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