#RABlog Week Day 3

It’s day three of #RABlog week.  Today we are asked to explain our RA.  It’s kind of a perfect day for this because I had a really rough night and morning. 

I found this on FB yesterday. It's so true! Sorry, I don't know the original source.

 Some people with RA or other chronic pain issues claim that their pain worsens when there is a storm coming.  I hadn’t really noticed whether or not I was affected by that because it seemed like I would have a flare for many reasons.  Too much stress, too much activity, too little activity, not enough sleep, eating the wrong food, being cold, watching a scary movie, petting a dog, changing the TV channel… Ok those last few are a bit of a stretch, but that’s kind of how I feel.  Sometimes I get a flare for what seems like no apparent reason.

Well, last night, I feel like there was a reason.  We had a rainstorm last night and I had a hard time sleeping and I woke up in a lot of pain.  It took several minutes to stretch my limbs and move my joints to be able to even stand up. My question as to whether or not the weather affects my RA was answered.  Very loudly.

I used to call Rheumatoid Arthritis the stupidest disease ever.  It causes pain in the oddest of places at the most inconvenient times with ridiculous mobility restrictions that takes a normal person and turns him/her into an incredibly awkward klutz.  As if that wasn’t enough, then a doctor will prescribe medications to weaken the immune system to try to prevent damage from the mechanisms that are supposed to keep the body healthy from harmful invasive diseases, making the body MORE susceptible to harmful invasive diseases.  Ugh, it’s exhausting.  Oh yeah, did I mention that there’s extreme fatigue to go along with it all?  And it all intensifies when there’s a storm. 

So how’s your day going?

Riley