Grammie's Double Whammy

It's been awhile. Did you miss me, I wonder?  I've been drifting about on the clouds of memory fog and forgetfulness that accompany conditions like psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. (My family gets a kick out of my loopiness.) The plethora of doctor appointments and hospital stays have kept me pretty occupied, as well. Since autoimmune dysfunction assaulted my life, I have come to accept most things as they appear with much less stress than before. Perhaps time heals. Now if I could just remember to schedule that massage... Having been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2014, I am much more invested in the reality of this disease now. I have read, asked questions, written, researched, traveled and cried. Knowing what I know now, I wish I wouldn't have been so hard on myself. A gift from my daughter, Alesha, may have been the the gentle nudge I needed to truly realize this. She gave me a rose bush for Mothers Day the same year I was diagnosed with psoriatic ar...

Today is infusion day. Remicade. A biologic drug that is supposed to ultimately stop pain and joint damage. We shall see. Thus far I have used methotrexate and Humira injections to no avail. I began Remicade in December of 2014, however my therapy was stalled by viruses I had in January. So, now we begin again. Hopefully I will be able to maintain a schedule of Remicade infusions that will allow the drug to actually work. Here's why I want it to. It has been a difficult winter. December and January (even into February) are cold dark months. There is less sunshine. The cold envelops a body in such a way that people with normal joints, tendons, and ligaments can feel stiff and uncomfortable. Add psoriatic arthritis, or any autoimmune disease for that matter, sprinkle in clinical depression, and you have a mixture of ingredients that whip up an unsavory recipe. I have felt so isolated. Blogging and posting on Facebook is a constant reminder, however, that I am NOT alone. Feedback fr...