"Through my heart's work of writing, I share with you my complex journey a top the mountain, sliding down, crawling up, & living through the realms of Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses. Taming "The Wolf" Thru each Day... One Step at a Time … Together We Are Learning to Survive. Please follow along, to New Beginnings - looking Thru the Window Pane of Pain in life where we shall find our journey leading us to - New Perspectives
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
World & National Lupus Day/Month May 2020
World & National Lupus Day & Month May 2020
https://worldlupusday.org/?fbclid=IwAR0MKPbiNiUBFGguZFyIdtHQMuTAPBhg3O9Jbq4KzZ9SuRB8Y4g0R9EXx9w
Some History Lessons & more... THE GREAT DEPRESSION & THE SPANISH FLU
GREAT DEPRESSION
The Spanish Flu
BEFORE anyone with LUPUS, RA & other Illnesses that require Plaquenil Daily!
BEFORE anyone with LUPUS, RA & other Illnesses that require Plaquenil Daily!
Article from Arthritis Foundation
Please read & pass along!!
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Shortage Causing Concern
Possible use of arthritis drug for COVID-19 symptoms causes access challenges for people with arthritis.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Senior Class of 2020 & what graduation will look like & what about years to come??
This is dedicated to the class of 2020. Share and make it go viral for them.The artist is
Kaitlyn Kirian of Ohio
This is just so sad, this will be how they remember their graduation - but we love each of them - my neighbor graduates this year .. I know many of them wonder what "their future" make look like? My heart aches for them....
Monday, April 6, 2020
May Easter Bring Faith, Hope & A Renewed Sense of Love to All....
Blessings and Hope for This Easter Bring Miracles to our lives...
I realize times are difficult now, for all of us. Even though we keep Hop, Faith, Love.. in our Hearts.. "The Old Rugged "cross" was always one of my favorite songs & "Up from the Grave He Arose".. trying our best to HOLD ONTO the good things,
May everyone be Blessed & find Love, & the Lord in Your Heart. This is a day I always remember. Even though it changed dates every year "Easter Sunday" is the day Dad Passed away. It always seemed "fitting" for Him, for he always stood on that Rock of Faith" May each of us find that "rock of Faith" to stand Upon...
Blessings for Easter and the days ahead...
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Hand X-Rays Show the severe damage of Long Term Inflammation, Pseudo-gout & Chondrocalcinosis & More...,
After weeks of waiting due to mostly the COVID-19 Virus pandemic, I FINALLY got the copies of my Radiology Reports on the X-rays of my Left and Right Hands...
So Here is the "NOT SO GREAT NEWS...
Well after (not very patiently awaiting) my Radiology reports on my hands.. as I figured the news is NOT great on my left hand...much like "gout" and "pseudo-gout" (which the pseudo-gout is one thing wrong".. I have chondrocalcinosis (calcification within cartilage) found which indicate long term inflammation..( I suspected for years I almost constantly had inflammation in the left hand especially between my joints in most of my fingers) from the RA and probably osteoarthritis also. That calcification is caused also by a build up of crystallization from certain minerals in the synovial fluid between the joints and I have a narrowing between most of them but the base of my thumb and my wrist under my thumb is moderate to severe from the X-rays and Exams by my PCP, Rheumy and Orthopedic surgeon. My Right hand also has much of the same, but it is not as bad as the left one is. Same thing the crystals that are causing the cartilage to calcify rather than be "like softer cartilage like your outer ear for example)" as it should be. There is no "treatment" really. I cannot take NSAID's other than aspirin, and Motrin, etc... the prescription doses is what would possibly help is anything. I am on all of the medications they use, unless we change and go over to another biologic.. I am on Enbrel right now.. along with Plaquenil, prednisone small daily dose, the Enbrel, Methotrexate (which if I do not get ill with an infection they can increase my dose on this), the BC Powder, Colcrys (which I found out can be increased also but it's the latest one so I am sure they are making sure I do not have any side effects first).. what concerns me, is that this may be also what is effecting my lower back and hips also. It does tend to go to those as well as the feet.. About the only thing that would possibly be the answer would be hand surgery..especially on the thumb, and where this cartilage is getting hard... This of course is chronic and will not get better, only worse as time goes by.. unless we have a miracle.. Right now the miracle needs to be for the COVID-19 virus. It was honestly a bit better than I expected.. I felt with the way my fingers are bending and trying to twist on my left hand it would show to be worse. Going to and already does.. make very hard for me to don anything with my hands and fingers..type, open anything, zip anything, you name it, it either is impossible for me to do or hurts like hell to do it. Until this Pandemic is cleared where I can see my PCP, Rheumy etc.. I will not have any answers, but at least now I DO know (THANKS TO MY PCP for sending me the reports and explaining them) :) HE is my lifeline... so all I can do is read more on this & pray all of this Pandemic clears up and PEOPLE can get well, stay well, and try to get back to some type of "good new normal".. although my stuff is certainly not good, right now at this moment, I am not ill with the other and praying I don't and everyone in our town, county, nation and world gets well.. I have to admit I was quite upset when I read these reports.. even though I knew what they would probably say... but life goes on and so shall I. My prayers to EVERYONE!!! Stay In, Stay Well, & let's keep HOPE ALIVE!!!
