My resolution for today is to take better care of myself. I have been in poor health the last few weeks with bad symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. This pain, fatigue, and joint swelling is not easy to live with but I have been pushing through and trying to "will" it to get better.
This plan is not working!
Instead of feeling better, I have been getting worse. I know better than to ignore this and in the last days my body had been paying the price.
What I should have been doing is
- getting a lot of healthy hydration
- eating only good food that helps my symptoms
- getting lots of sleep
- taking additional bed rest throughout the day when I feel tired.
What I have been doing is
- not drinking enough healthy fluids
- Eating food I know is not good for me and not eating food that is good for me
- Drinking coffee so I can keep working instead of sleeping
- Pushing through with work instead of napping
NOTE: When I talk about good and bad food in this context, it is not about weight loss. Generally speaking, I am talking about inflammatory and non-inflammatory foods. In autoimmune diseases like RA, inflammatory foods are really bad news. I've been doing a lot of things wrong in this regard.
An example of what I am talking about is that I have recently eaten tomatoes. Twice! Tomatoes are fine for most people. For me, they are one of the foods that really kick up my symptoms.
Edema rears its ugly head
I now have something called Edema. This is when fluid starts building up in my system and things can really go downhill from here. I fight this a few times a year usually and today it is very bad.
This is how edema presents itself. First, fluid starts to pool in your feet and ankles. This might be gone each morning an the be back be the end of each day. Soon, without treatment, the fluid is in your feet earlier and earlier each day. It starts to move up your legs. It begins to build up in your trunk.
At its worst edema causes congestive heart failure. I have had that a few times and it is no fun. But we are not going there this time, I assure you.
I noticed my feet swelling earlier each day and was having trouble getting shoes on them recently. Hello! Bad sign.
I exercise by walking down a few flights of stairs each time I leave my apartment. I might walk down three flights and then take the elevator the rest of the way down. Walking down stairs is a challenge for me with balance issues and joint deformity, but I like doing these short bursts of activity. I stretch before and after for a couple of minutes and it usually energizes me.
Recently this stair walking trick has been getting harder and harder. The other day, I was dizzy and wanted to pass out after two flights.
Then last night, my underwear felt tight. I was thinking it was weight gain, but I have not been eating too much - the "bad food" I've been eating is in small quantities. Today, I realized the tight underwear is showing me I have fluid build up in my trunk instead of actual weight gain.
So this morning I got up for church and there they were - my feet - swollen out even more than when I went to bed. No shoes were going on those feet at all. They were twice their normal size at least. Emergency treatment is in order and I am doing it.
Treating my edema now
- keep socks on my feet - not too tight
- bed rest 16 or so hours a day
- elevating my feet while in bed
- lots and lots of healthy fluids
- Don't eat bad food!
- Eat good food!
- Pray like crazy that I will be returned to health.
My goal is to be in the bathroom, peeing out clear liquid in high volume at least hourly. I am not there yet.
Here is a short video of socks I had a one point to help my edema. I wear knees socks at all times now. Yes! In SE Asia. Yes! With sandals. So imagine that visual :)
Unfortunately, socks alone are just not cutting it at the moment. Here is a playlist showing many more of my strategies too, in case you are in my same boat.
fitinfun you tube channel - Edema Playlist
Please start here to kick obesity to the curb:
Set Your Goal for Weight Loss
Anyone can beat obesity if I did. Please ask me and I will help you do it too.
This post was made from https://ulogs.org
This post was made from https://ulogs.org