Monday, June 6, 2011

Flarin' but feelin' good!

I've been a bit achy for the past few days.  I think it was due to all this fun weather in sunny California:
(Source)
Yeah, that's a funnel cloud.

So, the weather has been very un-Cali the past few days.  It's June and I haven't even been camping yet due to rain, snow, and/or unseasonably cold temperatures.  I don't like it and it's making me cranky... therefore the weather will be getting all the blame for my achy joints, muscle weakness, and fatigue.  Oh, and let's not forget the mild fever and night sweats.  Who doesn't love night sweats?
Extra big for your cartoon pleasure (Source)

I think the saddest part about my flare is that I'm having jaw pain.  That's right people- your jaw is a joint.  It can be inflamed just like any other part of your body.
.... which is damn shame when you're eating a super delicious Footlong Veggie Delite.

I was going to add a picture here of my sandwich, but I didn't take one.  I thought I would do a GIS (Google Image Search), but it just didn't feel organic.  My sandwich was delicious- I didn't feel that some stock photo would do it justice.  Plus, most stock photos have bell peppers peeking out- the one veggie I don't put on my sandwich.

I've been relying on GIS for a long time... mostly because in order to upload photos I have to hook up my camera to the TV computer, which is a hassle.  After my BIL visits I'll upload pics.  Until then, you get GIS, some pictures from my Facebook, and maybe a mobile upload now and again.

.....I digress.....

But, back to the flare dealio- this flare is not too bad!  Compared to the flares I endured while in school- this is a breeze!  I can walk, I can exercise a bit to get my joints moving... I can even cook dinner instead of Kevin running to Subway to get me a veggie delite (I'm obsessed).  Today, I did at least an hour on my exercise bike.  I felt pretty good!
This pansy-ass flare (I'm going to mock it to see if it comes back with a vengence) could be attributed to a few things:
  1. I've been exercising more.                                                                                
  2. I've been eating better.
  3. My stress level is much lower.
I've been rocking the exercise- a nice balance of biking and yoga-ing and squeezing in some pool time when there's no damned funnel clouds.  I know that exercise helps prevent stiffness, but could it account for my whole flare being easier?

Eating better.... hmmm.... I've been avoiding preservatives, eating healthy with lots of veggies and some healthy oils, and not gorging myself on sugar.  Could this be it?  I definitely feel better when I eat hummus and carrots and ignore the candy bowl.  Hmmm...  

And now, the stress level- the most likely culprit.  I am so relaxed!  It's absolutely bonkers.  I do still volunteer three times per week, but having that (and weekend laundry) as the only responsibilities in my life is just fantastic.  My chin is acne free (that's how I usually know I'm stressed), and I'm taking time in the evenings to be with my husband and my dog and to just enjoy their company.  It's wonderful. I seriously think that my new stress level is the reason for my absent flares and now my pansy-ass flares.  Maybe doctors know what's up when they tell me to tone it down.

...Now if only I could unhinge my jaw enough to eat....
I GISed for "snake unhinged jaw" and got this.  Much cuter.  (Source)
Any joints giving you trouble today?  How do you work to prevent flares?

2 comments:

  1. Always! Mostly I just need it to warm up. Did you get the REI job?

    ReplyDelete