Psoriatic Arthritis Journal - 2.5 year Update Page 63

[Ruff]

Ok folks, whilst you are all over here, we will go and stay here.

http://www.holidayhomes.co.nz/new-zeala ... /7028.html

It is one of my favourite places on the planet. The road in is not sealed but is OK as long as it is not too wet. It is the only house in the bay! No neighbours! No shops either for miles and miles and miles. You have to bring in all you need and cart out your own rubbish.

There are even birds for Michelle. The kingfishers used to come and watch us having breakfast.

And miles of coast for running.

Fingers crossed on that lottery ticket!

[Ruff]

Hey, nomad,

Be sure to visit Christchurch! Let me know when you are coming!

[lmggallagher]

OMG Ruff - absolute perfection.

You are such a dear to share a piece of your own Heaven!!!!!!

It's so much like the cabin I rent with my best friend at Point Reyes National Seashore just on the other side of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. But even better!!! Our little Olema cabin is not right on a beach where folks could like do morning yoga!!!!! What a wonderful kitchen for McDougall foods - yay!

It's own private beach and off the beaten track.... and birds too. Really, I sincerely vow to be there one day. That is an exceptionally reasonable price too and I think the exchange rate favors the US dollar still - not as much as it would Euros but a bit.

I am dead serious about coming, but have not two pennies to rub together to make it happen. I bought $15 of lottery tickets 2 separate games - both with jackpots that would do quite nicely and odds that are not nice at all!

I had insomnia last night again ( my fault - I completely can fix it) and ended up reading parts of both Lonely Planet's Guide to New Zealand and the "Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand".

The NEW BIG GOAL - I love it - Michelle

Nicole: do you have a beach yoga routine ready to roll? It doesn't have to be too complex I can probably only roll on the beach anyway

[MSNomad]

:lol: The Lotto Ticket has been procured!!!!!

Start thinking the good thoughts NOW

Holding good thoughts that you have a winner!

Ruff, that Pigeon Bay Cottage looks great! I will definitely let you know when we're in NZ, and I'm sure we'll be in Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula area!

[lmggallagher]

Luck of the Irish

Well not this time ladies - but I am undaunted!!!

Maybe I should enter the Irish Lotto next. I got 2 numbers and it's powerball this round.

Oops - it wasn't the one I bought those tickets for though

[nicoles]

This is about right

[jld]

Lol, Nicole! I'll show my family that when they wake up! Too funny!:)

[~Beth~]

HaHa
Good one, Nicole

[lmggallagher]

Hey Nicole:

Funny cartoon

I went back and read your UPDATE, because I am not feeling so great today. I figured it's me detoxing from the SAD food still.

Anyway, I like to read folks updates for motivation and I love yours as it is written so well.

I had three ah ha moments when I was reading it:

One: Now I know why those sandals you wore at the wedding were not just gorgeous and fun - but also your feet are no longer troubled with Psoriasis! Wow - those feet deserve those fantastic sandals.

Two: I might just want to try some nuts to see how they work for me. You and I are the only people in the world that I know of that have rice intolerance. I begin to think that there are some things that are standard Celtic issues

What is vegan DHA by the way? Does daily flax meal do the same thing? Colin Campbell recommends a tablespoon a day - I do take a teaspoon a day of that but if I go over - I gain - or so it seems.

Three: - sniff, sniff -- gee, it could be I feel so sick because my neighbor's are putting a tar slurry on their driveway today. I am outta here ......

[nicoles]

Hi everyone! I am conserving energy today, but I am reading everything people write in their journals and in mine! So glad and grateful to know each and every one of you!

I have an update today, which is sort of happening in real time.


Update: why I know I am still sick, and how I know I am much better too

How I know I am still 'sick'

Yesterday I discovered, or really confirmed, another trigger. Which is too much heat and too much direct sun. I will get nausea, migraine and what threatens to be a terribly painful flare after too much exposure to heat and sun.

Looking back, I have gotten a few big or sort of big flares on or around Labor Day weekend-a time when I usually spend way more time outside in the heat, and a time in LA, where I live, when the heat starts to get really bad. September is the hottest.

