Diminished but not done.

I've been living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for years on end. However, it's been getting worse by leaps and bounds over the last year.

If you haven't heard of it, it is a form of arthritis associated with psoriasis. It can come and go but there is no cure for it at present so you have to strive for symptom control. Any joint can be involved and it's characterized by swelling and pain and limited movement in a joint.

Yesterday my left wrist and right index finger were beacons of pain, whether in use or not. Also effected are my knees, both hands, spine and hips. On top of that I have tendinitis in my feet, sort of a bonus ailment. I haven't been able to rotate my head for decades. Accompanying this surge in arthritis is a surge in my psoriasis lesions which seem to cover my back, knees, calves and are scattered pretty much everywhere. All of that is true today too.

So, what am I doing here, and why am I beginning this blog? Partially it's to make sure I log my progress on trying to ease the symptoms, partially it's an outlet for the pain, a way to recognize it but also to dismiss it.

Taking endless amounts of drugs is a pretty poor answer and there are risks even with the best of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and even with low odds for side effects if you keep spinning the wheel you'll increase the odds of an issue arising, like internal bleeding and ulcerated stomachs, kidney damage and the like.

I'm going to keep track of my diet and how I feel on any given day and see if I can parse out a pattern, whether with food or activities that might show me how to ease the pain with some sort of strategy.

I want to stop the feeling of diminishing horizons, this slow freezing of my joints and curtailment of my movement. Today my life revolves around pain. Getting to a standing position has become a chore of such magnitude that I have to sit and consider the consequences of rising and the wave of pain that comes with such a simple act.

I want to loose weight to ease the load on my joints and I will log my weight loss. Surely, if I can lighten the load I can make moving easier. We'll see. I will write down what I eat and how I feel each day and any activity I manage to perform.

Meals for Oct 11, 2015:

Breakfast

• cherry, banana, cocoa, broccoli leaves with water in a smoothie

Lunch

• roast butternut squash soup
• a ciabatta bun
• small piece of apple cake

Thanksgiving Dinner

• mashed potatoes
• gravy
• sweet potato
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• pickled beets
• coleslaw
• garlic bread
• dressing (stuffing)

I know it seems like a lot but I only had on nine inch plate full. Enough to feel very satisfied but not enough to loosen any clothing over. I had a three bite slice of pie for dessert, it was yummy, and it was, surprisingly, enough.

Activity:

No activity to speak of unless you count shuffling to the table and back to the couch for each meal. I found it hard to get to my feet, a cane would help I think and I may have to look into that. It is hard to convince myself to make the attempt to stand when I know the wave of pain will accompany the action.

None the less I got through the day, enjoyed parts of it and to top it off I'm down 1.4 pounds. That's not something that's ever happened after a holiday meal. I expect it's due to the fact everything was homemade and, therefore, not full of salt.

Progress - 1.4 pounds, 1 day of recording.
Learning for the day: a small plate helps control overeating. If I'd have used the 12 inch plate I'm sure I would have filled it and eaten it all.