The Invisible Ghost beside me©

Hello my friends!

Wegohealth.com asked me to contribute in some way to Invisible Illness Week.  I wrote this for everyone that is affected by Invisible Illnesses personally, and perhaps to give to family members or friends to help them understand.

Check out www.wegohealth.com  ~ they empower health advocates to help others!  They are on Facebook and Twitter as well...many ways to spread the word! 

Be well, my friends!  Together, we will thrive and live joyful, fulfilling lives. ~ Alicia

Inspiration Idea: Write a poem on what inspires you!

What inspires you most? Alicia (www.meempoweredvsra-alicia.blogspot.com) reached out with a poem she wrote about Invisible Illness and how, looking to God inspires her to keep going. Check out her poem about getting through those hopeless moments with Invisible Illness below. Have you written a poem about Invisible Illness?

(Thanks for sharing your individual inspiration with us, Alicia!)

The Invisible Ghost beside me © by Alicia

Oh Lord, who is this Ghost beside me,

Inside me

Wreaking havoc with my life?

Why am I am the only one you are revealing

This ghost to?

Why Lord is this Ghost invisible for others

To see?

Don’t you know that other’s would understand?

Be more compassionate…more kind.

Lend a hand.

Why does my Ghost have to be invisible to everyone

But me?

Lord, tell me, please!   I need to know.

I am suffering and I don’t understand!

You know how proud those of us who carry this

Weight of the invisible “ghost” are.

We put on a good front.   We try to put on a little

Make up, be beautiful, smile, as our dignity and

Abilities slowly and quickly diminish.

Lord…no one believes us with our Invisible Illnesses.

We lose friends, we lose jobs, careers, family members.

Why Lord, Why?

What is that?   Hmmmm I am listening…

Hmmm OK, I guess I understand, but it still is painful ~ nonetheless.

So when people walk away because they see the

Superficial side of our disease and don’t look deeper,

Lord, you are saying…

They weren’t really there to begin with anyway?!

Wow.!  Tough to digest Lord, as my circle gets smaller and

Smaller and my invisible illness gets more serious.

What’s that?

Oh.  That’s true.   I am blessed.   Even if we have but a handful of true friends

Aren’t we blessed?   As painful as it is to lose family and friends, Lord, due to this

Invisible “ghost” of a disease…I am gaining stronger bonds and truer relationships.

Thanks for the talk Lord…I was beginning to give up hope.

What’s that?   Ok, I won’t lose hope Lord.  I will always trust you.

Taking a little break...

"There is a way to do it better.  Find it."  ~ Thomas Edison

Hello my friends!
It's been a while!
Life has been busy
and I have been reflecting
healing and planning.

Yes, planning.
Does it have anything to do with you?
Sure it does!

With time, creativity
and a great plan ~
I will be putting together
a book for all of us with RA!

YUP!  A book for US!
It will include some of your
favorite blogs ~ ( you all picked them)
and with your permission, perhaps
some of your comments.

When the time comes for this to happen ~
I may get in touch with some of you...
as it is a book for all of us.  

This may not be until 2013/2014 ~
It really takes time!

I'd love to hear your feedback!
Leave me a note at the bottom
let me know if you have a favorite blog!
Perhaps you may have a topic you would like me to cover.

This is going to be about us
from one of us, for us with RA!
I am excited!  Are you?!

Please share your feedback below ~

I'll miss you while I am away, but keep in touch,
and be well.  I will be thinking of all of you often!

Healing hugs,
Alicia

ps...you can always email me at alicia@youempowered.com

Phew...Thank you steroids! I made it!

"A strong woman stands up for herself.  A stronger woman stands up for everyone else."  ~  Author Unknown

Hello my friends!
It has been a month since I wrote
for all of us!
What a crazy, busy, fun,
but sick and painful month it was!

Here is my quick rundown of
what I had going on...
~My daughter graduating College
an hour away~
~Celebrating afterwards
~A three hour speaking engagement
to write, publish and present as
the "Motivational Speaker"
~My cousin had an Art gallery opening
and had two night events
~getting our basement finished (construction)
and decorated, because my in-laws are coming
from England...
~that included shopping, hard tasks for people
like us.  (never a problem in the old days)
~And finally
~ my son graduated High School
and we had a gathering here to celebrate
his accomplishments!  PHEW!  What FUN!

