On Wednesday I developed a sore throat. Thursday my throat was feeling a little better but now I had a head cold. Friday it moved from my head to my chest and by Saturday I had pneumonia! I have never seen an illness come on so mild and end up so serious in such a short period of time! My family Dr's words came back to me once he learned what my Rheumy prescribed for my RA medications. He said I needed to be very careful to not expose myself to people who were sick because a cold is no longer just a cold in immune suppressed people. Now I know what he meant.
Immune suppressing medications make dealing with things like the common cold a very slippery slope. I truly needed to go to hospital but I was so scared of the germs that I would be exposed to there that I settled for the walk in clinic. They suggested I go to the hospital but when I expressed my concern of being exposed to worse there he agreed and prescribed powerful antibiotics and I told no methotrexate or plaquinel until my chest is entirely cleared. I was warned that this could take a month or two to clear up.
What will I do without my RA medications for a month or two? How badly is my RA going to flare? What damage will be done while I wait to return to my medications that are supposed to slow down my RA as I have a very aggressive form? I hope and pray that the pneumonia will clear up much more quickly than the Dr. expects!
How do you handle winter cold and flu season? How do we keep ourselves from getting sick in the first place when we are taking medications to destroy our immune system. It appears that I need to spend more time on prevention than ever before. I had my flu shot a week and a half ago...too bad they don't have a cold shot!
Any tips for prevention are greatly appreciated.. What do you do to keep healthy?
© 2011 Rhonda
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Excitement is brewing in our house
On November 21st, 2011 will begin my children's change from public education to being home schooled. I am beyond excited in the opportunity that I am about to afford my children. They are going to be educated according to their strengths, passions and in ways that bring out the best of their abilities.
On November 17th the last day of school will be the day that my daughter goes off of her medications for ADHD and Anxiety/Sleep Disorders. I will teach her in a manner that allows for her unique and creative mind. Some people just need to move to think that doesn't make it wrong it just means she is different and different is WONDERFUL. She will stop comparing herself to others and feeling like a failure because she is not a traditional sheep that our school generate. She is: delightful, a day dreamer, creative, She radiates happiness, joy and is so very full of life. We are going to embrace it rather than squash it. We are going to let her be, it is not wrong it is the way she was born. It might not fit with the public education model that insisted that if she were not medicated she could not be taught. We will help her to embrace the individual that she is and to see herself in a positive light for all she will accomplish once she is free to learn her way! She will develop self confidence and self esteem. She will learn how wonderful she is and all that she has to offer the world and I cannot wait to open those doors for her and to provide the opportunities to help her to realize that what I have always told her is true. She can do or be ANYTHING that she wants!
My son on the other hand is naturally brilliant in an entirely different way. This is the child who at the tender age of three said "mommy that was a rhetorical question" and and he was right! He is quiet, introspective and quite bored with traditional methods of learning. Our answer to keeping him interested in school was to place a French immersion program. Initially he excelled and averaged off as he became bored. Homeschooling will allow for us to teach him at a level that coincides with his abilities versus his age. He is quite excited about the opportunities that he is going to have being home schooled. He will be allowed to pursue his passions and interests in balance with maths, sciences and languages. We will explore many different mediums that no different than his sister will take into account his personal learning style. He will develop a healthy self confidence and self esteem. He will feel good about all there is that he has to offer the world. He is AMAZING and my hope is that soon he too will realize it!
We are all very excited about this new path we are taking and looking forward to where it takes us. it is going to be a very different experience for all of us but one we are certainly up for. Perhaps this is the silver lining in chronic illness.
© 2011 Rhonda
On November 17th the last day of school will be the day that my daughter goes off of her medications for ADHD and Anxiety/Sleep Disorders. I will teach her in a manner that allows for her unique and creative mind. Some people just need to move to think that doesn't make it wrong it just means she is different and different is WONDERFUL. She will stop comparing herself to others and feeling like a failure because she is not a traditional sheep that our school generate. She is: delightful, a day dreamer, creative, She radiates happiness, joy and is so very full of life. We are going to embrace it rather than squash it. We are going to let her be, it is not wrong it is the way she was born. It might not fit with the public education model that insisted that if she were not medicated she could not be taught. We will help her to embrace the individual that she is and to see herself in a positive light for all she will accomplish once she is free to learn her way! She will develop self confidence and self esteem. She will learn how wonderful she is and all that she has to offer the world and I cannot wait to open those doors for her and to provide the opportunities to help her to realize that what I have always told her is true. She can do or be ANYTHING that she wants!
My son on the other hand is naturally brilliant in an entirely different way. This is the child who at the tender age of three said "mommy that was a rhetorical question" and and he was right! He is quiet, introspective and quite bored with traditional methods of learning. Our answer to keeping him interested in school was to place a French immersion program. Initially he excelled and averaged off as he became bored. Homeschooling will allow for us to teach him at a level that coincides with his abilities versus his age. He is quite excited about the opportunities that he is going to have being home schooled. He will be allowed to pursue his passions and interests in balance with maths, sciences and languages. We will explore many different mediums that no different than his sister will take into account his personal learning style. He will develop a healthy self confidence and self esteem. He will feel good about all there is that he has to offer the world. He is AMAZING and my hope is that soon he too will realize it!
We are all very excited about this new path we are taking and looking forward to where it takes us. it is going to be a very different experience for all of us but one we are certainly up for. Perhaps this is the silver lining in chronic illness.
© 2011 Rhonda
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