I Already Gave My Right Arm To Be Ambidextrous!: Patients for a Moment Wordless Wednesday

I Am Already Giving My Right Arm To Be Ambidextrous...

Hi, I have avascular necrosis in my shoulders, hips, and knees, psoriatic arthritis, sjogren's, fibromyalgia, and hypermobility. I just found out that I have severe autoimmune arthritis in my cervical spine and a bulging disk in my lumbar spine. Three years ago my spine orthopaedic surgeon told me I had a small amount of autoimmune arthritis in my SI joint. The question still remains: Is the spinal involvement due to Psoriatic Spondylitis, which is a rare more severe form of Psoriatic Arthritis or is it a new diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis? Whatever the diagnosis, the treatment will remain the same. I had my left hip replaced in 2003, and then I had my right shoulder replaced in March of 2010. I literally gave my right arm to be ambidextrous! LOL! Now I am awaiting yet another joint replacement~my right hip. My surgery is scheduled for May 10th, 2012; by then I will be "hips to be squared." Pain is just another part of my life. It is just a question of when, where and how much. At times, I take 16 to 20 pills a day. I go every 4 weeks to the infusion center at the hospital to get a 2 hour IV for my autoimmune arthritis diseases. Just when one thing seems to be doing better, something else goes downhill! My attitude, however, is always going uphill! I am 37 years old, have been married 11 years, and my husband and I adopted our first child in Dec. 2010! I have a lot on my plate right now, but I take it one moment at a time. I believe that God will never give me more than I can handle. However, I do need to learn to ask for help sometimes instead of always doing it by myself!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Patients for a Moment Wordless Wednesday

"Words tell part of our story as we blog, but pictures often complete that story.
So instead of words, I would like to include photographs of life with your chronic condition(s) to create a Patients for a Moment Wordless Wednesday on August 24."

Each day we do so many tasks. How many things do you do in one day that involve the use of your hands? Imagine being unable to move or grab things because of intense pain, stiffness and inflammation...

Before and after my hip collapsed and was replaced, I had to use a cane to walk with. Yes young people do use canes...

Shoulder replacement surgery is not for the faint of heart...

Atlanta's Arthritis Walk. You should be an activist for your cause...

With Psoriatic Arthritis, when my psoriasis flares, it isn't pleasant. It is red, flaky, itchy, painful, scaly, and often on my scalp, neck, ears, eyebrows, elbows, knees, hands, and face (which is not a common place to get psoriasis). It is hard to hide the psoriasis rash on the face, even with make-up because the skin is so dry and even peels. It can be embarrassing because people stare and think it's contagious...

Every 4 weeks, I get an I.V. for my Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis...