Dishing out my spoons...

Getting home from a trip is always catch up time. No matter how long or short the trip, I find myself taking forever to catch up with all the things I need to finish before I am back on track and life is normal again. Why is that?

Going on short trips can be just as hard on my body as long trips. In the last month, I have traveled twice, once for three weeks to Detroit to visit a childhood friend and once to Seattle for a four day weekend to visit my sister. It amazes me that I am more exhausted and miserable from the weekend trip than the three week trip. It seems unfair.

I did pack a lot of action and fun into those four days, where life was much more relaxed and quiet in Detroit as we all waited patiently for my little "nephew" to come into this world. But I guess my point, or should I say grudge, is that with RA, it seems that sometimes the best intentions seem to bite you in the ass in the long run. Not always, mind you, but for the most part.

As I was on my weekend excursion...my friend who accompanied me on the road trip made a great observation. I was tired from our morning activities of going to the Tulip Festival north of Seattle and we were planning our evening. I was unsure of how much I was going to be able to do as I was exhausted and in pain from the walking and rainy weather. Jocelyn, my friend, reminded me that I was saving my spoons for later that night. It reminded me of the spoon theory.

What is the spoon theory you may be asking yourself? It is the perfect way for me to explain to people of how I feel and how I deal with my RA. It was written by a fellow auto-immune sufferer and she nails it on the head. If you are interested in the spoon theory, please copy and paste this link into a new window...it will open your eyes to how one deals with RA.

Side note: this story is concerning someone who suffers from another auto-immune disease called Lupus. Although it is a whole different ball game when comparing the two diseases, both RA and Lupus are similar in the daily symptoms and challenges that patients experience.

(http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/personal-essays/the-spoon-theory-written-by-christine-miserandino/)

I sent this story to most of my close friends and family. Now when I am with them...they joke with me about how lucky they are to share one of my spoons with me. I remind them, that it is I who is the lucky one!

So here is to all those days with only a few spoons...and to those we have a few extras to spend with great friends and loved ones!

Hope this post finds you in good health and humor!