A reduction in symptoms

Now that it is nearly a decade later, I have to share what has worked for my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I used to take a lot of supplements to decrease inflammation. Occasionally I took prednisone when things got really bad, but I would try to keep this for emergencies only.

One year, I had an opportunity to sleep-in on a regular basis. I slept probably 9 to 10 hour days for the full year. I still went to work, but it was something I had worked out with my employer and I wanted to test a theory.

My theory was that sleep would eventually heal me.

And for the most part it did. I still have to take it easy, get enough stress and not overdo anything. I can’t eat a bowl of pasta unless I’ve come to terms with myself that I’ll deal with the extra inflammation it will bring on. But that’s extra inflammation, it isn’t extreme inflammation and disability. I certainly won’t eat pasta for a week or else I might get myself into trouble. I have to get rest, take naps, whatever I have to do to catch up on sleep. If I don’t I’ll most likely suffer some consequences. But I no longer have Prednisone in my cabinet. I no longer take oodles of supplements like I once did. I no longer need to take baking soda and epson salt baths to feel as good as I do. I do of course try and eat healthy, meaning, the more organic vegetables I can get in me, the better I feel.

But I can’t just get a weight trainer and start weight training my body, or training for a marathon. I stepped onto the elliptical the other day. I did a 30 minute gentle workout. I have been walking for an hour every day for two years. But the elliptical works out new muscles, so I knew to be careful.

Sure enough, even though I made sure to keep it gentle, that evening I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and I realized I couldn’t walk on one foot. The tendon in my left foot was so inflamed that I realized I would have to go without getting a glass of water. My husband was asleep. I took one last sip of what I had left in my glass and did my best to fall back asleep.

The next morning, my ankle had healed some and I walked to go get some water. And by the end of that day I was fine. But I certainly knew I couldn’t get back on the elliptical for probably a few days just in case.

I once got a trainer at the gym. I don’t know what I was thinking, except that his ongoing sales pitch had worked. I was especially healthy so I figured I could handle it. I told him about my health issues and to take it easy on me and that I couldn’t work out in the sun. But although he said he would be gentle, he didn’t truly listen and I didn’t put my foot down. After that I canceled. I was out of the gym for three months as a result of too much too fast.

Sleep is my go-to whenever I’m inflamed. I have a second go-to as well.

But that is for the next post.

Best of luck to you all in these trying times.

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