Girl Time

 Had another batch of infusions...

then headed to St. George to lay on that couch.

We did venture out to a quilt shop and I got some new fabric.

 Saw a movie

 We went to Tuachan and saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat,

of course we played cards.

It was a fun weekend with these gals.

Welcome to Holland!

Welcome to Holland 

by Emily Perl Kingsley

When you are going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation to Italy.  You buy a bunch of guide books and make all your wonderful plans: the Coliseum, Michelangelo's David, the gondolas in Venice.  You may even learn some handy phrases in Italian.  It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives.  You pack your bags and off you go.  Several hours later, the plane lands.  The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland ?!?"  you say.  "What do you mean Holland?  I signed up for Italy!  I'm supposed to be in Italy.  All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy"

But there has been a change in the flight plan.  They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease.  It's just a different place.

So you go out and buy new guide books.  And you learn a whole new language.  And you meet a whole group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy.  But after you've been there awhile and you catch your breath, you look around and begin to notice Holland has windmills- and Holland has tulips.  Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone one you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they are all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there.  And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go.  That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, and very lovely things about Holland.

Last weekend at the ranch we were chatting about my health.  

I was talking about my "new normal", that I have finally realized I will never have the energy or ability to do everything I once could.  

My niece said "Welcome to Holland".  

She told me about the poem and I had to come home and google it. 

I loved it.  

It is like so many things in life -

that are not like we planned or thought it would be.

Just a reminder that Plan B or C can be okay.

There are many ways to do things.

Life is still good in fact it is better than good!

Sense of humor...

Got an email today from the Arthritis Foundation with this link:

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Relief Without Drugs

I clicked on it to see if there was a magic trick.

I scroll down thru the list...

Here is a quick list of some popular non-drug therapies for arthritis pain relief. They may be used alone, or in conjunction with each other.

•    Hot and cold treatments.
•    Positive attitude and thoughts. 

•    Exercise.
•    Relaxation techniques.
•    Massage.
•    Electrical stimulation.
•    Topical lotions.
•    Acupuncture.

I have heard of all those before and use most.

The last one made my day.

•    Sense of humor. Many studies have demonstrated that humor can bolster the immune system and increase the ability to handle pain.

 I think it is actually the most important!  

They should have listed it FIRST!

Catching Up

Saturday, I was up early and the boys were sleeping soundly.

I headed for an early Temple Session.

I love getting there in the dark.

It was a peaceful morning.

I got home the boys were still in bed.

Monday,  Mike had a birthday!

Katie found this fabulous Memory Game.

It is pics of the kids when they were little!

The boys went skiing.

They tried Snow Basin and loved it.

Can't have a birthday without Wafer Cake

 

 We had to chat with Katie and Jeremy.

They don't like to miss a thing.

Had an infusion this week.

A day for napping and reading, I caught up on the last Massie Dobbs Book.

This went better, my blood pressure did not drop so much.

I was able to leave on time.

Pain and swelling...

Pain and swelling have been a part of my life for the past few months.
One of the benefits of having Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I have tried a few techniques for relief.
I have a daily nap.
As Katie says I am "living the dream"
being able to nap every day.
My favorite is a hot bubble bath,
but I can't stay in the bath forever
so I resort to other forms of heat.
I have a cute heating pad with fun cover,
my sisters made for me.




I have found the rice bags we made in our Wyoming Days,

I also resort to Drugs.
I have been taking Methotrexate and Prednisone.
the Prednisone was to be a short term help
while the Methotrexate kicked in.
They say 3-4 months to work.
I loved the full dose of Prednisone.
The swelling went down and the pain was gone.
Life was good
I went to Boston had a great time!
I started tapering off the dose and
the pain came back then then the swelling.
Suffered for a while and then finally called the doctor.
Visited the Doctor this week and now we are trying
the Methotrexate by injection.
We have increased the dose of Methotrexate
and the prednisone.
Once a week I have an injection.

I am a wimp, and can't do that myself.
So lucky the shot day is Tuesday,
when my sister Lisa comes for quilting and lunch
She is an RN, she just did that shot and thought nothing of it!
I didn't even watch.

I am optimistic that all the new meds will bring some relief.
I have been sleeping better,
which Mike is grateful for!

Life is always full of new challenges.
But Life is Still Good.