Wait, there’s more than one arthritis?

Posted on by Grayson

Holy crap, did you know that there are 171 different types of arthritis??? This isn’t just limited to things with ‘arthritis’ in the name – Lyme Disease, Kawasaki Disease, and Spinal Stenosis are just a few of the others.

Often when someone hears that I have arthritis, they get this vision of a 105 year old lady with crooked fingers and can’t believe someone so young could have that. That’s because they don’t know the differences between things like Osteroarthritis and Still’s Disease. Let’s take a [not-super-close] look!

Osteoarthritis

  • Caused by wear and tear on a joint. Once the padding in the joint is rubbed away, bone hits bone. This is a relatively common occurrence for athletes or anyone doing repetitive movements (factory workers, etc).
  • The most common symptoms are pain, limited ROM, tenderness, and morning stiffness.
  • Steroids and OTC pain medication are the most common forms of treatment, but more effective pain meds and surgery happen often.

Still’s Disease

  • Has no found cause but there are many theories
  • Symptoms range from a ghost-like rash to swelling of the organs to intense joint pain.
  • The most common treatments involve a combination of steroids and methotrexate, generally combining them with a third drug. I, for instance, am on Plaquenil in addition to those two.
  • Surgeries are pretty common, especially for those developed the disease at a younger age. Of course this really all depends on treatment and the strength of the disease.

Now, I’m not downplaying the pain and severity of dealing with osteroarthritis. However, those with more complex forms of arthritis, such as Still’s Disease, generally have a lot more problems to watch out for. So why is it that most forms of arthritis don’t get as much attention as those that affect the old people (or those who do the same thing over and over again)?

I say it’s because there are not enough ‘famous’ people facing these disease willing to speak out about them. It’s always about hiding a condition. Instead, we need people like Kathleen Turner to come forward and embrace their disease, using it as an awareness tool. Until we have that, we won’t really get recognized by the rest of the world.

MTX and Protests

Posted on by Grayson

Oh Wisconsin, I love your craziness.

The governor is totally being a killjoy and trying to remove the rights of unions to bargain… Also, he’s going to screw up my school, and we aren’t standing for it. What he’s doing is removing the tuition remission for TAs, which essentially will screw up the school as a large percentage of classes (especially languages) are taught by TAs… who will now not have enough money to attend the school.

But it got me to thinking that protesting is similar to fighting a chronic disease.

As I was standing the the capitol building, shouting and protesting against this attack on our rights, it really hit me. I protest everyday, by taking my medications and by living my life as normally as I can.

We lowered my dose of MTX and I’ve started to take 2 pills in the morning and two in the PM. This is my first week like that, and I’m hoping it helps my side effects go down. But hey, I think it’s really helping so I’m excited about that.

Well, it’s either the MTX, the unseasonably wonderful weather, or the smell of protest in the air… 🙂

PFAM Time!

Posted on by Grayson

Well, I only got two submissions for this edition of the PFAM, but hey it’s better than zero!

I love Nessie’s blog, Lipstick, Perfume, And Too Many Pills. Her post, Keep Fit And Have Fun, is all about making exercise enjoyable. I’m pretty interested in investigating in her Netflix yoga find!

Carla, from Lupus and Humor (and The Singing Patient!), talks about the struggles she faced in her efforts to become ‘normal.’ I wish I had the tenacity to follow through like her!

We all understand how difficult it is to stay fit when dealing with pain. Along with the ‘normal’ excuses for not going, we get to endure crazy amounts of pain and swelling as well. I think the biggest keys to success are to only do what you feel comfortable doing, and to have a workout buddy who understands what you’re going through.

I am lucky enough to experience both (on occasion). The boyfriend and I usually go together, when my schedule allows it. Really my biggest problem is to keep my exercise down to what I know I can do. Often I will try to go running instead of just walking… which would be fine if my knees, ankles, and hips weren’t my worst joints. And then I end up wiped out the next day. But you live and learn. Hopefully, most of us learn more quickly than our bodies seem to want to do.

Hope you enjoyed this small edition of Patients For A Moment. Check out the PFAM blog for more dates and topics.

MTX, first weekend

Posted on by Grayson

I’m really trying hard to not post until the PFAM is up but it’s just not working. Oh well. I need to get out some pent up feelings anyhow.

Stephen Colbert is one of my favorite people in the whole world. He’s a wonderful guy, who has seen his share of tough times but still rises above and beyond. Also, he’s probably the funniest and smartest person in my life that I actually haven’t met 🙂

This is one of my favorite quotes from him – the real him, and not his Report persona:

“Don’t be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.”