Trust me, there are more things that I
had on my plate, but you get the picture.
Problem was, my friends, I was back in bed
again...sick.  Having a hard time walking (still am),
and just no energy.  How on earth could I
make it to my children's graduations?
Truly, I was petrified to miss them.  I have
friends with RA that have missed big events
like these - hubby's 50th, children's weddings,  etc...
we can't control our bodies.

What was I going to do?  I called all 4 docs -
Rheumy, Podiatrist, Neuro, and PCP...
All agree with my idea of getting on steroids
again.  4th time this year.  
We believe it HAS to be part of my
regimen or I will be up and down ALL.THE.TIME.

I did make it to all.of.the.events!   PHEW!

It was exhausting, painful like never before,
but so worth it!
I used to worry about the side effects of
steroids, esp. the weight!  My partner said
he loves me just the way I am inside.  He is
battling with me.  When you can't
even get out of bed now...you will take quality
over quantity...as my mom used to say.
I had a decent quality of life this month ~
and it was filled with JOY!
and FEAR!

Those with RA know why...I constantly feared
would I be able to make the graduations?
Would I be able to fufill my speaking engagement?
blah, blah, blah.

So, I have decided to add a little something to my
business cards ~ "The Sneaker Speaker!" HA!
Hey, we have to laugh...our lives are tough, so tough.

I am hoping that this blog brings you a little understanding,
a little hug, a little smile, and most of all ~ knowing that
someone else in this big world is walking in your shoes...
I mean sneakers ~ representing us the best I can.

Healing hugs,
Alicia

Learning and growing with RA©

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hello My friends!
I hope this writing finds you well.

Phew, what a lesson RA is in many things:

I have learned that even when you feel like
you will never have a good day again...
With patience and pacing myself...
Oh and my 6th medicine...
I have hope.

I have learned that not everyone supports you:
Especially when you are chronically ill.
This was mind-blowing for someone like me
who trusts everyone....
Many many people walked away from me when I was
really really ill...
The blessing in my life was the ones that stayed beside me.
That was a great blessing.  The love, unconditional love.

I learned and have grown by pacing myself...
something I NEVER knew how to do.
Now I can share my experiences with you...
We can learn together....knowing this is why RA was delivered in my life.
To slow me down and to help others find balance too.
Not only that, but to find joy in my "new normal" life.

Learning to not give up hope some days was difficult!
However, my fellow RA friends and my loved ones picked me up
and carried me...and thank God for my faith.
Living with chronic pain is so impossible to explain to anyone ~
The chronic fatigue and pain is absolutely devastating
Making it difficult, if not impossible to make plans.
Adjusting to this new life, that has been a learning experience.

But, my friends...I am planting seeds, my roots are growing...
I am getting stronger!
At least I am learning to accept and live with my disabilities,
and ... to live within my boundries.
Trust me, this is growth.
I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of my life has
to offer...and what I have to offer the rest of my life.

Healing Hugs,

Alicia

You can't win a Battle without support troops!©

"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't follow.  I'd be at the bottom to catch them when they fall." Author Unknown

Hello my friends ~ how are you today?

Life gives us all struggles
battles we must fight
we can only pray that when our
battle comes ~
The comrades we have built up
over our lives ...
will stand beside us and fight
and battle with us...
Battling RA ~ we have a lifelong fight ~

With our family and friends beside us...
we can win the battle.
Without our comrades, we don't stand much
of a chance.
Like a war ~ when you lose your mates ~
your support thins out...
your strength wanes...
you are vulnerable to your aggressor.

Our aggressor wants us wounded...
unable to function ~
WEAK.
RA would love to take my ability to walk away...
I am fighting that every second...
but I am losing my strength...
I have already fought the battles 
for my hands, my shoulders, my energy...
my career.

Nevermind...losing my best friend and support ~
my mom...

At the end of your War, I'll be next to you...
Are you willing to fight with me?
I need comrades willing to carry RPG's, Machine guns,
and just some canteens of water once in a while...
and go for walks to keep the bad guys away.

You see RA doesn't like you healthy,
so let's do what we can to battle that...
Chair yoga, walking, visiting, painting...
It loves to take away your social life...
and healthy things you love to do.

Too many Warriors don't know how
to handle
sick warriors ~
so they stay away.

Don't.
The battles are hard enough.
Alone.

