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!

"There is a cure in this box" ©

Hello my friends!

Phew, we had a busy, but joyous Thanksgiving! I hope you did too!

We have much to be grateful for. You know, my friends, I truly

believe that gratitude for the small things, and big things in life,

keeps us sane, healthy and surely happier human beings. Don't you?

With this economic situation continuing for such a long time, I have

found that more people are discussing personal things with one another ~

real personal things...like "I am living paycheck to paycheck", "I don't have

health insurance", "my refrigerator is pretty sparse". One friend said to

me, "you may not have your health, but at least you have money in the bank."

Hmmm...we both shared our serious fears. I just found out my treatments

aren't working, but my company denied me again. So, after 8 months of no

pay, keeping the faith, and working on my wellness - not getting better...I have

no job, no disability pay, no choices at this moment.

But I do. I did. I chose to be grateful for what I have. My friend has her

health, but is afraid of her financial situation. I don't have my health - but

I am starting a brand new treatment! HOPE! I took my first Biologic treatment

last Saturday, and I have my future, my life, riding on the success of this medicine

that I inject in my body once a week. I wrote on the box that came last Saturday -

"There is a cure in this box!" I even got help from the Pharmaceutical company -

they paid my co-pay for six months! GRATITUDE! I didn't get sick from the

medicine! JOY! I saved that for the methotrexate I inject on Sunday nights -

but together they have the best chance of working! That is the chance I am

willing to continue to take.

So, do I lose Faith, yup. In the last 3 years, I have only been able to work full-time

9 months, but been denied disability for the other 2 1/3 years...so I have fear too.

But I get my faith back. I also have resilience, intelligence, gratitude, support and

tons of skills and creativity. I am going to figure this thing out. Some how. I have

to. You know, some people have it far worse, and figure it out. So will I. So can

you. I have children watching, friends cheering me on, my mom supporting me,

needing me now. I can't just give up. Come on now. Neither can you.

So, make a list, my friends - what are you grateful for? What CAN you do? What

makes you happy? Do it! Life is too short to wallow. Life is for living! Life is for

thriving! Yes, even if you have chronic pain, it is hard to walk, exercise, you lost your

careers, you can't keep up with your friends, it is ok. You woke up on the right side

of the daisies. Re-focus, re-group and Live your life -

I am .... I am living like

There is a cure in the box!

Healing hugs,

Alicia