Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a day to be Thankful. I have so much to be thankful this year. God has given me so many reasons to be thankful yet I am struggling on some days. I have a lot to say and struggle with how to write it. So I think I will start with Humira. Three weeks ago I finally got the courage enough to order the medicine recommended by my Rheumatologist. I was terrified of it! Even after it arrived I was hesitant. But God provided. I happened to be standing at the front desk at the kids school signing out after volunteering. The kids’ school counselor was there and commented on the hand sanitizer i was putting on my hands. I laughed and said “Im sort of trying to get in the swing of things as I am supposed to be taking a medicine that affects my immune system.” He mentioned that he is on a medicine like that so I asked him what he was taking. Funny thing is he is taking Humira as well. I was able to ask him questions on how it affected him, any side affects and if he ended up getting sick more often. He was able to give me the answers I had been fearful of and eased my fears. He also made the comment “What are you waiting for?” He made me feel at ease and that Humira really is a good medicine that will help me feel better. Do you know what I did when I got home? I called and scheduled my appointment to learn how to give myself the medicine for the next day. I am so glad God put this young man in the right place that day. It was an answer to my prayers for a sign about if I should take Humira or not.
Humira was very easy to administer and really didn’t even hurt. Within two days the tightness in my neck and my jaw had pretty much disappeared and I started feeling better. Today was my second dose and it was very easy to do at home. I have noticed that I felt more achy the last 2-3 days which is something the kids counselor said he noticed it wearing off as it got close to the next dosage. We are still doing the diet and for the most part have been able to stay on it fairly well throughout this Thanksgiving. We made sure to bring the ingredients we might need and I have had fun making a few new recipes that are tasting amazing. My mom has been in contact with a friend who gave us a great bread recipe and cookie recipe that is mostly AIP friendly. The nice part about how I am feeling is that I am able to sleep through the night almost every night.
Iritis: The eye situation has been getting better. I had to stay a little longer on my eye medicine as the eye was acting up quite a bit the last 2 weeks but I was able to ween myself off the meds a few days ago and it seems to be holding stable. I was able to wear my contacts again after 2 months of glasses. It really is funny to look at yourself after you are used to seeing yourself in the mirror a certain way. I am so thankful that my eye is doing better and praying that it doesn’t act up again.
Anxiety: After finally committing to taking Humira and actually taking the first does the anxiety levels I was feeling has tapered off a lot. I still have some fears and anxiety at times but they are much more manageable and don’t affect my whole day as they have in the past two months.
Today I sat down to read a book my Aunt Karen left me that she wrote. (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=karen+doolaard&ref=nb_sb_noss) . It was such a nice thing to find at my parents guest room. My Aunt makes prayer shawls to give to people who are sick. These books are her thoughts she writes down while she makes them. I love that she does this as well as many of my family members. My friend Jenny gave me a beautiful scarf soon after my hospital stay. It has been a great comfort when I am feeling down or filled with anxiety or have to go to another doctors appointment. I don’t think she realizes how much it means to me that she did this. Knowing how I feel when I wear this scarf makes me really appreciate the Prayer Shawl Ministry because it truly makes a difference in a persons life who is going through a tough time. Thank you Aunt Karen for the book!
Thankful for delicious food that I can eat on this day of Thanksgiving! I didn’t get the family picture but enjoyed the time with them. I was able to eat everything but the bread and the stuffing!
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