I will be a warrior for your War.
Won't you be there for mine?

Healing hugs,
Alicia

For all of my friends with invisible illnesses that feel alone because they are left alone ~ abandoned, their diseases and pain diminished.   I hope I can be a voice for all of us...if there is anything I can do, it is write, for all of us, from my heart.  Build your group of Warriors, my friends!

A FLARE? I've had one for two years!©

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Winston Churchill


Hello my friends.
Can I just tell you that the last few months
have been growing pains for me, my family
and my physicians...my podiatrist, my pcp,
my Rheumatologist and others.
Why?

After 5-6 strong medications over 2 years, I finally have
one that is working on helping slow the progression
of the disease.
GREAT - right? Sure thing!

However, I was living with the worse pain ever while
getting that "good news" from Boston...
and now Prednisone (a strong steroid) is now
a drug that is part of my "cocktail" from my pcp.
We had to get my inflammation down.
My Boston Rheumy never wanted to use
steroids on me...last week he rx'd them for my feet.

Know why?  Because of a flare.  A flare!
Inflammation.  Pain.  Inability to walk normal...
or sleep without waking up arching my back.
The good news is ... although this pain is everyday ~
I feel SO MUCH better than I did!

Now, my job and the role of all of my Physician Team is
to analyze this RA/Fibro/CFS ... and figure out how
I can actually LIVE now.   And Thrive...as I have told all
of you we will do!

Hope!  We have slowed the erosion...now we just need to learn
about it...and pace myself.  

But pain, inflammation other problems continue.
I have carpal tunnel in my hands and tarsal tunnel in my feet!
That is why I have a very difficult time walking...and why
I am on steroids to reduce the inflammation.
I see the podiatrist Friday ~ hopefully no surgery.

My friends...I am meditating a lot lately...A LOT!
There is a word in meditation....equanimity ~
essentially it means remaining steady when life is not.

Now that I have a strong biologic that is working ~
I need to stay centered and steady with my emotions,
as I was feeling hopeful and then BAM ~
I thought, oh no
I will never get better.

Not good.   That isn't me, but RA is a damn tough disease.
It wears on you.

So, my friends, my readers...thank you for joining me on my journey
and sharing your experiences too!   The last thing that I want to say
is that for those friends or family that doubt your friend/family member
is really sick ~ if there is one thing we really need, besides a cure...
is unconditional love and support.   Otherwise, it makes our journey so much
tougher.

When you have a few people in your life you can count
on...it helps you get well.  (see "The difference between Illness and Wellness is WE").

Healing hugs,

Alicia
ps...for those of you who have figured your RA out ~ somewhat...add your thoughts ~ here or on FB.  We can all use any help.  :)

Looking in the rear view mirror©

Hey my friends - this is a blog/poem I wrote last August...I really
like it.  I hope you do too! ~ alicia

Hello my fellow RA pals...
friends with pain
or just plain 'ol friends :)

Here I am
Looking in the rear view mirror
what do I see?

I see someone running
always running, as a kid
running from a tough home~

As I grew
I was running from college classes
to work to pay bills
running, running, running ~

Getting married, having kids,
joyful running around the yard,
the house, to college and work
never finding the right balance~

I was sick back then too...
I've always been sick,
if I take an honest look back
in my mirror.

But, I had two kids to raise
to be a good example to
and prepare them for college
more running.
Running.out.of. breath.

Life changes happened~
not easy ones, for anyone,
but as a single mom,
you really have to hit the accelerator.
I was the only one planning for college.

My body was screaming at me
here and there, but I had to ignore it.
"Oh no you didn't"...my body said.
"Oh yes I did"...said I to my body.

Looking back now,
would'a, could'a, should'a's
don't help me a bit~
not one little bit.

But they might help you.
If you are young enough to
get the message...

Listen to your body
it whispers to you....
"slow down"

Then it tells you
"you better stop today!"

Then if you still don't listen
you can be out of luck...
as I look in the rear view mirror...
I see many whispers

But I chose to ignore them...
Now I must suffer the consequences...

Don't make the same mistake as I.
Hear the whispers...make the changes.
We only get one shot at this thing called
LIFE.

Guess what?
When you slow down,
you can enjoy every second of it.
Even with pain.
You get to choose
What you see in your rear view mirror.

Healing hugs,
Alicia

A blog of gratitude to all my readers and friends!

