No not the one you are all thinking about! This was our ladies BBQ last evening. Lovely evening, rain held off, temp about 20 so quite comfortable. Friend's husband and another friend cooked the chicken, sausages and pork steaks. I don't eat pork (it doesn't like me one bit) so only had chicken and a sausage + some lovely salads, green, coleslaw, pasta etc. and one of the girls had made a beetroot and raspberry jelly. I am not overkeen on beetroot but this was gorgeous and a lovely flavour. Meringues, french apple tart, blueberry cheesecake, cream and fresh fruit to finish off + wine and soft drinks. My friend has a lovely large garden so we were all in a marquee - lots of chat and noise. Two of the girls had done starters of cream cheese filled pieces of celery, dips of broad bean and mint and smoked mackerel.
The men kept telling us the Chippendales were on the way to entertain us but were stuck on the M11. We did suggest the two men stripped off, plasted on the olive oil and entertained us themselves but they were not too keen saying the Chippendales would be jealous of the competition! A really good relaxing evening catching up with everyone's news.
Got back from the chemist yesterday to find Berry had knocked down and eaten half a loaf of bread leaving only a crust. He is such a thief. Went to tidy his bed which was all over the place and found he had also chewed up a biro and the bits were in his bedding. He does this sometimes when he is displeased at me going out and leaving him despite the bribe of a gravy bone biscuit and leaving the radio on so he is not lonely. Older lab Tilly is no problem at all and has never stolen anything in all her life. Had Holly for the day - she was so good. Fell asleep in the afternoon after I had taken yet more Nurofen because of pain, woke up to find two dogs on the sofa like book ends and Tilly on the floor at my feet - all sound asleep! Sarah came to collect Holly early. Holly always knows when her mum is home and is waiting at the door ready.
MTX day today but as I have a planning meeting this morning will jab it in this afternoon instead. This is just in case of a sicky reaction although that is very rare nowadays. Enbrel tomorrow. Sometimes feel like a pincushion.
Wrists very hot yesterday, thumb joints excrutiatingly painful and shoulders giving me hell but didn't wake me up in the night today. Still sore today but wrists better and fingers not so stiff. Elbows still painful particularly if I knock one of them. Have to be on the ball for the planning meeting and keep my wits about me. Even got a suit on! Retirement doesn't seem to be an option at all. I am legal adviser to a number of organisations, Trustee of others, it's all go sometimes.
Have been reading through a lot of blogs and questions over the last few days to catch up. What a fantastic lot you are. We all suffer so much from this wretched disease but everyone seems to try to keep cheerful and cope with all
the side effects of the drugs, the depression and pain and try to carry on a normal life. You are all brilliant.
Love LavendarLady xx
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LavendarLady
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All I can say is I amazed you have time to blog such full and entertaining blogs with your life as busy as it is. I am exhausted just reading about your ladies night and WI and shoots and dogs and planning committees .....simply out of breathe at your energy. My RA is not at the stage yours is at and it exhausts me simply to go to work
Hi Katie, I refuse to let it beat me - I keep busy for that reason - this disease is not going to get the upper hand. Having said that when it does hit, I am flat out for 48 hours and not fit for anything! Thank goodness for Nurofen and paracetemol which takes the edge off the pain when it is bad.
I was still working full time when first diagnosed 5 1/2 years ago. As a very busy criminal lawyer I couldn't afford to take much time off although colleagues were very helpful and supportive. Still trying to retire and not succeeding!
I hadn't blogged for some time but August is usually fairly quiet so it gives me time to catch up.
Hope you are not too bad and not in too much discomfort. LL
Hi LL, all I can say is I have not and will not lay down to the disease, however, not sure that discomfort is quite the word I would use to describe my pain and certainly your level of pain meds is not quite as high as mine. Everyone is different and all I can say is that many people I know who have RA are not as blessed as you with the level of the disease..many cannot work because of ow disabled they are....and I would not say that is laying down the disease or allowing the disease to beat us.
