The Simple Life

It's funny how the little things in life can bring pleasure. Yesterday my day consisted of doing laundry - weather is gorgeous at the moment so managed to wash, dry and iron pretty much all of it. The satisfaction rating was pretty high. Today I've made blueberry muffins and banana scones, and have done a lot of baking recently. The process of measuring, weighing, sifting, mixing, stirring, rubbing in, the heat of the oven, soothes me. Yes it makes my hands and wrists ache more but brings me some peace. No noise around me, relaxing.

The Rheumatologist confirmed that I have some sort of undifferentiated poly-joint arthritis that will require treatment with medication. I have to reduce the steroids right down and see him again in 3 weeks, have some more blood tests and xrays, and will probably start it then. It could be a rough few weeks until the right dose is found for me and of course the side effects. Plus to have any more children I have to be off the meds for 3-6 months which will make it all flare up again, and as we had some trouble conceiving Poppy it may mean that I can't be off it long enough to get pregnant without becoming ill again. But I suppose all that is way off and I should concentrate on getting through the next 6 months.
He said also that as treatment is started earlier and more aggressively the joint deformities don't occur, which made me feel very relieved. I shouldn't have the stereotypical RA hands, as that happened 10-15 years ago to everyone when treatment wasn't as good.

Poor hubby has been signed off work with stress down to me being ill and his job not being any help whatsoever in accomodating his need to not work extra hours on top of his usual role. He's really struggling with the idea of being off work as neither of us are the type of people who go off sick willy nilly. We feel the guilt. I told him that give it a day or so and that'll pass, I always feel sick when I first phone in etc. Still can't decide what to do myself about going back, I've got to expect to get worse before I get better as I bring down the steroid dose. As hubby said, my current state is 'chemically induced'.