the autoimmune hippie.

Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts. . . Practice resurrection. – Wendell Berry

complex regional pain syndrome

  • Blogmas Day 4 – a systemic CRPS flare for Christmas.

    Last month was CRPS Awareness Month and I actually chose to skip my usual post about it, as I fear y’all get tired of hearing about my health challenges so often. Well, as fate would have it, my fall a few weeks ago has brought on a flare of my systemic CRPS, with a vengeance.… Read more

  • pain awareness month – and unfortunate news for the CRPS community.

    As I’ve said this week, I am experiencing a gnarly pain flare – both my RA and many symptoms of my CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome) have been difficult to control – and I’m here after a long night spent trying to quell some terrible stabbing nerve pains in my knees and hands (nighttime nerve… Read more

  • fevers, fatigue, and flares.

    I’ve been planning to get back on my regular writing schedule here – and life has been life-ing – so I’ve postponed often, hoping I would have a more sunny report to share soon. However, I am finally writing today, again with a gnarly pain and nerve inflammation crisis – and I am accepting that… Read more

  • heavy.

    Winter is sick season for everyone – and it’s particularly difficult for those of us who are immunocompromised and/or living with chronic illnesses. I feel like I have *kept* some sort of ailment lately – but a particularly gnarly upper respiratory infection came up pretty quickly several days ago, wiping me out and landing me… Read more

  • the unrelenting fatigue side effect of my new medication.

    A few weeks ago, I started my new once weekly biologic, Enbrel. As I mentioned in my post about beginning therapy, I am having to be very cautious as I am even more immunocompromised than usual – and, at the same time, COVID is on the rise right now in our area, with a more… Read more

  • this chronic illness life.

    Well, I’ve been waiting to write for this newest addition of long Covid to “settle down” so it didn’t feel like I’m always writing about health issues. . . however – not only has the “settling down” not happened – some new issues have come up and this month and the next few are just… Read more

  • the flare that just will not break.

    I can’t write honestly about the autoimmune life without writing about the times when things go awry and nobody on my medical team or I can seem to help or figure out why. This latest flare I’ve been sharing about has hit my whole body with overwhelming fatigue and generalized pain – but also come… Read more

  • and suddenly my crps is making itself known.

    It’s been awhile since I’ve written in any detail about my CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) because – though my long term sort of systemic symptoms are always with me now – I actually had begun to hope that perhaps the acute phase of it was in remission. (It turns out that is not the… Read more

  • my changing faces of illness.

    As it is Disability Awareness Month, one thing I wanted to talk about – that I’ve mentioned before but never focused on as a topic – is the impact my assorted medications have had on my appearance, particularly the chemo drugs and the prednisone therapy. It may be a vanity issue – but, still, it… Read more

  • disability awareness.

    Every July, in spoonie circles, I begin seeing that it is Disability Pride Month. . . And, every July, though I understand what is meant by this, the word choice – “Disability Pride” – just makes me all kinds of itchy, yucky, cringey. While I can’t abide that phrasing, the idea – bringing awareness to… Read more