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."  ~ W.T. Purkiser


My friends, what a treat this is to write for all of us.
Over the last couple of years ~ there have been times
many times ~ that I didn't want to hit "Publish"


But I did...for all of you.


My heart is full of gratitude for you
my readers, my friends ~
from all.over.the.world.
And I mean all OVER the world.


This blog is for you, for us.


Many blogs, I have cried reading them to my Ma ~
She would say, "hon, you have to put it out there...
people will understand that pain."


So I did...for you and me.


My soul is filled with blessings
from your comments and feedback.
Some of you are holding yourselves accountable.
Whoa.   Now that means a lot to me (a Coach) :)
Just knowing that I have special people following
my heartfelt words...


Words that I believe are provided to me purely as vessel from somewhere else...


A blessing given to me ~ to give away ~
To you.


May you all be blessed.


Healing hugs, 


Alicia

The difference between Illness and Wellness©

"The Difference between Illness and Wellness is WE!" ~ from a meditation I heard from Tara Brach...

Hello my friends!
I hope this blog finds you feeling well.

I love, love, love this quote!
If you haven't noticed, many of my blogs
discuss the isolating issues that Chronic Illness brings.

After writing 60 or more blogs ~
I hear this quote....
The difference between getting well
and being ill is WE.

WE.
Friendship.  Family.  Laughs.
Company.  Dinners.   Giggles.
Games.   Support.  Talking on the phone.
Texts.   Emails.  Walks.  Deep belly laughs.
WE.

In the last few weeks, a few friends
have reached out to me to really get
me out...or to come over ~ or to chat.
WE.

Did it make a difference?
YUP.  Why?   Hey, do you love to laugh?
Remember fun times?  Make great new memories?

Think about it today.
Are you more about you?
Or are you a WE person?

Pick up the phone ~ Call a friend,
email someone that you know you miss
and will make you smile.
Make a lunch date with an old pal.

Change the world...yours and someone else's!
WE CAN!  WE WILL!  

Listen, we all know EVERYONE is busy...but ~
we all need to pay it forward...make the time.
You, me, WE are worth it, aren't WE?
Then ~ share your great stories with us!

Healing hugs,
Alicia

Finally....Hope! ©

"It’s hard to wait around for something you know may never happen;

but it’s even harder to give up when you know it’s everything you want."

~ Author Unknown

Hello my friends!

My friend Darlene sent me the above quote.

How perfect for me and anyone waiting and hoping

for a cure, relief, or help that is out of our hands.

You know, I am bold, honest and write my heart out here.

What a journey this is.  

One I never saw coming ~ other things, but not RA.

And surely not to affect our family like this.

I told my PCP that I really try to explain to my friends and readers

what it is like to have RA, especially being so young.

He said "Have you ever said it is like having the flu, aches and pains

all over your body, feverish and chills, no energy, just blah...but 

everyday of your life...even on a good day."   My eyes got big ~

He gets it.   Yeah, that's what it is like... on a good day.  Bad days

are worse.  

In order to survive this disease, I needed to change.

I had to slow down.   Slow my mind down, my body down, 

my heart down, my passions down, slow down everything

I planned on doing in my life.   Give up many, many things.

Change the way I live day to day.   Hardly visit anyone ~

that sucks.   What can I do?

Modify my yoga to completely do it probrably like no other 

person on earth does it...without any pressure on my hands

and with sneakers on.   And it works!  It really does.

Guess what happened, my friends?   Well, besides changing

my RA meds to I feel the strongest ones out there for me...

the changes I made, changed my MRI!   YUP.  

You see, my Rheumatoid Arthritis story is told in my MRI's, 

not my bloodwork.   I have sero-negative RA.   That is why 

it took so long to diagnose me and why I go to Boston.

Anyway, last week I went to the doctor, as I spoke about 

in my last blog.   I received the MRI findings in the mail

last night.   All the modifications in my lifestyle, i.e. basically

resting my body when it needed it, which was all.the.time.

working out everyday to a modified way, eating healthy, 

meditating everyday, resting, resting, resting...

The tears in my tendons and ligaments are totally intact now.

WHAT?  YUP.   It is a miracle.   A huge miracle.    

Can you imagine my surprise when I read that?  

The erosions are still there (of course) but no broken bones or 

fractures...so the RA has stabilized. 

