As my journey continues to learning to live with my Arthritis' (RA, OA, PA) I have found myself learning to dance again. Let me explain. A remider of my pre-arthritis days came back to me in the form of an old friend, Dancing. My mother found an old tape of my last days in a long history of ballet and tap dance, including some footage of a couple broadway type local performances I had done. Wow, all of the sudden I really missed it (and the body that went with it). At that moment I decided what my bullseye is going to be, now to find a form of dance that I can do. H'mm. It is interesting to be able to even consider it as just a few short weeks ago, I was writing about such profound fatigue and pain, I had to stop and rest at the side of the road while traveling to and from work. Our wonderful mentor, Lene, offered great advice at that time, listen to your body. As well as many of you. I was still in the learning faze of living with the disease, and quite stuborn I might add. But I did reluctantly listen. I decreased some of my work hours, as well as my work has allowed me to vary my hours as I need to, which is a blessing.
I have continued to regularly and aggressively seek my physician's input and we changed my meds, again. I am now on, Enbrel, MTX, Alieve, Robaxin, Folic Acid, Cymbalta and dexedrin, for about 5weeks now and IT'S WORKING! Yeah! My pain is much improved, swelling is less, I am sleeping about six hours regularly a night, have much less exhaustion and I can drive all the way to work without stopping. All of my labs have improved! I am having a little difficulty with some weight gain, and have seen a dermatologist now twice for a couple of medication related problems (I am waiting for results of biopsies) but I feel so much better.
I took my first Dance class last evening with a very good friend of mine. Bellydancing! It was such great fun. A little intimadating with all those bare bellied ladies, who are in great shape, but they were very supportive and did not care if mine stayed covered.
Thanks to all of you for the very supportive pep talks and great advice. Keep it coming as I keep learning. LLL, Barb 
Woo Hoo! Belly Dancing is awesome. They say it really strengthens your core and helps w/weight loss, which I could certainly use! LOL You must have a good rheumy, Barb. Sounds as though he/she knows what to do. Happy to hear you are feeling so much better. BUT, just remember to not over due and get yourself in a flare. Wil be anxious to hear how your class goes and if it gives you more energy, etc. I have been a sloth this last year. Mostly because I was in pain. I actually mowed the back yard last night...on a riding mower, but still that is more than I was able to do a few weeks ago. I keep telling myself to take baby steps and not give up. Exercise is good for the body and the soul, as long as we don't overdo it.
Blessings,
v
Thanks, V, I have been trying to take it easy, but it is hard when you are feeling soooooo much better. Especially when you look around your home and see all that hasn't been done since you have been ill, Yuck. I am trying to limit myself to one big cleaning job about every two weeks, so I don't send myself right back to where I was. Currently, I am having some pain, but I really do have some great physicians who don't mind talking to each other. I have some female stuff going on and had to take some progesterone, before I started my GYN and Rheumy discussed it and we all decided, I would take the hormone and as soon as I started having any increased problems, I started on a Medrol dose pack and I am feeling better. interesting that the hormones cause such a big problem. It is wonderful, so hope it lasts. Hope you are starting to feel better as well. How is the restart of the MTX going? How bout the prednisone, did you have to return to the 15mg dose? Hang in there, Barb
Helloooo, Ms. Barb,
Happy to hear from you! Well...so far so good w/the MTX. Have to have blood drawn August 1, and I see the rheumy later that month. I think it helps. Actually, I know it helps, but I still have to take Celebrex and Tramadol for pain. I guess the Celebrex is a necessity, but wouldn't it be great if I didn't need those pain meds. Think I will ever get off that stuff??? I didn't go back to 15 mg of prednisone. I toughed it out, and everything is okay. I did get "fitted" for othotics today. My feet are a mess, and my ankles are turning inward. Not sure if that is also because my knees are bad or not, but my ankles are not great, and they ache and sometimes they swell up like big tomatoes or little cantaloupe. Quite attractive, don't ya know.
Sometimes I think we should have an RA fashion show. The participants would all have to have some sort of autoimmune disease and we could wear stylish but comfortable clothes and footwear for those of us who have RA. We could feather easy to wear jewelry and shoulder bags, too. No one would be put off by our swollen joints. Ahhhhhhhhh. That could be fun!!! Maybe we should all dress up in some outfit and have our picture taken and post it somewhere on Health Central. It would be cool if all the pics could be done in a slideshow format. I can see it now: "Here we have Barb, a nurse by profession, modeling the latest in comfortable RA Nurswear." What do you think? I am tired tonight, so be kind if you think I have lost my mind. 
V
V
Take care,
V
V, you got me laughing, and I love to do that! Thanks. Personally, I will try anything once, Do ya think we can actually find "stylish, comfortable" shoes? hahahahehehaha, LoL, Luv to see it! Oh the fun of RA!
V, you got me laughing, and I love to do that! Thanks. Personally, I will try anything once, Do ya think we can actually find "stylish, comfortable" shoes? hahahahehehaha, LoL, Luv to see it! Oh the fun of RA!
Well, I could put my new orthotics into my very black, very orthopedic-looking SAS shoes and wear some white ankle socks. That should be good for a few laughs. I promise to shave my legs before I take the picture! What will you be wearing in our fashion show, Ms Barb? Do you have some nursing footwear to rival my SAS shoes? You could take your picture in your scrubs and fancy shoes and you could be holding a baseball bat showing what you use for patient control...or would that be doctor control.....maybe RA control?
Blessings!
V