RA

Sorry, no cool pics LOL!

Just dropping a note to let everyone know I havenot fallen off the bandwagon and quit blogging because of it. I am still doing regular workouts and eating about 80-90% on plan. I am hanging steady on the scale. Not too worried about it, though. Right now I have a bigger problem!

I have rheumatoid arthritis and have had it since I was a walking, talking toddler. Docs missed it until I was age 9. Went into remission in my teens, though, so bad thing really. But have always had to treat with aspirin therapy and some minor physical therapy in order to be able to lift weights like most normal people do. I spend almost a half hour to an hr getting ready to lift with all the weird stretching and warm ups I have to do in order not to damage my joints further. I have to be very very careful as well with my fat intake and what kind I am eating. Missing one day of CLA or EFA's will leave me locked up in certain joints and in a lot of pain.

So here I am, out of remission, back into a full on flare up. I am really hurting and am trying to keep up with my prior level of strength and intensity. I am having to change from free weights to machines and stability balls and bosu balls and body weight exercises. I also have to push through the pain in some things and in others know when enough is enough and to BACK OFF or face permanent destruction in my joints or ligaments/tendons. Right now I am so inflamed that my eyeballs, inner and outer ears, spleen, and the nerves under my middle toes are also inflamed and feeling a lot of piercing hot pains almost constantly. I am on naproxin right now waiting fo rmy doc appt so I can go back on a regualr med to get this under control.

I am afraid to tell the doc I lift because they nix that for RA patients, other than light lifting. They want me to stick with PT and the warm water pools and water aerobics. Can't see that stuff getting me back to the stage, can you? I am going to ask about steroids and see if it would really be counterproductive to my ligaments/tendons/joints to use them. I have to be careful that my muscle strength does not outstrip my ligament/tendon strength and damage my joints even further. What I really need is a rheumatologist who is knowledgeable about weight training. That would be a Godsend!