The other day, I received the final survey for a research study I’ve been participating in for nearly three years.  My first thought was, “WAH-AT? There’s no way I’ve been in a study that long… Have I even had this disease that long?”

Clearly, I have.

It’s not a fluke.  It’s not going to spontaneously going away.  I have rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty months is a long time.  And in that time, the disease has pretty much been tamed by the battery of meds the doc has me on.  But it’s kind of crazy to think how much time has passed since I’ve been diagnosed, since I first got involved in the study.

Since then, I’ve moved three different times; I’ve been the maid of honor in two weddings; I’ve been through two break-ups (one more significant than the other); and I’ve changed careers.

Being the twenty-something that I am, I tend to like to think I can push through just about anything.  Teach five heated classes in a day?  No problem.  Cram a full day’s worth of work into a four hour span?  Got it covered.

Often times, it’s not desire that I lack.  It’s the actual energy.  The yoga makes me feel great; teaching makes me feel great; I even get excited about the consulting work that I do.  But sometimes I just don’t have it in me.

I like to imagine a world where I have the same amount of energy every day, a world where I wake up feel great, work, accomplish and get the rest I need to start the next day the same way.  Back in the real world, I’m fatigued.

It doesn’t always matter how much sleep I’ve gotten, how well I’ve been eating or how much I’ve been exercising.  As a chronic, it’s important to remember that occassionally you’re just tired.  Whether it feels like brain fog, delayed physical response times or more weight on your shoulders, don’t forget that fatigue is real.

When most people think of spring, they think of flowers.  Sometimes people think of allergies.  For a chronic, it’s all about flares.

I don’t know if it’s this way for everyone, but I have to imagine I’m not alone here.  With spring’s sudden shifts of weather — cold days followed by hot, humid days, then more cold — my body gets confused and flares happen.  Often.

Maybe it’s because I do have season allergies too.   Whatever the reason, I’ve been good and swollen for a the past couple days.  Ugh.

The most recent flare seems to be coming to a close.  But at it’s height, my “morning stiffness” was lasting well into the afternoon.  Glad that’s over, for now.

Has anyone else had this experience?  I’d love to know how you can curb the effects of weather on the body!

In yoga, we talk about creating space between breaths.  As a chronic, I’m all about creating space between flare ups.  The space between is the sweet spot.

It’s what I try to remember when I’m uncomfortable in the morning. There’s space between pain and swelling.  There’s space between the meds and relief.  There’s always a space.

Lately, I’ve been fortunate enough to have lots of space between my discomfort.  It’s interesting.  When there’s a good deal of space between the pain, you can almost forget that you’re chronic.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t go away that easily. While we can enjoy the space between, we must be prepared to live through wherever we are, whatever we’re feeling.  You can look to the space between for hope.

Shape Magazine’s February issue has a tiny article, a paragraph really, about a University of Minnesota study linking gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis (February 2010, page 81).  The study found that people with gum disease are three times as likely to develop RA.

While Shape may not seem like the most reputable source for medical information, the study was also reported at WebMD with a little more of the details.  You can check out that article by clicking here.

Neither the Shape or the WebMD piece give any indication that RA or inflammation is reversible, but none-the-less.  Brushing often, flossing daily and rinsing are always a good idea.

And who knows?  Maybe curing gum disease and preventing future dental problems can lower inflammation in the body.  What’s the worst thing that can happen? Cleaner teeth.