WHOO HOO!   HUGS ALL AROUND!

So, my friends, sometimes life hands you a tough, tough time.

You may think you will never get through it, but you will.

You may think you can't change the way you are, but you CAN DO IT!  

One baby step at a time!   

Amazing things can and do happen, 

if you listen to your body and your doctors.   

Now, does this mean I am cured and have all the energy in the 

world and no aches and pains...I Wish.   That is not how this 

nasty disease works.   

I still have a severe case of RA ~ it doesn't go away.  

Medicine induced remissions are rare, but I still sing the Remission song!

I have great hopes for the spring and summer to 

 enjoy time with friends and my family.   We all deserve it.

It's been a long, difficult two years.   

I couldn't have made it without the love and support that my friends

and family have given me...Thank you so much.  Know that

I pray for all of you too and am only a click away!

With a heart full of gratitude!

Healing hugs, 

Alicia

Did I waste six more months trying a new drug? ©

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."  ~ Eleanor Roosevelt


Hello my friends!


Some of you know that I went to Boston yesterday
and only a couple of you knew that I was so fearful...
of what?
Well, I had wasted a year of my life before - "trying"
Rheumatoid Arthritis medicines...that made me sick ~
killed my immune system and when it came time for
my MRI ~ They failed.  
My disease ate my bones and cartilage and tendons...
while on three medicines.
It was doing this all.over.my.body.


Yikes!


So, then my Doc, one of the best in the world, said ~
we need the "big guns".  Being in Pharma....I researched, 
this Orencia was a great drug.  It killed the immune system
cascade from the top!   I understood it, and had hope 
that it would be the one to help me.


Not only that, I LISTENED to my body, and my doctor and
rested my body and Type A mind.   I am mastering a Chair Yoga
practice and not putting weight on my hands, and I am doing
yoga in sneakers...bless my Yoga instructor Elizabeth for letting 
me go to class in sneakers.   My arches are falling and I have to 
support them.   So, bottom line is, I am doing my part ~ and it is
so hard for me.   BORING.  DULL.  But I am figuring out my new
life because I want to have a long life with my family and friends.
....and a great outcome with these new meds.


So yesterday morning, I woke up crying...
then I started stomping around, pissed off at my lot in life...at the fact
that for the last six months I shoot myself without a clue if it works - 
if it gives me cancer, if it even helps or makes it worse, like the last time.


Basically I was full of ~
FEAR - a four letter word.  Not Faith.  


I was a bumbling wreck, I hate to say...but this is my story, and I want 
to share it because there are many of us with Auto Immune Diseases that 
go through HELL and take Chemo drugs and people say "those aren't chemo" -
yes they are... or "you look great, you can't be that sick" well, I have holes
in my bones.  So I have taken it upon myself to educate my friends and family
and the world of my story...to hope that perhaps you relate and find peace and
life tools.   Maybe you can share it with a loved one to help them understand your situation....


Or, my friends, you can understand me better and we can spend more time
helping each other and finding the joy in our lives.   :)  xoxo


So, many of you are waiting to hear how my appointment went.  I wanted to write it in a blog and just post it for everyone to read!   Perhaps some people have never read my blog and will check out some of my others....check the favorites list.   My heart is in this blog.  Truly.


My Appt:


We arrived in Boston and I went right in to MRI ~ meditation is a great tool I have been using for pain, and I used it in the MRI machine.   They use contrast to see clear as a bell what is going on in my Left hand.   That is my comparison hand from the get-go.   I am sero-negative, meaning - my blood work looks normal, so my RA story is told in MRI's.   


I walked out of my MRI to head to my Rheumy's office and my beautiful daughter was there to support me!   She is in College in Boston.  It was so awesome!   By the time we got to see Dr. D.  he was able to see the MRI...not a detailed report, but he could review it briefly.


My friends, he didn't even wait for us to sit down.   He said "the MRI shows a decrease in inflammation around your first two fingers!"  We were all in shock.  I was grasping for my notepad and to sit down...he was so happy to give us good news.   He said they didn't see any further bone erosion (eating away of the bones - which is the nature of this disease and what they are desperately trying to stop) and that what he saw so far was that he didn't think any erosion have turned to broken bones.   HALLELUJAH!   