I’m really trying to live my life by that, and I usually do pretty good, but it’s tough lately.

I didn’t go to class today, and worked a whopping 40 minutes of my 8-hour shift at the hotel. This MTX (I think?) is kicking my ass. I feel like I have the flu kinda? And I don’t know what to do about it. The scariest part? Not only am I having like full-on pain between my stomach and my chest, now I’m occasionally (like while walking??) getting ridiculous tingly feelings. Case in point: the boyfriend and I were at the gym yesterday, and all of the sudden my lower leg joints kind of went numb-ish… and then it felt like there was a colony of ants feasting on my legs. I stopped walking and tried to stretch out, but it just didn’t help. The biting sensation was (mostly) gone, but my joints were still crap. The night basically ended in me crying, ice pack between my ankles, and my sweet boyfriend rubbing my back and working on cheering me up. He’s so good at that for me. Otherwise, you know, I get this cauldron of thoughts stirring around in my head:

I hate being so weak in front of him, especially when he is so strong for me. 


I must look like an idiot, crying and talking about my body like it’s another person hating me and trying to kill me. I can’t even walk on a treadmill without my body freaking out on me.

Is this the MTX and will it go away? Or am I going through the first stages of MS? I don’t want to go through my last years in life like my great grandma did. It’s been almost eleven years since she died, and I still don’t understand why I didn’t ask her more about her strength and her amazing perseverance. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and think about her.


Will I be able to get my PhD? My Master’s? Can I keep going to school after this semester? During this semester? Who am I kidding, thinking that I could work a full-time job if I’m not in school with all this going on?


I’m tired of being dizzy. Why do all my medications cause dizziness and stomach upset? Can we not, at our medically-advanced stage, create a friggin’ medication that actually works?!?

I’m alright with waiting until my next appt on the 28th (as long as things don’t get worse) to talk to the rheumy. But the boyfriend thinks I need to keep a closer eye on that… and he’s probably right. He’s the logical one 🙂  The chest pain has been happening off and on for a little while now, but I’ve just been saying it’s got to be asthma-related and just blowing it off… which is not the smartest idea ever.

Still’s Disease, you are a bitch. But I plan on not beings yours anymore, and I’m turning the tables on you one way or another.

February 16th edition of Patients For A Moment

Posted on by Grayson

I’m reposting this so that it stays at the top of the page!

So I’m hosting the next edition of Patients For A Moment (PFAM). If you don’t know what that is, why don’t you click here and we’ll tell you all about it. Anyhow, I kind of get to choose my own topic and ask everyone to write about it. If you’re looking for a good example, check out the most recent post at It’s No More In My Head. So, here’s my prompt:

Fitness and chronic pain – what’ya gonna do?: Those of us with chronic pain conditions know all too well how bodies need exercise and activity. But what happens when you’re in pain? What challenges do you face in staying fit? What ways have you found to work around problems? Or, do you have a fun/interesting/crazy/horrible fitness story?

I’ll bet you do!

Soooo, if you’re interested in sharing, email me the following at kwhiggitywhiggitywhack@gmail.com:

  • Your name (as you want it to appear)
  • Your blog’s name
  • Your post’s title
  • Your post’s URL

Oh hey, and try to get your post to me by the 13th, eh? I mean, as long as you get it to me before the 16th, you’ll probably wind up in the post but please understand that if you send in a post at 11:59pm on the 15th, it might not end up in the carnival. The post of posts will go up on Wednesday, February 16th. Even if you’re not participating, come check it out!

Oh, I almost forgot. I’m going to try to not write again until the PFAM post is up, so that this post will stay at the top of the page. But I have a doctor’s appt on Monday, so that might throw things off a bit.

Happy writing!

PS: Yes, I know, my email is ridiculous/awesome/fantastic 🙂

MTX, day one

Posted on by Grayson

So I took my MTX yesterday – after classes just in case it knocked me out.

I had a pretty good sensitivity to light not too long after taking it. And then I was about ready for bed by 8:30… which is not conducive to my hectic student lifestyle but meh. I think I’m going to ask for Fridays off from work from now on. I might even offer to work the dreaded 2nd shift on Saturdays so that I have more time to rest, but we’ll see on that one.

I woke up alright this morning. I’ve been pretty tired all day though. And now I’m pretty warm too. I hate that.

I have a haircut appt on Thursday afternoon. I’m kind of excited. I’m not sure what I’ll get yet, but I have a couple of ideas. I want something shorter, because I never have my hair down since I get so warm like that. I’m tired of my ever present ponytail-bun.

Don’t forget about PFAM!

Okay, I tried

Posted on by Grayson

But I couldn’t refrain from posting.

