Posted on December 18, 2009 by amandajohn
So, it’s exactly one week until Christmas and I have only bought 1 Christmas gift. And everywhere around me is getting snow while I’m getting copious amounts of rain mixed with snow and sleet. Which I fear may freeze tonight. Why am I so scared? Is it because I live in a really old neighborhood [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: chronic illness, Dumb, Flares, Flu, Fun Times, Pain, Weather | 6 Comments »
Posted on December 12, 2009 by amandajohn
Ok universe, I would very much appreciate a redo for today, please and thank you. It is 9:30 on Saturday night and I am supposed to be dancing my booty off with some friends at a concert. Instead, I am on the couch, more than a little loopy from muscle relaxers.
Very long story short, [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Meds, Pain | 15 Comments »
Posted on December 4, 2009 by amandajohn
I will admit it: I am addicted.
It calms me, it soothes me, it relaxes the muscles of my back and neck which bother me, it stimulates an immune response which helps me manage my RA. I crave time where I am forced to do nothing but chill. And this takes the cake.
I’ve been to [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Awareness, chronic illness, Diet, Massage Therapy, Meds, Pain, Spoilage, Things I'm Thankful For | 6 Comments »
Posted on November 29, 2009 by amandajohn
So I’ve been doing a gratitude challenge that several of my friends have sent me…and it’s actually been pretty enlightening. It’s a month long series of exercises where you write, think and reflect about positives in your life. I’ve also challenged myself to say two positives about every negative thought I’ve had. Some of them [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Awareness, chronic illness, Family, Flares, Friends, Fun Times, Insurance, Meds, Moving, Pain, RA Reflections, Things I'm Thankful For, Work | 10 Comments »
Posted on November 15, 2009 by amandajohn
So, every year from Thanksgiving on, I focus on how much fun I’ve had that year, how sad I am to leave that year, and a very specific list of things I want to accomplish in the upcoming year.
This time last year, I had just predicted (accurately I might add) my company was going to [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: chronic illness, Friends, Moving, Pain, RA Reflections, Stress, Things I'm Thankful For | 6 Comments »
Posted on November 5, 2009 by amandajohn
Normally, I get a huge kick out of reading the search terms that bring people to my blog. Some of them are absolutely hilarious and strangely inappropriate. But today, I wish I had contact info for the one I just saw.
“Does RA ever get better?”
Yes, my friend, it does.
It is such a shock to [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Awareness, chronic illness, Family, Flares, Friends, Fun Times, invisible illness, Pain, RA Reflections, Stress, Things I'm Thankful For, Trying to be normal | 6 Comments »
Posted on October 23, 2009 by amandajohn
Traveling with RA can be a pretty unpleasant experience for me. Once, I went to the beach on methotrexate and got so nauseous at dinner that I had to leave. I got sick and cried myself to sleep. Then I went to the mountains and was so stiff and uncomfortable with the cold and snow [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: chronic illness, Family, Flares, Friends, Fun Times, invisible illness, Meds, Pain, Quirks, Theories, Travel, Trying to be normal | 5 Comments »
Posted on October 18, 2009 by amandajohn
Dear Dr. (insert your name here),
First and foremost, let me tell you that I’d so much rather be shoe shopping than rheumatologist shopping. To put things in perspective, I’ve never gone shoe shopping and left with 5 vials less blood than I came with. Rheumatologist shopping…different story.
I’m really frustrated.
I think I’m a pretty good patient. [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Awareness, chronic illness, Flares, Insurance, Meds, Pain, Rheumatologist, Stress | 7 Comments »
Posted on September 27, 2009 by amandajohn
I was stuck on a conference call the other day at work. It was supposed to be an in depth discussion of part of what I sell and ended up being the reiteration of a presentation I’ve seen twice. Yawn. So, I was doodling on a notepad and on a bored whim, did one of [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Awareness, chronic illness, Flares, Pain, Trying to be normal, Work | 3 Comments »
Posted on September 22, 2009 by amandajohn
Today is my uncle’s third deathniversary.
Of all my extended family, my Uncle B and I were the closest. He was incredibly sensitive, kind, hysterically funny and very intuitive when it came to feelings of others, particularly mine. My brother spent a year in Iraq and B remains the only person I’ve ever talked to about [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: chronic illness, Family, Flares, Meds, Pain, Stress, Trying to be normal | 2 Comments »