The frustrating thing about having RA is that the slightest illness is multiplied by a thousand to make you feel like utter death. I have recently been suffering with a viral thingy (much like a cold) but on several days it has felt much worse than that. With RA, your immune system is shot to pieces anyway so a simple cold can turn nasty quite quickly. However, as there is no cure for viral infections, you can only wait it out (which takes a lot longer for us than a normal person, who can get over a cold in a few days with rest).
You may think I am exaggerating, but I only exaggerate slightly when I say with RA, a cold is like pneumonia, a rash is like the plague and a paper cut feels like an amputation (ok so I am probably exaggerating a tad more on the last one). You get the idea right? I have had this cold for going on three weeks now, that is not normal. I have been doing all the right things, resting (being bored), drinking lots, getting as much Vit C as possible but nothing seems to work. I will just have to ride this evil cold out for a bit longer.
I have taken up knitting again to cure my boredom. You may laugh (frankly I laugh too as my image of an eighty year old becomes clearer with this admission) but it is actually quite therapeutic. My dear friend Charlie taught me how to knit last year when I was very, very low and it helped clear my mind. It was also a great way for me and my mum to spend time together when I returned home. We started to make a patchwork blanket together which turned out to be amazing (even though mum did do most of the work as my wrists and fingers were quite bad towards the end). But I am now the proud owner of a beautiful knitted blanket that I intend to keep forever and maybe pass down to any little ones I have. My point is, knitting is not just for the oldies if you create something you love rather than Christmas jumpers and dodgy scarves.
Anyway I will continue with my knitting, I am making another blanket for a little person in the family in time for Christmas (wish me luck with that because if I get bored my mum will not be impressed with me passing the needles along again!).
Sorry you're fighting one of those mean colds :) When we have RA they're all mean! I have resulted in telling everyone I know, especially the people living in my basement that if you're sick, stay away. I don't want it! lol The last time I was sick was after a single dose of MTX and it lasted for nearly 3 months- off a stinking little sniffly thing. Sheesh- it's no exaggeration, not for those of us who understands. I hope you feel better Kerrie! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh how you are not exaggerating! In Sept. I battled a Lymph Gland infection in my neck. They thought that I was going to have to be admitted because they couldn't get it under control. Finally after 2 weeks it was gone.....only for it to sneak back a week later....then another 2 weeks of antibodies and it was finally destroyed. In the mean time I could not take any of my Enbrel due to the antibodies, so my RA got to party for a month. Everything is getting back to what my body considers normal.
ReplyDeleteKeep up with the knitting (I crochet), it so helps with the boredom of long days and sometimes even longer nights! But in the end, you have something beautiful that you created. So far for Christmas this year I have made 2 hat and scarf sets for my Great nieces, a mobuis scarf for my Mother and I need to start on 3 small afghans for a friends children. They make beautiful gifts and keepsakes.