What a Way to Spend a Weekend

I learned something this weekend. Cat bites are no good.

For the first time in my entire life, all of those years owning cats, I got bitten by one and it resulted in not one, not two, but three ER trips and a hospital stay.

My hand where the bite is is not happy at all because of the meds I take for Vasculitis my hand immediately developed cellulitis. It's not a good situation. 0 out of 10, I don't recommend being bit by anything.

In other news, I've got my SSI review this month too which makes me nervous.

Hmm

My new pill case is larger than my medicine chest.... I may not have thought this through.

I Don't Want to be a Mummy

Yes, you read that right.
No, I'm not just saying Mommy with an accent.

Today I had a check up for my sinus surgery so of course that means you get the scope. I don't actually mind the scope all that much, and maybe I'm weird but I like watching the camera move through my sinuses and throat.

Things did not go as planned, though. The sinus that was by far the most damaged is not healing correctly. The skin looks like the skin of my sinus was trying out for the part of Freddy Krueger; all red, inflamed, with sores, and pits and what have you. There was also a scar band started.

That scar band is why I titled this "I Don't Want to be a Mummy" as we saw it on the screen and the doctor suddenly hands me the end of the camera with a "I'm going to need both hands". He then proceeds to pull out of a drawer a giant metal hook with a blunt end.

Immediately, I knew where that hook was supposed to go and I also knew that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience on my part as thoughts of 6th grade Egypt Studies flashed through my mind.

Anyway, the doctor proceeds to shove the end of the hook in my nose and press it against the little band of scar tissue. And he presses some more. And more. My head was actually being forced backwards as I held the camera in place, but still, that tiny little band must have been made of steel for all the good the hook thingy was doing.

Luckily for me, the doctor decided to stop and we are going to wait and see if A: the scar gets bigger and B: if Freddy Krueger continues to take over the inside of my sinus.

It would be nice if things went smoothly for once, but that's not really to be expected with vasculitis.

Health Fads

I don't know if it's the same where you are living, but in my area there is this big health fad right now that's called "Thrive". It's a supplement system that is along the lines of Herba Life and what not. Most of my friends are doing it right now and are raving about how much it has done for their health and energy and yadda yadda yadda.

This meant that when I went to a friend's house recently for a girl's night I got the whole sales pitch and it was so unexpected that I didn't even get to bring out a Chronic Illness Bingo Card!

By Carolyn Thomas @ HeartSisters

This situation would have been a mark on the "My friend was cured by-" "Have you tried....?" and the "You should try this diet" spaces.

I was told to check out the website and see all the people that have Lupus that are using this and how they are doing so much better now, etc, etc.

Well, that may be, but the problem is that out of the first three ingredients two of them make claims to boost the immune system. Further down there were more immune boosting supplements in the ingredients.

Now, for those that haven't been keeping track: Autoimmune disorder = Immune System Too Over Active So It Tries To Take Out Everything. This is why those of us with autoimmune disorders take immunosuppressants. The goal of treatment is to make the immune system not be some overactive mess and boosting the immune system would work counter to those goals.

My rheumatologist, and other rheumatologists, have all said that unless you have an active infection I and other people like me should not be taking anything that will boost our immune systems. This makes sense to me as a more active immune system increases the likelihood of flaring which is also the same principle behind us flaring when we get sick.

For my friends that are "Thrivinig" more power to you, for those Lupus patients that are "Thriving" I hope you've discussed it with your rheumatologists. For me, I will choose to keep on with what I am doing and not increasing my risk of flaring.

That'll show ya

I think it's funny that at my last rhuemy appointment we were talking about various things and got on the topic of jobs. I said that I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go back to teaching like I had been because of the general germiness of children and my rhuemy said something to the effect of "I don't think you're that fragile".
Well, flash forward to now where I just took a short trip with my parents that involved a 1 hour and 30 minute airplane flight where I came into contact with all of one person that had a cold over the entire trip  and who came home sick? Me. So much for not being that fragile! I didn't even have direct contact with the sick person!

It was an interesting trip, though.