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Year four of my journey with rheumatoid arthritis. I am write yearly updates to show how this affects me, year one is here , year two is here , and year three  is here.  My condition has shown me, that I can not travel long haul and experience any touring holidays anymore. I can not walk for more than hour with my two crutches as my legs hurt, and the same with sitting in a car. After two hours, I get so tired. I am not doing very well with my condition. Still hoping for a miracle drug, that will mean I can return to work and still travel as I used too. But so far that does not like I ever will.

New Year Problems

My health is getting worse. It feels like my drugs are not working anymore. I was meant to go to Newmarket in March 2020 for my annual six month check up. The day before I was called to say that as they are now a Covid 19 testing hospital. That it was best not to attend and have a telephone appointment. So I had this, and telling my doctor this. He has advise me that I need to have a bone scan to see what is going on inside my body as my inflammation has been increasing so much since September 2019. This will be done at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. And I need to come off all my medication which I am not looking forward too.

Then during self isolation in late March, I had further problems with my hand. The left side, three finger joints started to get painful. And overall, most of my chronic pain is on my left side.

The pain was at the CMC joint and only three hurt. Very strange for me, to be honest.

Mid May

An unexpected call from my rheumatologist doctor. He was checking up on me. He asked he I thought the drugs were still not working well. I said they are not. He advised while I am self isolating, that I should stop them for a month and see how I go. This drug is an  immunosuppressive one that is not good during these times.  This is what is making me high risk for Covid 19. So I came off it straight away that day. But I only lasted five days. The first two days, no problems, no symptoms.  Third day, a ache in my right hip, never had that before. The fourth day, I could not get down my stairs in the morning, my husband had to help me. The next day, my body was riddled with pain. After waking in the morning, it took me 45mins to get out of bed. I phoned the hospital and made the decision to take them. The next day, the hospital called me back and told me to go back on them.

Hobbies

During the UK lockdown, I started to go off my hobbies. Reading when out the window. My brain forgetting it was hayfever season, meant gardening was a hit and miss. Films not watched any at all this year. Even getting an email one day from Cineworld, and knowing all the new films coming out. These were put back due to the lockdown. I knew that it was not going to be. I can not get up and down stairs well as it is. And the list there was only six that I wanted to watch. But I am happy to wait for streaming services to get them. I just watched Netflix and played with my new kittens. This brother and sister have been a god send for us. Especially during the pandemic.