RA Will Not Win

"You just do it. You force yourself to put one foot in front of the other, and God damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about your business of living. That's how I've done it. There's no other way." - Elizabeth Taylor

The good, the bad, and the ugly! Here it is my friends! I'm going to keep it real. I post all these great pictures of my training and it all looks fun and easy. But let me tell you it's not. There are days when getting out of bed seems an impossible task.

Oh the things we can't control! In training, as in life, there are obstacles we will face. We can choose to let them stop us in our tracks or embrace them and let them make us stronger. 

It took me almost two years to get a diagnosis and get on a treatment plan that we are still tweaking to manage the inflammation and pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis. For the last 9 months I have been on varying doses of steroids every day. I also take methotrexate weekly. Together these medications have taken me from daily pain to an average of two flare ups a month. So we have now added Enbrel injections to the mix. I've just started the injections, but we're hoping the Enbrel will help put the RA into remission. And then hopefully I will be able to reduce or maybe even come off of the steroids. 

Living with chronic pain and fatigue has become a way of life for me. Most people, unless they deal with it or live with someone who does, do not understand what it's like. And I think that because people see me workout every day, it's even harder to understand. Even my husband who really is very supportive (he even gives me the injections), does not understand why I do what I do. He often tells me to just rest or to take the day off. I have had doctors tell me to stop. But I am a fighter. I have goals. I have a dream. And while there are days when it takes all I have to get out of bed in the morning (mornings are the worst) I cannot give in to RA or give up! It would make me feel like I am losing. And I don't like to lose!

I am not unique or special. We all have our demons. It's just about how we choose to fight them.