Friday, March 27, 2020
15 years ago My Dad passed away on that Easter Sunday... here is some of his story...
Today it was about this time from Seattle (I think) I was talking to Dad.. He "heard" me I know... about 10 minutes or so after we hung up, he took his last breath...almost like he was waiting on my phone call... It took me a LONG time to forgive myself for not going town from Seattle, But him going downhill so quickly I may have never made it... It was better now I know for me to go down like I did to be there with Mom and the kids... during the days after and for the funeral.. Dad sang in church often - and his favorite song was (the song below)
Dad passed away March 27th, 2005 on Easter Sunday. I had been on the phone with him (I think he KNEW it was me) waiting for me (I was in Seattle WA living when he suddenly got critically ill from a knee replacement surgery that went very WRONG! The best we know is he probably got an infection that spread to his brain, and/or maybe mini-strokes. He had Diabetes and wasn't great about taking care of what he ate and taking his medication. I still talk about Him often. Right now, with the Pandemic going on it so reminds me of what he lived through, he was born in 1923, but did remember the Great depression, some, even though he was very young. All of how they lived what they went through (one time when he was about 10 years old, he ate some "green pecans".. in the middle of the night woke up severely ill, so bad, that they thought he may die... back then there were no hospitals, and rarely doctors in the country.. but His Dad got up, took the wagon miles and miles to get the only doctor around...he brought him back, and Dad pulled through... but that was just one thing I remember when I see how things are today... they wore shoes till they could no longer patch them, then they got a new pair ordered from the Sears catalog, his Mom made bread or bisquits every morning... they had "lunch pails" that were much like a paint can round with lid on it... he often carried a bisquit and a piece of sausage for his lunch.. BUT back then EVERYONE was in the same shape.... no one thought about it being any different... he GRADUATED in a ONE ROOM school house that ALL AGES were in that same room, I think IT WAS A CLASS OF 12 SENIORS & HE WAS I BELIEVE Valedictorian or Salutatorian.. right now I can't recall which... this was the last time I saw Dad... It was in 2004... I flew back for Amanda's & Jimbo's (my daughter's) wedding.. and I drove 7 hours up from near Corpus to see bHim and my Mom before having to drive back to San Antonio to fly back out. Dad, there is not almost 1 day I don't think about you... things you taught me, and lessons that no school could ever teach, how to respect others, be honest and truthful, work for what you get, be kind, and so many other things that have stuck with me in my years... I Love you and I know you and Mom are Happy to be together....
"Pearly White City"
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Coronavirus, Climate Change, and the Environment - Harvard C-Change
03/20/2020 | Harvard C-CHANGEA Conversation on COVID-19 with Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard C-CHANGE
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/coronavirus-climate-change-and-the-environment/
Below are some of the most common questions we have been receiving in relation to the environment and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
"This page will continue to be updated as new information arises. If you would like to talk to someone at our center about coronavirus, please email us at cchange-media@hsph.harvard.edu..."
(Lots of great information in this article.) And for further articles and information see my Daily Newspaper...
An Autoimmune Arthritic Systemic Life by Rhia Steele
Life Chronic Pain & Autoimmune Systemic Diseases & Dementia®
Monday, March 16, 2020
Coronavirus and update from the NIH
Monday, March 16, 2020
NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begin
Study enrolling Seattle-based healthy adult volunteers
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I finally made a trip to Urgent Care with what I feel is a very bad Lupus and RA flare, but there are several "symptoms" strange t...
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I really have SO MUCH to try & catch up here on, so I am going ton"Post"n some of my ongoing chronic health issues, things abo...
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How can our kids feel safe when WE as adults don't???? I fear Wal-Mart or just walking across the parking lot at HEB in my small lo...