Another Health Update

 At the discharge follow-up after my last hospitalization, we really started getting serious about finding a rheumatologist.  Despite being in a pretty desperate situation, the earliest appointment was the end of October.  I felt helpless and more like a pawn in the health care system rather than a person who was experiencing serious health issues. 

I mean...this right here

In the meantime, I had yet another infection!  This time it was in the form of an abscess on the gum inside my mouth.  Painful to say the least!!! The infection did not result in a fever this time, but the vomiting was intense and lasted a full 24 hours.  

I really started questioning whether I'd even be able to work with the new school year just two weeks away.  How can I start school when I was getting sick and needing to be out one day every two weeks? That was how I ended the school year and it was awful, not to mention not fair to the kids.  I started looking into things like FMLA or short-term disability. 

Until a God-ordained meeting in the middle of a Starbucks on a random Thursday morning changed everything!  I had plans to meet a friend at the Starbucks - this was our third attempt to get together. Normally, I would never allow myself to be seen in public with any part of my legs or ankles showing because - 

same picture again

However, my socks had gotten wet and I was forced to take them off.  As my friend and I sat at our table talking, a man at the table next to us kindly interrupted us and asked if I was seeing a rheumatologist for the psoriasis.  I gave him a condensed version of the story and then asked him if he was a rheumatologist?  HE WAS!  Next thing I know he is reaching into a case that was on the floor and pulled out his laptop saying, "oh, no!  I am going to make an appointment for next week before my clinic opens for the day. We're going to get you on some immunotherapy immediately."

I just could not believe this was happening. I went to my appointment on Tuesday and he immediately diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis and prescribed methotrexate. 

For the foreseeable future I will be on a daily dose of folic acid and will take the Methotrexate only on Fridays (six pills). 

Why Folic Acid?

-- folic acid will reduce the adverse side effects of the Methotrexate - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, mouth ulcers, raised liver enzymes, hair loss, and bone marrow toxicity. 

--folic acid is necessary for red blood cell production and healthy cell growth and function. 

I am excited to begin this new journey.