The "real" pain scale..

The author of "A Girl With Arthritis" was talking about the question many of us hear every time we go to the Doctor.  "how would you rate your pain based on this 1-10 chart?"  The chart every doctor I've been to really doesn't give much in the way of real life detail.  Here is the pain chart that doctors should use.

Why my nails are always painted.

I was trying to describe to my sister what nail beds look like when they have psoriasis.  My thumb picture is a generally healthy nail bed with the pink (nail bed) and white (nail growth) is fairly smooth and straight across the nail. The pinky picture is my worst psoriatic nail. You can see the bed has detached more than halfway down the nail and the line between nail bed and nail growth is  very jagged and uneven.

Reading a history of me.

I requested my medical records from my Rheum for an appointment I have at the VA next week, and to hand deliver them to the SS office for my disability claim.

I picked them up today and started reading. It was fascinating and terrifying to see my decline over the last 6 years. The last 4-6 months shows an especially exaggerated decline. It was also interesting to see things that my doctors hadn't bothered to tell me. I found I have non reactive arthritis (not uncommon with PsA). I found that the Rheumatologist at least at one point felt I may have Fibromyalgia (was never informed of this and it was never followed up upon or officially diagnosed). I found I have had low Uric acid levels (can be an indicator of MS). I found I have proof of arthritis in my SI joint (never informed of this) and FINALLY diagnosed with arthritis of the right hip after YEARS of trying to get someone to listen to me about the constant pain in that joint. 

I often feel like my Rheum is abrupt. I really like that part of him in some ways because he doesn't poo poo around, but I also sometimes feel like he's not really listening to what I'm telling him about what is swelling, how it's affecting my life, how I am constantly in pain. Reading my records I came to realize that not only does he listen to EVERYTHING I say and record it, but there are instant message conversations recorded in the records of him inquiring about following up with how I am, if I need to come in, why something hasn't happened, and a tone of frustration that I am not having improvement.

Even with living this every day it is really shocking to read through my records and see just how quickly I have declined. I hate that my Rheum is frustrated with my condition (lord knows I am too), but it is somewhat comforting that he is frustrated. It shows he cares about my quality of life and I am not just a number. I knew these things to some degree already or I would have left him years ago, but reading it really reinforced that

Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind.

I'm sitting here watching movies, knowing it's going to be an insomnia night.  We had some snow here in North Texas yesterday so I'm quite happy to be snuggled up in the blankets my sister made me last Christmas watching old movies on cable.

Something I noticed the last few days is that I keep feeling like my elbow is wet.  I'm constantly checking to see if I've got a gushing crack in my elephant elbows.  So far it just looks like I've been exfoliating with a cheese grater.  I think I'm probably developing some nerve damage in the dermis from the deep cracking I've been having.  I will be really glad when I can actually get in to see a Dermatologist.  I've run through all my options for Psoriatic Arthritis as far as DMARDS and Biologicals go.  I'm now left with the slim possibility of getting Stelera through the Dermatologist.  It is having success in Phase III medical trials for Psoriatic Arthritis so hopefully it will actually help both my skin and my arthritis.  I'm off to the VA next week to get that whole process started so wish me luck!

I really could use some retail therapy, but I just can't afford it and window shopping is downright depressing. I will however go try my luck this week at playing in a World Series of Poker tourney.  A friend of mine won a WSOP ring and a boat load of money yesterday so now I'm inspired to take my chance on one of the smaller tourneys.  Again I need your luck!

Well I'm off to watch more hokey 90's movies and wait for sleep to decide to visit me.  Have a great week!

As soon as I finished writing this blog I realized I actually was bleeding from a psoriasis crack.  Just not from my elbow.  UGH!

Chugga chugga choo choo

I have been totally lazy since returning from Phoenix.  It's starting to get depressing that I have zero motivation to do anything this week.  I can't even blame it on my disease really.  Yes, I'm sore and having a bit of a flare.  Yes, I'm fatigued and needing naps through the day.  Even with that being said I just feel LAZY.  I haven't even unpacked my suit cases.  They are sitting on top of my dresser with the load of clothes I washed piled up (and folded, at least) on top of them. I need to start thinking like the little train that could and get some chugga chugga choo choo in my life.

