Night and Day

I'm realizing this morning, as I type slowly with my stupid wrist, that I have different types of flares dependant on the time of day.  In the beginning of all of this, there were some flares that just lasted and lasted, for days, weeks, months on end.  However, as I got my disease under control I notice that they come differently.  For example, I had a night flare last night.  I went to bed fine (some achy muscles due to a long bike ride and gardening, nothing extreme) and proceeded to wake up an unbelievable amount of time in ridiculous pain, and unable to get comfortable.  However, I know that as this day wears on, and my meds kick in, I will start to feel fine.  Tired, but in much less pain.

Then there are the day flares.  I wake up fine, then an ache starts to set in, or worse yet, it comes on sudden.  A screeching immediate pain in one joint, that then may spread throughout my body.  I get immobilized, overwhelmed and tired.  This flare may last for days, but if I can find a fairly comfy position (usually on my back, arms straight at my sides), I can sleep okay.

I've yet to find many triggers for my RA, other than stress or lack of sleep.  I can't find a food that can start a flare, or many environmental factors.  I do know for my health in general, I need to eat balanced, with lots of fruit and veggies, and get some gentle exercise.

I wonder what brings on a day flare, and what brings on a night flare?

Leavin' On A Not-So-Jet Plane

Well, here I go work-travelling again.  It's a good thing that I don't want a job that involves a lot of travel!  This is my fourth trip since february for work.  And leaving here is not easy, it's a good hour and a half to where I'm going , then a 45 minute bus ride.  Fortunately, I've got my i-pod and book to keep me going.  Oh, and the title of my post is in reference to the little planes we get to travel in around here.  The one I'm on today is not bad, but it ain't no jet plane.

I may not be very active this week due to this, but I hope to keep up with everyone's posts/news.  I also really hope that this doesn't send me into a flare like the last trip (which I am now just recovering from).  Oh well.  At least I'll be somewhere new, eating good food and doing a bit of shopping.  The biggest light at the end of this tunnel is that this coming weekend is a long one and my sweetie and I are hiking up to the cabin.  No phones, no t.v., no electricity.  Just us and our doggie :)  It'll be good recuperation time.

Winter Wonderland...in May

This was our backyard, this morning.  I wish I had taken a picture last night, when all the trees were still covered.  I think we had near 30 cm of snow yesterday, May 12th.  That's pretty bad even for us Labrador folks.  I don't mind winter, but you can't do anything in this snow.  Here is a picture I took about a month ago:












Sigh.

Adventures in flying with pie

Um, so I have no excuse for not posting lately.  I think I have the case of the, "I'm still incredibly boring" again.  Welp, no biggie.  I DID go on a work trip last week to the southern part of Labrador/Quebec.  That was pretty damn awesome/pretty damn windy.  I also took some pics:

You may, or may not, notice that these picures are all taken from my hotel window.  When I said it was windy, I meant it.  There was one day I didn't even go outside.  And the other days involved going out the hotel to the van to go for a drive.  To a bakery to buy pie.  Which led to an adventure at the airport involving my pie, a check through security, being told I would have to pack my pie in my backpack and check it in (yeah, pie in a backpack), having to check said pie in a box, check-in at the front counter, another incredibly thorough check throught security (my friends cookies being taken away from her), and ending with the realization when I was landing at home, that they never ONCE checked my I.D.  Nada.  But, I got home, and my pie got home.  It was so-so, a little smooshed, and not super-tasty.

Despite the pie-hassle, this trip was beautiful!  The skies, coastline, and landscape are breathtaking.  I'm hoping to spend more time there this summer on our holidays.  Hopefully it won't be as windy.  And, maybe I'll pick out a tastier pie.