Epiphany

It's not all in my head. At least I've convinced my head that it's not. The Rheumatologist who'd been recommended to me isn't taking new patients. Okay, fine. I don't need one anyway. And then last night, after 45 minutes of conditioning exercises, my knees and elbows felt so full of fluid that I thought I could barely bend them. Today again, out for a run/walk, I come back and my knees feel like balloons. My head or my body? I'm opting for the latter.

Then I read that N-SAIDS--those non-steroidal anti-inflammatories I've been taking like Advil and Naproxin, can increase water retention. A vague memory that this happened before with another flare up of arthritis--I kept wondering if Naproxin in particular made me feel like a water balloon.

So I'm listening to my body. I've gone off my once daily Naproxin and will treat the pain with Tylenol if it comes back. I'm going to ice my knees after runs and see if I can lose some of the fluid that is almost as annoying (and more, sometimes) as the pain.

So let's recap: arthritis makes you ache which makes you not want to exercise. But you take drugs to help reduce the pain so you can exercise which you know is good for your body and may help keep the arthritis at bay. But the medication makes your joints feel so sluggish you don't want to exercise and so . . . .

All I know is I have to get in shape now and stay in shape so I'm not gaining ten more pounds through this vicious cycle and not being able to get that off, either.

Re-dedicate, re-new, refresh my goal: 20 pounds before the end of the year!!