amount I was in last night. My hands are very stiff, particularly my right index finger. I've also been noticing that when my hands become stiff, my skin starts to feel dry, and even though it is soft to the touch, it feels like I need to pile moisturizer onto it. Do you experience any skin irritation or changes when your hands become stiff?

Positive thought for the day(I'll make it a good one since I missed yesterday) :

Arthritis didn't develop in a day, and it will not be cured in a day. Every step we take is another step on the ladder that brings us closer to our goal: to live pain free without the help of medication, to have a cure for arthritis.