I often get asked what I can’t eat and my usual reply is “It’s easier to answer with what I can eat”. I have decided to answer this question via blog post, for those of you who keep track of me (eh-hem parentals, in-laws, besties), hopefully this will give you a source to return to… Continue reading What’s on the menu?
I will forever be a fan of a good ole fashioned Swedish massage for relaxation but let’s face it, at an average of $90 a massage, it is not likely for this lady to get one as often as I would like. This is where my addiction to Foot and Body Reflexology comes in. Have… Continue reading Foot and Body Reflexology…Just Do It!
R: Rash Aside from my muscle strength fading away into oblivion, my skin rash called Gottron’s papules, is the my DM nemesis. The rash has appeared on my eyelids, cheeks, around my nose, elbows, upper chest, upper back and shoulders, hips, and hands. The most painful is by far my hands. Think about all the… Continue reading R is for Rash
O: Optimism I have found that when you are diagnosed with any illness it helps to be optimistic. I clearly am not optimistic all the time. It can be really tough and scary facing uncertainty. If I were to allow myself to live my life in the fears, the “what ifs”, and the “are you… Continue reading O is for Optimism
I: Irritating Inflammation Dermatomyositis = Skin + Muscle + Inflammation. Having DM causes my skin and muscles to be inflamed and this inflammation is pain that I am feeling everyday. Inflammation is a protective response that involves immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. The purpose of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of… Continue reading I is for Irritating Inflammation
H: Help Warning! This is about to be a long post so bear with me! Although this post doesn’t have anything to do with my DM from a medical stand point, it has everything to do with how I have come this far in my journey. I will do my best to put what I… Continue reading H is for Help
F: Functional Medicine I am so excited to learn more and more about functional medicine and by writing this I hope to influence you to learn as well. Dr. Mark Hyman‘s definition is as follows: Functional Medicine is the future of conventional medicine–available now. It seeks to identify and address the root causes of… Continue reading F is for Functional Medicine
E: Ear Sores Since I started Methotrexate (when we get to M, I will go into more depth on this drug) I have had reoccurring sores on the inner and outer skin of my ears. These sores cause my skin to flake off and then eventually they become so painful, sometimes radiating pain into my… Continue reading E is for Ear Sores
B: Biopsies I have had two types of biopsies, skin and muscle, to confirm my autoimmune disease. A skin biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of skin tissue is removed, processed, and examined under a microscope. My two skin biopsies were taken from my left hand knuckle and left elbow. They were both… Continue reading B is for Biopsies
Most likely out of my daily joy of being a mama to a 2 year old the alphabet is on my mind. For the next 26 days I will be posting an alphabetical list depicting my experiences thus far with my DM. The words I use are what come to mind first. So many other… Continue reading From A to Z
My Life With DM 