I need to give myself a kick in the ass.  The fact that it has been raining the last few day doesn't help my urge to get anything done.

Ok enough of my pity party.  As I mentioned in my last blog I received a tube of Noxicare that I won in a contest.  I am really impressed with it.  I've been using it the last few days that I have been having rain pain.  The first night I applied it to my left shoulder and right hip.  I honestly wasn't expecting much.  I've learned to be pretty jaded about the newest greatest thing on the market.  My shoulder pain went away fairly quickly.  My hip pain however was a bit more stubborn.  I didn't lose faith yet because honestly I have quite a bit of badonkadonk if you know what I mean so there is a lot of donk for the cream to work through to get to the actual bursa which was causing me the pain.  Before bed I reapplied to the hip area and went to bed.  This application did actually help.  My pain wasn't gone, but I was comfortable enough to sleep which is something that rarely happens when my hip bursitis gets flared up.

The next day I decided to try a few new spots.  My right knee was swelling, and my ankles had become cankles.  Keep in mind a dab does it with this stuff.  I rubbed it on and went about my couch warming.  About 20 minutes later the swelling in both the knee and my ankles had reduced and the pain was gone.  I think I'm in love!  Finally this morning I woke up to my shoulders being so swollen I was having issues with my hands falling asleep.  It was so bad I was getting woken up by that awful tingle during the night.  I rubbed some Noxicare into both shoulders and the pain reduced, and I had no more problems with my hands falling asleep.

I highly recommend this for a topical option for pain relief.  It uses natural ingredients to reduce swelling and pain, doesn't smell, and isn't oily.  It is a bit on the costy side, but a small dab goes a long way so a tube should last quite some time.  I'll be adding this to my products I love page!

Noxicare web site

I hope you all have a great week!  Happy Hump day!

H

Home sweet home.

We have been home for a few days, but honestly I really just wanted to veg after 16 hours in the car.  I'm really glad I only have 1 more trek like that to make and it will be moving to Phoenix.

I have a few products to endorse today!  First is a cream my daughter brought me to try from Lush.  It is called Dream Cream.  It is non greasy, smells good/not foo foo girly, and is SO soothing on my psoriasis.

Dream Cream

On the non psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis front I have decided I LOVE Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons.  They are the OM NOM NOM NOM! The green tea mints are also pretty darn great, and gluten free too!

Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons

I received a sample tube of Noxicare pain cream in the mail today so I'll be trying that this week and let you all know how it works for me.

Have a great week!!!

Hello 2013!

I hope everyone had a safe and festive New Year celebration!  I've made a few changes on the blog today.  I've added an email subscription option, made it easier to follow the blog through google+, added a share feature with several social networks, and changed to look a bit.

I've done some thinking today about how to proceed with the blog this year.  I tried to sign up for ad-sense before I left on vacation, and was denied.  I was looking at it as a possible way to bring in a little extra money, but after having some time to think about it I'm glad I was denied.  Yes I could use some extra cash flow, who couldn't these days, but I also don't want to promote products or services that I don't have first hand knowledge of or a reliable source as to their quality.  I do plan on trying and possibly promoting products this year, but anything I promote will be something you can trust either I or someone I trust has tried first hand.  I may at some point add a products I love page to the blog if I get enough things sampled and approved.

I know the last few months I haven't been very active.  I hope to improve on that this year.  I have several projects I want to do this year, including moving to Phoenix, but maintaining the blog is a priority for me.  I will be heading back to DFW Thursday.  Once I get home I'd like to make my goal to be 2 blogs a week minimum.  I know everyone will understand if once in a while I don't hit that mark, but that is my personal goal.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions, products you love that I should try for a review, questions, recommendations, or just drop an email or comment to let me know how things are going.

Good luck and good life to everyone in 2013!