From the top...

Finally I am back at work.  I like living by myself, but I need the people I work with and my students more than I could have ever imagined.  A new semester has helped distract me from the pain.  I got to see my first basketball game of the season tonight and forgot how much joy I get watching middle schoolers play their hearts out.  The season started in November.  If not for middle school basketball, I never would have gotten to know the sweet man that I might actually marry some day (heading into year 3 of engagement, and completely content).  I am very sentimental when it comes to basketball. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and a few more wins.

I am thankful for everything I CAN do and that the pain is actually not as bad as it was in November.  I am thankful for physical therapy and the muscles that are stronger now.  I will continue to be hopeful and try to be as positive as I can, and when I can't, there are always the meds that knock me out.

Holidays.

Snow made this Christmas the best yet, make that second best.  The year I got engaged is the best Christmas.  I spent a lot of my time off coming to terms with my disease. I have to live with it, so I try to stay as positive as possible.  I still can't believe I didn't go to work for six weeks.  I gave myself that time to heal, hoping that it would be the same as all the flares of years past.  I was wrong.  Now I have to move on and know that I can do as much as I can do, but not nearly as much as I used to.  I do in fact have to live with it for the rest of my life and it has already changed me, physically and emotionally.

House Arrest

Living with RA or as I recently found out, AS is no fun sometimes.  Ankylosing Spondylitis is a type of RA that causes calcification and fusing of the vertebrae and sacroiliac joints.  Looking at the Xrays I only have the beginning stages but for three weeks I have been in pain from inflamation in these joints that are unable to move the way they should.

I went for four straight years and never missed a day of work, and then last school year, I had health issues I couldn't ignore and this year, only in November, I have missed numerous days. To be specific, 7 of the last 15 school days and I will be out all next week trying to get an epidural to stop the low back pain. Then we have a week for Thanksgiving, so hopefully two straight weeks will get me back on my feet.

I am surrounded by supportive friends and coworkers that may not understand the joint issues, but they do understand that I am in pain.  They even sent an edible arrangement.   Yummy!

I am truly thankful for them as well as a doctor that thoroughly went through my test results and wants me to be pain free and live well.  I am going to visit an endocrinologist about my thyroid and hopefully start physical therapy in addition to the epidural.

I am hopeful!

Back to the foot doctor tomorrow

Tomorrow I go back to visit one of my newest and one of my best doctors.  He is a podiatrist and is very understanding of my pain and the importance of getting rid of it.  I am very happy I made the switch.  I am also changing Rheumatologists soon.  Current doctor is not understanding of the pain and managing it. The steroid shots are not a positive of tomorrow's visit, but the relief outweighs the temporary.  Bible study today was great, it always is.  Another blessing He has brought into my life.  I am so fortunate to work with such wonderful women.  We learn from one another constantly.  God is good all the time!