Hi there.

Coronado Beach sunset

Well, howdy. It's been a hot minute.

I've missed this. I miss the writing, the community, and getting on my soapbox from time to time (ha!). As spring slowly thaws out Pittsburgh, my writing muscles are thawing out, too.

I have things I want to share with you. Adventures I'm having, projects I'm starting, dreams I'm scheming, challenges I'm facing. The desire to share has been brewing for weeks now, but I had to work out some kinks in my head. Sometimes I get too wrapped up analyzing this and that, worrying that my ramblings are of little to no interest to anyone. I know my fellow writers can relate... I also know that we throw in the towel at some point and jump right in anyway!

So, here I am. Feeling a little rusty. Feeling a little shy.

Here's a sneak preview of what I'll probably chit-chat about in the coming weeks:

* I'm teaching weekly fitness classes to seniors at a local senior facility. They're a kick in the pants!

* I finally went swing dancing after living in Pittsburgh for a year and a half. A year and a half too long, yo.

* I visited San Diego last month. Love.

* I registered for Zumba training and certification at long last.

* Rheumatoid arthritis is no joke. Two years post-diagnosis, I have much to rant about.

I think that's a good start.

It's nice to be back.

xoxo

Smile and eat gelato

Oh hello, Monday, here you are again.

The weekend was very low energy, fighting fatigue and more pain. My left shoulder has consistently hurt for almost two weeks now, and every day another body part joins the party. Yesterday it was my right foot. Tomorrow it will be...? Oh the suspense!

I started my RA drugs last Thursday night - yay!! But I forgot how lethargic and blah they make me feel. I don't remember them hitting me this hard last year, yowza. I remember feeling tired the day or so after taking them, but soon bouncing back to my normal self. Fingers crossed that my body quickly adjusts.

Despite all of this, I'm so very grateful I have those little yellow pills again. Putting on deodorant, washing my hair, grabbing the oh shiz bar on the bus without wincing? Yes, please.

Despite just wanting to lay around in my sweats, drinking tea and reading books, life goes on and weekend chores had be done so the week has even a dash of sanity. Thank God for my husband and his strong muscles and big heart. Lugging around 15 or so shopping bags on and off the bus, and then several blocks home to our apartment, is probably not his idea of a relaxing afternoon. But he did it with a smile, and then cooked me dinner and made dessert. I am deeply touched but not surprised. He always jumps in to help me before I can utter a request. He is a good man.

On Saturday, after wrangling our budget for the month (a week late, oops!), he took me out on a date. He knows exactly the way to my heart: gelato. Samoa on top (yes, as in the quintessential Girl Scout cookie), nutella on the bottom. Best for last.

Love the patriotic cone paper. America.

I woke up feeling more human and less zombie today, hooray! Monday, let's do this. I know the gelato helped.

Here's to another full week...

Happy Monday!

xoxo
J

Happy happy happy

Happy Monday, happy February, just happy!

Mr. Groundhog informs us spring is fast approaching. The weather outside says otherwise. I hope he's right, because I'm ready for these:

All Pinterest

I finally saw a rheumatologist last week, hooray! This means the return to my RA drug treatment (this makes me sound like I have a drug problem... rest assured, these are doc prescribed). This in turn means subsiding flare ups and pain, which means getting back to my regularly scheduled program of this:

Gettin' down with my bad self, circa 2011.
That guy on the right? That's my friend C. He's the life of the party, always.
Photo credit: Jessica Loucks.

Valentine's Day! Which means this:

{Google images}

Burgers for V-Day? You know it.

Our first date was on Valentine's Day. Oh so cliche, I know. It was totally spontaneous and an "undate", if you will. More on that later this month... :)

Happy Monday!

xoxo

J

Diagnosis: RA

Ummm, Jessi, where are all the changes you promised?? I know, this place still looks the hum-drum same. I finally took care of the lingering housecleaning in #3 , as well as dealing with what I'm talking about below, but now I'm fully free to move forward full speed ahead. Concrete ideas, planning and steps are underway, so have no fear, I wasn't blowing smoke up your tutus!

Several posts ago, I talked about some serious aches and pains I started experiencing in January. After several doctor visits, blood tests, x-rays and more doctor visits, I finally have an answer.

On Wednesday morning I learned the final verdict, and that is I have rheumatoid arthritis. Now, this sounds much, much worse than it is. I mean yes, RA really can be terrible for some people, but I'm in the very early stages of development. I don't have any joint deformity and my pain can be managed by slightly increased, but still safe, doses of ibuprofen. Now I will start specific drug therapy which will kick it into remission.

But isn't arthritis something that just happens to old people? No. First of all, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, unlike osteoarthritis which is something that just happens with aging and most of us will develop this to some degree when we're old fogies. Yay for aging, huh? Second of all, someone can develop RA at any age since it's autoimmune and related to genetics. My dad has RA, as did my grandmother (his mom), so the stars were aligned for me. Thanks Dad! ;)

So, while this isn't ideal and obviously I would not choose to be "a rheumatoid" (the label the doc used for us RA folks, lol) if I had a say in the matter, it's nothing to get in a tizzy over. My life isn't over and it isn't terminal news. My impatience with feeling crappy and demanding to be fixed now (I don't have time for this, I got shiz to do!) helped catch it early. Drug therapy will prevent progression of the disease which is what causes joint deformities. No Quasimodo hands and feet for me.

At last I know what's been goin' down in my bod for the last three months so I can deal with it and get on with taking care of business. AND a huge concern has been quelled: I can still do my dance thang and the other active shenanigans that I love. Big sigh of relief. As I told the doc, giving up my active life would be death to my soul. He smiled and reassured me that that doesn't have to happen.

Happy weekend y'all! Get outside, get your booty to the gym, go play with the dog or kiddos... doesn't matter, just do.

xoxo
J