Hello Monday

Hello Monday of a (very) short week.

Hello week of giving thanks for all God has blessed me with.

Hello week of intensive antibiotics and no Humira.

Hello week of probable hurting and fatigue.

Hello wonderful SC fall weather.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday–Saluda River Edition

Mainly One Color

I nearly always have my camera with me. I was thankful the other night when it down poured and I had my camera with me to get night with rain shots.

Around the Home

Around our home this week has been filled with all things ankylosing spondylitis. Sometimes the treatments are as bad as the disease itself, but unfortunately it’s essential to take the meds. This past month I’ve been plagued by stomach pain. Turns out I have a bleeding ulcer from years of NSAID for the inflammation and H. Pylori bacteria (that most people do have) in the stomach that turned infectious due to my lowered immunity from the Humira. Ugh! It’s hard to not get down about me health and lack of control over it, so I continually give it to God and know that He has plans to prosper me and not harm me and plans for my future.

Oh, and I knew about that white dog hair on the bracelet. My dog, God love him, sheds like a crazy and his fur is everywhere.

Water

Remember when these were all the rage in the blogosphere? This one features the Saluda River.

Reflection

Another Saluda River shot.

Words

See where it says “water”. Yeah, I could’ve used this shot for water too.

  Have a great week!

Sarah:)

Contemplations on Life With AS

This is a rendition of the HLA-B27 gene (human leukocyte antigen) that plays a role in AS.

(Thanks to http://www.landesbioscience.com/curie/chapter/3967/ for the pic.)

Today the ASAP: Ankylosing Spondylitis Awareness Project asked fellow AS patients to contemplate two seemingly easy questions.

1) What it the worst thing about having AS?

2) What is something good about having AS?

At first thought, the first one is very easy to answer. The second question is darn near impossible to answer without giving such downer replies as, “At least it’s not cancer,” or “It’s better than having a leg amputated.” It’s made me think about that possibility of there being some good coming out of this. But I’ll tackle the easy question first.

The worst thing about having ankylosing spondylitis is that it has taken away my ability to be the dependable person I used to be. It has made the once very predictable and dependable me not know from day to day what I physically can handle or not handle. The unpredictability is hard for me to come to terms with. Before AS, if I said I was going to do something, I did it, come hell or high water. Now, I always have to caveat any activity/responsibility with, “If my body is up to it.” Some days are good and I wake up and am ready to tackle the world. Other days I wake up, can barely get out of bed due to stiffness, pain, fever and fatigue and consider it a productive day if I can get the kids to school and back.

Now, if they had asked what are the five worst things about having AS, I’d have written about pain, fatigue and fever, the crazy amount of medicines it takes to live with it, people not understanding at all about the disease and how nervous it makes me that the boys will have it as well. But, for your sake, I’ll stick to the original questions!

Something good that has come of me having AS is I have really learned to appreciate the good days and things that I used to take for granted. Walking without pain is something to be appreciative of!

Overall, I would not choose this systemic autoimmune disease for myself (or anyone), but these are the cards I’ve been dealt and the only thing I can be in control of is my attitude. So, I’m thankful that I’m learning to live in my new “normal” and know that I can choose to be miserable or choose to deal with it. Today, I choose to deal with it.

Sarah:)

Finlay and Virginia Hylton Parks

Raise your hand if you're tired of having AS! If you could see me through your computer screen, you'd see both of my hands up! These past two weeks have been difficult with pain, fevers and fatigue. Despite how I feel about the chronic disease that has turned my life upside down, I'm doing all I can to live the most normal life that is possible for me, and that means going out and doing a few things on the weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Ryan and I went to Finlay park to pick up Chloe. What a pretty place to go! That park always makes me smile. Between the babbling fountain and multiple climing appartuses for the kiddos, there is always something new to behold.

Saturday afternoon we attended a baby shower for a couple from my mom's church who are adopting a little girl from China. It was at Virgina Hylton park which is beautiful every season of the year.

Look at this view of downtown Columbia!

Makes me think that, just for a minute, I'm in Hawaii.

There are so many neat views of the fountain. Here's one south of the fountain.

Ryan enjoys climbing anything and everything that is vertical.

Chloe was so thirsty at the end of our training that she was pilfering the city water.

We were all amazed at the beautiful caterpillar Charlie found.

God created unbelievable colors!

Spring at Virginia Hylton means the azaleas are in full bloom!

Betcha can't be in awe of the colors in this picture.

Now the weekend is over and we'll be back to the grindstone tomorrow.

Sarah:)

AS is a PITA and a PCD too.

I've crowned it AD (acronym day)!

IMHO acryonyms can be real TS to decipher. Especially when you CUS because you're just an OF.

Sorry to go OT, I really wanted to talk about what a PITA AS is. AS stands for ankylosing spondylitis. It's an autoimmune disease that I was diagnosed with about a year-and-a-half ago. Without giving you TMI, AS affects the large joints in the body and the spine. As with other autoimmune diseases (such as RA, JRA, MS, SLE, etc), AS most of the time can be controlled (not cured) with certain types of medications.

Some days I think it MBN to wake up not stiff and/or in pain, I realize this is the life that God gave me and I will work with it to the BOMA.

More on AS L8R.

JW, does a person really swear and fall to the floor when they type ROTFLMAO?

TTFN,
Sarah:)