So my appt yesterday was short and sweet. I go in, tell Dr. M that I don’t think the Plaquenil is really working, and say that maybe we need to play with dosages.

“No, I don’t want you on any more steroids. We’re gonna put you on methotrexate.”

I expected it.

I was composed until I finished up with labs (only two vials – a miracle!) and got back in the car. I cried a fair amount on and off yesterday. I biked ferociously for an hour at the gym, before deciding to run away from things on a treadmill for a while.

I’m scared. I don’t know what it’ll do for sure. I have this vision of me with hair falling out, so weak and fatigued that I don’t want to get up, but with little joint pain. What a great trade off – feeling good enough to do things and be ‘normal’ except for being so tired you feel like death.

At least I have my new fluffy bed to console me.

It’s too cold :(

Posted on by Grayson

I think I am getting annoyed with the length of winter.

I remember being little and spending time with my great-grandma. She had MS and always had cold hands. I feel like her so much this morning. To add to it, I wish I had a great sweater like her with wild cherry cough drops that’re more like candy than medicine, curled up in a huge fluffy blanket. She really knew how to live with her chronic pain, and I wish she was here to show me how she did it so well.

Also, I’m kind of getting annoyed with people where I work not doing their job right. I’m starting to feel like this is too much stress for me, because I’m having to clean up after everyone *sigh*

I’m ready for my teaching job now, kthanks.

Too, too fast

Posted on by Grayson

I can’t get this vision of me this time next year, in a wheelchair and not being able to do anything that I like to do, out of my head. It’s like all my worries about my health and my biggest fears are being mixed in a nickelodeon spinning around in my head. And it won’t slow down, it won’t stop.

I think all the plaquenil is doing right now is making me sick to my stomach. And the next step is either to play with dosages or pair it with methotrexate. And I really hope it doesn’t come to that. That’s the one thing I’ve told myself I will not take. The small possibility that I might get pregnant while on that is too much to risk to me to feel better.

I guess this is just kind of a ranting post. I’m scared and there’s really nothing that’s going to comfort me. I wish my rheumy appt was sooner. I wish I felt better. I wish that I could shake this feeling that things are going to get worse soon, that I’m going to get sicker as soon as my moving plans in summer happen, that people are going to resent having to help me more, that I’m going to become a burden.

I think I’m just tired and ready for some relief, sleep, wine, a massage, or a nice crying session… which I seem to want to do at work today. And kind of have. *sigh*

I just wish I was normal, more than just about anything right now.

Mmm Sleep

Posted on by Grayson

Well, the new year is here… and so is more swelling.

I rang in the new year playing Red Dead Redemption in my boyfriend’s apartment. On a side note, that game is really fun, but I find that – like the GTA games – it gets to a point where I can’t really do big missions anymore. Oh well, the boyfriend isn’t too bad at those. Yay teamwork!

We did a really fun thing this year in our new abode of Madison – the US Bank Eve celebration. It’s more geared towards kids, but shoot for $5 a person why would an adult pass? Probably because of the lack of alcohol, haha. But it was great. The bank had places set up all over Madison that the one $5 wristband would get you into. We enjoyed some nice ice skating (complete with a nice skate sore for me), petting zoo animals, and a trolley ride through downtown guided by the first mayor! And all in glorious 40 degree weather. It only lasted two days, but I miss it so badly.

Yesterday, we went bowling too. The boyfriend is pretty good at that, but I somehow have the gift of spinning balls without really knowing how. Go figure. I had a margarita, so I’m blaming my low score on that 🙂

Off and on last night, I slept for about 11 hours or so, ending up sleeping at the boyfriend’s an unplanned second night. I kind of feel bad about it, only because I know it is difficult to sleep with me haha. But more seriously, I’m starting to feel more fatigue from my RA and the meds I’m on too. And I’m starting to feel the toll it’s taking on me. I just always worry that I’ll be too busy dealing with my own physical pain to notice how things are affecting the people closest to me. I’m stuck with pain because of what I have, but the people I care about the most shouldn’t have to suffer for that. And that’s why I act like I’m always okay. But I’m starting to learn that even my super-ability to do that is starting to have limits.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell when how I’m acting is normal or not too. More and more lately I kind of feel zombie-esque. It doesn’t seem to matter how much sleep I get or what else I have going on either. It just always feels like I’m waiting on something that’s not there. It would be nice to know what it is, and when I’m gonna get it. Seriously.

And I’m still swelling, so I think I might need to up my steroids. I might play around with it myself before my doctor’s appointment at the end of the month and see what helps. I should’ve known that 5mg/day wasn’t going to be enough without me being all placebo-effected. Bah.