Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Holy cow...I have had a great two days since posting. Energy levels were improved, I was at work for two days, and weas very active with my team. My pool was opened on Monday and I had the energy to do some of the work on getting it clean so when it is 82 next Tuesday it will be ready. I suspect I may have overdone it a bit yesterday as I vacuumed the whole thing but I felt good the entire while I was doing it - it was, in fact, exhilirating, because I know the reward I will get out of it next week.
Enter this morning...I wake several times in the night and before my alarm goes off (who doesn't?). I feel like a walking zombie - not because of any significant change in physical pain, though I have the usual - but because my brain seems to be an 8-cylinder engine firing on just 2 or 3 cylinders. And the fatigue is palpable as it runs up and down my body in waves. This is exactly what happened to me on Saturday.
Trying to get motivated to get into the office, but it is pretty hard. Today is actually a pretty light day for me, and I probably could work from home. And I might just do that, because coffee certainly isn't helping.
What this d%$* disease does to us...
don't feel alone!! keep your chin up :)
Good news in just triple therapy this week and no Humira, so when I go to take my ham license test on Saturday I should be thinking pretty clearly.
I was taking a third year university French vocabulary course, in the mid 1990's. I had to memorize 500 words and their sentences and write the exam.
Well, I tried for weeks to memorize, and I couldn't remember a word. I used to write things out, and I went through packs of paper, and not a single word stuck in my head. I was headed for a fail.
Then, I had a bad asthma attack. I was put on 40 mg of prednisone a day. I went back to studying, with only 2 days left till the exam. And I learned them all! I aced the exam! Wow! Brain fog!
I also had that experience a few weeks ago. I was talking German, and studying for the final. I could not remember the words. Not one. Then, I took some prednisone (I was off mthx and Arava) and even without studying, I knew half the words. Studying, a bit more, and I had them all.
That is a very tangible demonstration, to me, of brain fog. I am a professional, student, of sorts. I hate my limitation with RA, includes my mind. I have had to stop or back off so many other activities. But, one would think staring at word cards and memorizing them, or learning grammar, would be something someone with active RA could still do. Nope! I need the drugs for my brain to operative.
For me, the meds make all the difference in being able to remember. The disease is definitely the cause.
Trying to figure out if I can move to CO and work remotely all the time...and come back every quarter to see what is going on, get caught up with the team, etc. If I could do that, then I wouldn't feel so guilty of taking advantage of this blessing I have been given. Still...I can only do what I can do, and if I take a sick day it is worse - I don't get paid because I am a consultant.
Best bet is open, honest, transparent communication. Either your boss will understand, or they won't. At least you will know and you can adjust jobs if need be on your terms.
I hope you can get to work from home full time..that would be such a blessing.