I am certainly envious of your health and it really is difficult to read given that many of us here would trade places with you at anytime
I do hope you have a wonderful evening- for me, it will be sofa and then bed so that I have enough strength to get through tomorrow
Katie, I need to use a wheelchair as the RA is so bad with me but I have wonderful friends, family and work colleagues who bend over backwards to help. I am always being told I overdo things and I certainly know when I do as I am in pain with joints which refuse to move afterwards but life is too short to worry about it. I cannot walk very far and cannot stand for more than about 5 minutes without pain. I am on 20 mg of MTX (just reduced from the max of 25) anti TNF Enbrel, Paracetemol and Nurofen. I found Hydroxy did nothing for me, can't take amitriptylene or any of the morphine based drugs as I am allergic to them so I am stuck with the lower pain killers.
Hope you are feeling better today and not in too much pain. LL x
Hiya LL! The night sounds lovely and I might steal some of your recipe ideas, I am getting hungry thinking of it. And as usual you thinking of everyone else! I agree thinking positively makes me deal with the bad days better and I think I might be improving, will know soon if it's the steroids or the Humira!! Hope it's the second. I saw the Chippendales once or twice....Excellent singers and dancers!! ......ok nice to look at too! axx
A bit late but I'm far away. Your evening sounds lovely!
But apropos katiecs comments i think we should try not to construct a hierarchy Of our disease. Everyone has different ways of coping, different ways in which it affects us. Some people will manage just by staying busy, others will slow down and many other approaches. I'm always really impressed by the things we manage to do, and am aware that its probably at some considerable personal cost.
Cathie, how very positive and I fully agree with you. We all have different ways of coping - mine is keeping busy and keeping my mind occupied - have just finished another module for my Open University degree (decided to do it to keep me ticking over and for interest). Have now got enough points for the BA degree to add to my LL.B (Hons) and Bar qualifications but will do another module starting in October to get the Honours part of the degree.
Where abouts are you when you say you are far away? Hope you are well at present.
What is your OU degree? I'm doing an open college of the arts degree in fine art to add to mine! Keeps me sane and meeting people and its good for the soul. Degree only so I can develop and get feedback. I live in Edinburgh after living in the south of England all my life, but at the moment I'm on holiday on islay. This involves sketching, visiting distilleries and keeping grandson aged 8 happy. Holidays are always a strong mix of challenge despair and excitement for me. Lots of regret as I get left behind from the long walks and expeditions. But shouldn't dwell on that.
Hi Cathie, I love Edinburgh - beautiful and interesting city. Not surprised you moved there. I would love to visit the islands particularly to try the whisky! I have the same problem with walks etc although hubbie and friends are very good and wait for me to catch up if I haven't been left behind somewhere. Sometimes it does feel strange when they are striding out and I am struggling behind! My OU degree is what is called an Open degree so I can throw lots into it but basically on criminology but looked at from a social science point of view which I have found interesting once you get past all the social service speak. Do hope you do well in yours. I was very pleased with my exam results and got a better grade than I thought - one of the top grades so that boosted me up no end. Now just going to concentrate from October on finishing it off. As my postponed foot op will happen sometime in October and I will be out of action for 6 weeks, at least I can concentrate on the essays etc.LL x
Your studies sound v interesting I used to teach political sociology, so going towards criminology a bit, and social movements. Good luck with yourlastcourse, it's not so easy when you're recovering from an op!
I'm trying to think of a link to RA. I had to give up a bit after getting it, that's it! Open uni, Warwick and Oxford. And I studied for phd at Leeds. It was about anti racism in France. And my 8 year old grandson still thrashes me at monopoly!
Not RA related. I studied French politics too, and for my masters studied French housing systems and welfare. We had a lecture from the then inner cities minister who spoke of the racial tensions on the large estates in the outer suburbs. Have you watched Spiral ( French crime drama?) it's brilliant
Small world!!
Wow you are inspiring me to achieve stuff Lavender Lady! X
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A week on my own