Yesterday it happened. It was hot and I was out too long and I got it all- the headaches, nausea, exhaustion and beginnings of real pain. I kind of freaked out-sometimes I am so DONE with dealing with it all-and had a nice, cathartic wail-like-a-baby cry/tantrum (which only increased the headache, alas) and then got into bed, where I stayed and slept or read for the whole day and night.

I was really and truly afraid that I was going into a terrible, long-lasting flare. The pain was bad. Really bad.

But then...

How I know I am much better

I woke up today. Headache is gone. Pain is gone. Still tired. Still need to rest today ( had to cancel my plans though, part of yesterday's tantrum). But noticeably better. Ah rest, my savior! But in the past, even rest would not have stopped that pain from expanding and continuing for a while.

This, my friends, is great progress!

And I cannot overemphasize the importance of rest.

And I will gladly stay out of the heat and sun. Not a huge fan of midday sun anyways, just early and late day sun. And mist...

Eta: and make myself laugh looking at this.

[AnnaSpanna]

Lol at the Pinterest fails.

Yay for figuring out some triggers and also yay for all the improvements you're having.
Boo for the bad stuff.

Nyoo Zuhland (as we call it) is a pretty damned awesome place.
I admittedly don't live near beautiful beaches but we can get there and back easily enough and the long term goal is a beach place.
Some day...
(We didn't win the lottery at the weekend. Dammit.)

[~Beth~]

Sorry you had such a bad reaction to the heat

But happy you were able to get over it relatively quickly compared to the past

We almost get complacent because we are cruising along doing so much better and then get knocked in the head with the fact that we still have limitations that we have to acknowledge

But the quicker recovery time is such a nice thing

Glad you are able to look on the positive side

[lmggallagher]

Nicole:

Oh no, poor baby - heat reaction. Headaches, bodyaches, fatigue - just wrong, wrong and wrong.

Oh yay, good news, rest & recovery time from above is much, much less! This is GOOD NEWS!

I still feel so bad for you and I know it's not intuition - but when you are off the forums this much I just fret for you! Such a bummer you had to give up your Holiday plans or at least today's!

But frankly - I am kind of proud of you for having what you refer to as a temper tantrum - as long as you took no prisoners doing it

Sometimes we just have to let it go and act out on how messed up all this stuff is - never knowing from day to day what will hit and why. I think a little gnashing of teeth and a bunch of naughty words all in a row at high decibels are called. Tears and shaking of fists - absolutely.

Gosh this sounds so cathartic I think I'll try to get some in before my yoga tonight

Also - for once we are not pain twins - heat helps me greatly. Today started out way up pain-wise and got so much worse, I was getting the head-achy nausea thing too. Almost cancelled plans to go to an art fair. But it warmed up when I got there and I was like instantly healed. One man's ambrosia another man's poison. How unfair is that?

I hear you about getting the rest! There is another brain book I have to read now. Can't remember the title - just now too lazy to look it up either. Blame the heat in California!! The doc who recovered herself from stroke. Anyway, she was on NPR last week - explaining that her Mom immediately came to her rescue and intuitively knew that she had to go back to naps just like when she was an infant.

This doc said sleep was the best healer of all time and her Mom would allow no disturbances! My problem is I don't get level 4 sleep at all - I can't heal. However, I am granting you full ownership of my allotment of level 4 sleep right now - but I am not sure who to talk to about that - the tooth fairy, er the sandman probably. Got to go find that guy and have a chat with him, see ya later.......

((((hugs))))) until later - Michelle

[Ruff]

Hugs coming your way.

I am so sorry to hear you had such a bad reaction to the heat, but heartened to hear how much better you were after a sleep.

I also loved the cartoon and the Pinterest thing!

[jamietwo]

(((((Nicole))))) Sorry you had such a bad reaction to the heat and sun. I'm glad you knew what to do to take care of yourself (and did it!) and that you're much improved!

I'm a little late in posting, but I absolutely love the cartoon you posted with all the "nurslings"!