You see, my friends, this is so great.   We may have found the drug for me that works to slow the progression of this disease.   This Auto Immune Disease - RA does the most destruction in the first two years and doctors are now trying to hit it hard in the beginning.  If you can't get control of it, you have a greater risk of deformity and disability.   


I already am disabled from this disease and CFIDS and Fibromyalgia...but it sure would be nice to slow this down and improve my quality of life.   Being a Pharma Rep in my prior life ~ I looked up studies last night...I could still have another 2 - 4 months of improvement!   That would be great with my children graduating!   Having the energy to participate in graduations and celebrations!   That would be a priceless gift from God!    


So, to all my friends with RA - Thank you for your support ~ Lyn, my squeaker peeps, Amy, Susan, Elaine, you know you can write to me anytime!  I love your comments and I write back to you.   To my friends, I hope you like my blog if it is your first visit.   Add your email and you'll get a new blog sent to you whenever I write one.  My friends,  I appreciate all of your notes here and on Facebook, your cards, phone calls but most of all your visits...even short ones for some Ginger Tea. Know, my friends, that I am sending a warm thank you hug to each and everyone of you for all of your prayers and love and support.   This is not the life I expected, but it is my new life...and it is getting more hope.


Can I just say that losing my mom, my true supporter and partner in pain, was difficult this year ~ however, when I reached for the phone to call her and tell her the great news yesterday...I looked up to the heavens and thanked her and my friend Carol...cuz' I knew they helped.


Blessings my friends...and never, never give up.  Never!  Oh, and never lose your sense of humor!


Love you all!


Healing hugs, 


Alicia 

Me....Enthusiastic? Yup.©

Norman Vincent Peale said, "Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow" and he also believed:  "Think excitement, talk excitement, act out excitement and you are bound to become an excited person.  Life will take on a new zest, deeper interest and greater meaning."

HELLO my friends!
As you know, this is a blog about THRIVING!
Thriving, not surviving...with Rheumatoid Arthritis or whatever ails you in life.

Today, I had an epiphany! It has been almost 2 years since my dx of RA.
Through trial and error, and four different meds, I am hopeful that my new medicine will put this bone and tendon eating visitor to sleep for a while.

Me...Enthusiastic?   Yup ~ that is WHO I AM.
Many people say, I used to be...before RA.   I feel, well I know, RA has stolen my joy, enthusiasm and excitement I had for life.    It is a broken and tired road, and many people got off the highway when it was getting rough.   That didn't help losing my joy for life.

However, I am not this visitor ~ RA, and I can't let this disease define me.
Not anymore.  Not this chick.   Sure my family and friends and I have to accept
the changes in my abilities and strength...but my light of enthusiasm is still shining.

I was BORN TENACIOUS, ENTHUSIASTIC, TOUGH and RESILIENT, and many times
have been told I was BUBBLY and the LIFE OF THE PARTY!

I have been so attached to my careers, my education, which took me 11 years to get,
and then my entrepreneurial spirit shined with Life Coaching!  It was hard to begin the acceptance process.  Starting my own business, knowing I needed a career to work with my body, which was breaking faster than I could get my business off the ground.   I did get a volunteer Teen Coaching program started 4 years ago.   That is my passion!   Talk about my light shining!  Those teens rock!

This life change had me feeling that I wasn't as worthwhile a person as I was before.
That's because I couldn't physically do my work, I was feeling like a failure.   Due to the severe change in my personal life, I sure felt like I had to be a boring person now.  I wasn't reliable, and mostly needed friends to come here.

I lost my enthusiasm for life ~ My "Je ne sais quoi".   Or perhaps I was just going through the process and accepting my new life.   Hello, it is a huge life changer.  Huge.
But I am seeing things clearer, and with hope.

So, my friends, what am I ~ what are we going to do about it?
I don't work now...I am officially "disabled".  A Type "A" with RA and a busy brain.

Does that make me any less of a friend than I was before I got sick?  Nope.

My brain works fine (well...), so I can blog, write a book (which I have started) spend time with friends and family, and rest and rejuvinate my body.

My volunteer program is ready for it's 4th year to coach Teen's to set and achieve goals.   Last year I had 100% goal attainment.   Not bad for a "dud".  :)

I just needed to go through this tough process and get over myself.   My family is 

wonderful and we embrace the simple life, for that I am blessed.

Me, enthusiastic again?! You Betcha!   Thank God!

Healing Hugs, 

Alicia