I try to look at every obstacle or challenge as an opportunity to learn something about myself. My hope is that I can somehow gain something positive from every experience good or bad. This latest challenge has been no different. What I learned this time is that I need to be grateful for every moment that I am upright and not sick in bed.
I have spent the better part of this summer in bed. I started the summer with most of my family (myself included) sick with the swine flu. By the time I was finishing up the antiviral meds for the swine flu I found out that I had lyme disease. This meant 6 weeks of antibiotics after 3 weeks of antiviral medication. Both medications require that I stop taking my RA meds to work effectively and get rid of both the flu and the lyme disease.
The lyme disease was much more difficult than I had anticipated. It left me feeling more sick than I had ever been at any point in my life ever. It felt a little like the flu on steroids. Fever, chills, body aches and severe muscle pain just to name a few of the rather nasty symptoms I was experiencing with lyme disease.
There were plenty of times during this period when I wondered which disease was causing the pain. Was it the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or was it lyme disease? It was a very difficult time. I never knew from day to day how I would feel or if it would be better or worse than the day before. Many times one disease would be better and the other worse.
Right now I am just dealing with a flare. There was a time in my life when I thought that dealing with a flare was the worst thing I could experience. Turns out that is not true. A flare is awful. A flare is exhausting and very painful. But unfortunately I have learned that some things can be worse than a flare. Being sick with another disease while in the midst of a flare is much worse. I have had only a small glimpse into what others with multiple autoimmune diseases go through and I admire each you. Dealing with one disease is hard enough.
I never thought that I would be at a point when I would say that it’s only a flare. I am not trying to minimize a flare but that is how I feel right now. It is just a flare and I can handle a flare. I know what to expect with a flare. I know what my body needs and what it can handle during a flare. I’ve been down this road before. It is familiar territory.
For now, I am drinking plenty of water, eating a great deal of anti-inflammatory foods, getting plenty of rest and grateful that the only thing I need to deal with right now is this flare. There are no other health issues, just the flare. While this means that I will be in bed more than I would like, I am still able (although rather stiff and sore) to get out of that bed. For that I am grateful.
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