Is It Spring Yet?

It’s that time of year. We wonder if spring is ever coming. Spring comes in fits and starts in the Southeast. We get a few days of high 60 degrees, then a few days of 30 degrees. And the cycle continues. The flowers are confused and the trees don’t know what to do. My iris leaves are already 5” high and have been for 3 weeks. It’s almost as though everything gets excited and then stalls.

Is rheumatoid arthritis like early spring?

I think RA is very much like early spring. There are many days of achy joints and muscles that refuse to cooperate. It seems dark and difficult to navigate. Brain fog moves in and even easy things are tough to navigate. I wonder if I will ever get out of the pit and I can't find my ladder, let alone make my feet cooperate enough to stay on the rungs!

Then suddenly, we feel better. For several days, weeks, or months, everything “works”. We have less brain fog and can concentrate well. Joints seem to operate smoothly and we enjoy getting out and about. Life seems to have more joy and it’s not so hard to hold up our shoulders. My balance even improves and I no longer feel like "Lurch". (I'm dating myself. Check out the original Addams Family.)

The cyclical nature of rheumatoid arthritis

The cycle repeats, and we have to face difficult times. Adapt, cope, adjust, reboot. We go out less and pull inward more. My bed becomes my very best friend. Everything hurts, everything is a monumental effort and we are exhausted. Our brains refuse to process even the most basic information.

Then the cycle repeats. Joy rises again and we begin to feel more “normal”.

Maintaining hope with rheumatoid arthritis

Is there hope in early spring?
YES! One thing I love about early spring in the southeast is that it gives us a foretaste of the weather to come!

Even though the cycle repeats itself over and over, I know that eventually, true spring will come. The weather will even out and be warm, the flowers will once again bloom, the leaves will come forth on the trees, and the long winter will be over. Spring brings new possibilities.

Is there hope in RA?
YES! There are new treatments frequently, most of which are limiting our joint damage. There are friends who are “walking the walk” here on Rheumatoidarthritis.net who give us support. Laughter is also hopeful. When we choose to laugh at ourselves and our disease, the journey seems a little better. Likewise, tears are also hope-filled. Shedding tears release excess proteins that can cause anxiety and stress. There are so many ways we can cope and find hope. One way that I find helpful is to write when I am really frustrated or angry. It removes the anger from my heart, and then I shred the paper.

My good days give me hope

While early spring will always be a part of our RA journey, knowing that true spring will come gives me hope. I know that bad days will continue to happen. But they are frequently followed by good days which keep me hopeful. Bear in mind, good days mean different things to different people. Only compare your good days to your own good days. Comparing ourselves to someone else is not helpful, and can be hurtful.

Peace and hope to you,
Mary Sophia