In the Likely Event of a Flare

For the past five days, I’ve been fighting an arthritis flare.  Yesterday, I realized I wasn’t winning the fight, so I had to submit to meds and rest.  An arthritis flare is a dramatic increase in the symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis.  It’s like my immune system goes wild and so does the increase in pain, swelling, and fatigue. Everything hurts so much more, and it affects most of my body.  My left foot is throbbing, my knees are burning, I have pain in both hips, my hands hurt, I have pain and stiffness throughout my body when I move, and I am very, very tired.  I have been in bed most of the day today.  I forced myself out of bed to shower which felt good, temporarily, as showering is also exhausting.  So, what do I do when I have a flare?  I practice self-care.  Here are some things I do:

Medications:  My medications for a flare are always close by.  These include steroids and muscle relaxants.  The steroids help to calm down my immune system, but this can take several days to kick in.  The muscle relaxants help in pain relief.  (This is how my doctor prescribes treatment for flares.  Please speak with your doctor to find out the best way to treat your arthritis flares.)  Lately, in place of muscle relaxants, I’ve tried hemp extract.  I prefer hemp extract because it takes away the pain while feeling less groggy than my prescription medications.  There are a lot of opinions in the chronic disease community about using CBD.  I would recommend talking to your doctor and finding a reputable health food store that can guide you in selecting a CBD product.

Comfort Foods:  My number one comfort food is homemade chicken soup.  There is something about chicken soup that’s a source of healing for me.  I load it up with plenty of vegetables including zucchini noodles.  All the nutrients in the soup make me feel like I’m doing something healthy for myself when I don’t feel well.  As miserable as I felt today, I managed to throw a bunch of chicken, veggies and broth into my crockpot.  I took a nap and when I woke up, the soup was done; ready for me to enjoy.  I also love tea. Brewing a cup of tea is a cup of comfort for me.  It just makes me feel better.  I enjoy black, green and herbal teas. Sometimes I have GI symptoms with a flare such as nausea and gas.  I especially enjoy peppermint tea when I have these symptoms because it’s a natural way to calm down my GI symptoms.  (Shout out to  my daughter, a physician assistant in GI, for that tip!)

Books: I enjoy reading books.  When I feel particularly ill, I really like reading books by Debbie Macomber.  She writes amusing, romantic novels that are light-hearted and easy-to-read.  Her books always put me in a better mood when I don’t feel well.  She also wrote a non-fiction book that really picked me up when I was feeling down, called Knit Together: Discover God’s Plan for your Life.  Another book I recommend is written by Ann Romney called, In This Together:  My Story.  This book is about her diagnosis of MS and how she sought out alternative therapies to help regain her mobility.  This book encouraged me to open the possibilities of alternative treatment for my AS. If you want a good laugh, I really enjoyed, I Must Say by Martin Short.  This was a funny and poignant autobiography.  It will make you laugh, cry, and feel like Martin Short is your new best friend.  You must listen to the audiobook version of this book because Martin narrates this book with all his impressions and characters.  It was a joy to listen to this wonderful book. 

Netflix:  I am a big fan of the show Blue Bloods.  There is something about the New York City setting that I love…not to mention Tom Selleck is pretty easy on the eyes!  I also like Donnie Wahlberg on the show…he’s a badass!   Another show that I like is The Great British Baking Show.  I really enjoy watching all the intricate baking.  It’s amazing to see how these home bakers create such masterpieces each week in a limited amount of time.  I also like how the contestants are so supportive of each other.  You see the best in humanity while watching this show.

Well, folks, that’s how I’m managing through my flare this week.  I hope I will start feeling like myself again soon. For now, it’s time for another nap!