Thursday, April 1st, 2010
These past several months have been an exercise in survival. I am feeling better than I have in months, but I still have a way to go before I am at a place where rheumatoid arthritis is not in every other thought. I have come to a place of survival.
All this down time has made me wonder how many of us are living with this disease and how many of us are in survival mode?
What is survival mode? For me it is getting through another day. Surviving the day with rheumatoid arthritis. Not exactly my idea of fun, but I am getting by. I wonder what survival means to everyone else with this disease. While survival is better than giving up it is not where I want to be.
I am an optimist so I believe that this is just a temporary setback on my journey to living well with RA. The idea that this survival mode is a permanent situation is not something that I am willing to entertain ever. I have too much fight left in me to settle for half way.
I am grateful to be out of bed. Two months ago I was flat on my back all day long. I am grateful that I am able to tackle small tasks on a daily basis so that I feel that I have accomplished something. But this is not where I want to be. I know that I have a ways to go and that this will probably take longer that I originally anticipated, but I am in this for the long haul and I am determined to find a new way to live with this disease without adding toxic chemicals to my body.
Here is what I have been doing so far and it seems to be having an impact on my overall wellness.
- I am monitoring my diet and have eliminated dairy from my diet. I have found out the hard way that if I do ingest something that has dairy in it I will swell. I have been adding and subtracting different foods from my diet to see what is having an impact on inflammation. So far dairy has had the biggest impact.
- I have been taking Flaxseed Oil (I can’t do fish oil supplements) and Vitamin D daily.
- I have found that mediation helps me sleep better and makes mornings a little more manageable.
- I am starting to be able to exercise ( I am using this term loosely because the rate of speed that I walk would hardly be called exercise, but it is movement and more than my body has seen in months.)
- I am careful about what I eat and have lost over 25 pounds since January 1, 2010.
- I spend time every day visualizing what it looks like to be free of stiffness and pain.
So far I am improving and I hope to be back to my old self soon.
In all honesty I have felt this bad on methotrexate. I have had the same levels of pain, inflammation, and stiffness while on mtx so I have been pleasantly surprised at my progress and so far happy with my decision to look for an alternative solution to mtx. It has made me wonder on more than one occasion how well the mtx was really working for me.
So for me, tomorrow is a new day with new hope for less pain and inflammation and life mode not just survival mode.
Tags: disease, exercise, Flaxseed Oil, inflammation, Meditation, methotrexate, mtx, RA, rheumatoid arthritis, survival, vitamin D
Posted in Autoimmue Disease, Coping, Decisions, Diet/Nutrition, Lesson Learned, Rheumatoid Arthritis RA, Solutions, Spirit, Wellness | 7 Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
- Meditation: Meditation can lower your blood pressure, enhance your immune system, relax muscles help you deal with stress. And lets face it pain is stressful. Start with just 5 to 10 minutes a day and gradually work up to 20 to 30 minutes a day. You will be surprised what a difference it will make in how you feel. Find a quiet place where there are not likely to be any interruptions. I try to get in some time before the kids wake up. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath; the coolness as you breathe in and the warm exhale. Try to keep the inhalation and exhalation the same length. Start with your feet and focus on the sensation of relaxation. Now move up to your legs, stomach, arms, and shoulders,. With each exhale feel the tension leave your body. Now relax the corners of your mouth, the outer corners of your eyes relax outward. Stay like this focusing on the inhalation and exhalation, try to empty your mind. It takes practice to be able to shut out the world for a little while, but it is well worth the effort.
- Pamper Yourself: Sit down and enjoy a nice warm cup of tea. Take a long soothing soak in the tub. ( provided getting in and out is not an issue ) Try a nice paraffin wax for your hands. The warmth feels wonderful and your hands end up so soft and smooth when you are done. Schedule a spa day with your best friend. Indulge in an afternoon nap. Do something that makes you feel good.
- Move your body: Exercise is a must to help with pain reduction. Find an exercise that you enjoy and you are more likely to stick with it. Start with something that you can do now. Begin with some stretches and add a few isometrics to gain some strength gradually increasing the time and level of activity. Be carefule to listen to what your body is telling you. Do not continue if you are experiencing pain. Remember that consistency is the key.
- Laugh: We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine. Well it turns out that laughter is exactly what we need when dealing with pain. Laughter causes the pituitary gland in the brain to release pain suppressing compounds. So watch a funny movie or tell a good joke !
- Listen to your favorite music: Studies have shown a significant reduction in pain and depression for patients with arthritis who listen to music. So crank up the tunes and enjoy!
Tags: Add new tag, arthritis pain, depression, exercise, immune system, inflammation, joint pain, laughter, Meditation, music, pace, pain reduction, pamper, RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis RA
Posted in Solutions, Wellness | 4 Comments »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Have you noticed that when you are stressed your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms seems to worsen? I certainly have. With the economy in the state that it is in there is no doubt that a great many people are dealing with increased stress in their lives these days. If you have rheumatoid arthritis you might want to try to find a constructive way to handle your stress. Research has shown that stress plays an important role in the inflammation that causes pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Molecules called cytokines are released in the body when we are stressed. These cytokines contribute to inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis which results in more pain and stiffness.
According to Webster’s dictionary stress is defined as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”. Research suggests that there is a close relationship between stress and the onset and sustainment of disease with people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Some research indicates that stress can change the activity of lymphocytes (B cells) and macrophages and stress could suppress T-cells in RA leading to more active disease. .
Sometimes when the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis worsen, that can cause more stress which leads to worsening symptoms which in turn can cause more stress. Pain can also increase your stress level. Make sure you discuss with your rheumatologist your pain level so that it can be controlled.
Life in general in filled with stress. How you handle your stress is critical in managing your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Here are some of the methods that I use that help me deal with the stresses of my daily life.
-
Meditation: 10 minute in the morning helps me to prepare for the day and 10 minutes at night helps me to wind down and let go of the days activities
-
Yoga: Yoga helps me to stay in touch with my body, to center my mind and feel connected to both
-
Exercise: Exercise can be difficult especially when you are in the middle of a flare. Listen to your body and what you are able to do and check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine
-
Journaling: Sometimes just getting your thoughts on paper can help you to work through whatever issues you may be having that are causing stress
-
Laughing: Laughter causes the pituitary gland in the brain to release pain suppressing compounds.
The same way that stress can adversely effect the level of pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, positively dealing with stress can improve the symptoms of the disease. Try to find a stress relieving method that best suits you. Ultimately you know what works for you and what doesn’t. Eliminate what doesn’t work and focus on what does.
Tags: arthritis, B-cell, cytokine, exercise, inflammation, journaling, laughing, lymphocyte, macrophages, Meditation, pain, RA, rheumatoid, stress, T-cells, yoga
Posted in Health/Fitness, Solutions, Wellness | 5 Comments »
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
I have always been interested in the gentle movements of Tai Chi. It always looks so beautiful to me watching a group of people practicing the exercises in the park. I have just order a dvd so that I can try it out for myself. Here is a link if you are interested in trying it with me .I have been doing some research on the subject because I am trying it out I will share a little of what I have learned so far.
Tai Chi originated in China in about 1580.There are five main styles of Tai (pronounced tie) Chi ( pronounced chee ) that are internationally recognized and are named for the five Chinese families from which it originated. Each style is similar in basic principal but they differ in the way they approach training. Tai Chi is considered to be internal (nei chia) or soft style martial art. Continue reading Tai Chi and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tags: arthritis, exercise, flexibility, Meditation, movement, rheumatoid, strength, Tai Chi
Posted in Health/Fitness, Wellness | 3 Comments »
Subscribe to LivingRheum with RSS
