The Post You've All Been Waiting For....

I know I haven't blogged in forever and a day, but I think y'all will forgive me given the news I'm bringing; the Enbrel is working!

Yes, sirs, the little stomach shot is doing something aside from making Sunday night very unpleasant for me. I'm not completely healed, mind you, but I am improving and that's a huge thing after my 6+ months of constant downward spiral. But what does that really mean? Well, since I know that only a few people have been kept fully in the loop, I'll break it down some for y'all.

~ SLEEP ~
Then: The only way I would get to sleep was passing out either from the pain or exhaustion and that normally happened well after the sun had risen.
Now: I fall asleep because I am tired and just drift off before 3am. I'll still have bad nights where I don't sleep, but it's not a constant anymore.

~ SCHOOL ~
Then: School was in no way possible, I couldn't read or write because of the pain (hence the empty blog) and I would loose huge blocks of time, so nothing you read to me would stick.
Now: I have, on average, a few hours a day where I can focus, remember, and learn, and those hours are not wasted. When I'm able, I work as hard as possible on my school work. It's a slow and difficult process, but I am getting work done.

~ PAIN ~
Then: I woke up at a 7 to an 8 out of 10 pain wise everyday and it just climbed from there. If I walked or did any other physical activity, the pain would spike and occasionally I'd end up in the ER because of it. Vicodin and Percocet (pain killers) were hit n' miss, and over the counter drugs did nothing.
Now: I wake up at a 4 or 5 most days, and it'll get better in the afternoon before climbing again in the evening. Walking still hurts, as does riding in cars on bumpy roads, so I have to be careful and I can't walk for very long, but I can actually walk regularly now. Advil will help with the swelling from falls and such, but other over the counter pain killers still have no effect. Vicodin will work if I take it at the right time.

There you have it, folks! And, here are some answers to commonly asked questions;
"Are you still in pain all the time?" Yes, I'm still in chronic pain and I may be seeing a pain management specialist about it soon.
"Do you still walk with a limp?" As much as my physical therapist hates it, yes I do.
"Are you still doing physical therapy?" Yes, it'll be a year at the end of December.
"What exactly are you sick with?" We don't know 100%, but we're pretty sure I have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in my knees and our best guess for why my hips and shoulder hurt is that I have really loose joints and physical therapy should help with that.

If y'all have any other questions, feel free to leave me a comment. :)