Boxing Day Blues

lupus.cheezburger.com

Lupie wakes to find gut is alternately adding logs to a fire in her oesophagus, and inflating her abdomen with bike tyre pump.

Lupie: Why the heartburn? And why does it feel like there's a pile of rocks in my stomach?

Gut: Someone forgot to take domperidone yesterday before eating.  Stomach didn't empty properly, and everything built up to cause a great case of heartburn.

Lupie: So why's my abdomen full of air?

Gut: Don't play dumb.  You know what you drank yesterday.

Lupie: I had two glasses of wine.  It was low alcohol wine.

Gut: It was sparkling wine.  Full of fizzy gas.  Just like all the soft drink you put away.  Where do you think the gas is going to go?

Lupie: Maybe I expected to burp, or pass gas in the other way normal people do.

Gut laughs maniacally.

Lupie: Maybe "expect" is too strong a word.  I hoped.

Gut: And you ate things you shouldn't.

Lupie:  I avoided anything with lactose and gluten.  I was very careful.

Gut: What did you notice about nuts.

Lupie: I'm not allergic to nuts.

Gut: Go on...

Lupie: But I did notice a strange feeling in my mouth when I ate walnuts, that I've never noticed before.

Gut:  Aha! Do you know what that means?

Lupie:  No.

Gut: You'll find out later today, you'll probably manage to get rid of all the gas then, too.

Lupie: Brain, where were you while this was happening?

Brain: Well, I always thought Sarah was Mr Percolate's bodyguard.

Lupie: Brain, you're still dreaming. Wake up.

Brain: Huh?

Lupie: What were you up to yesterday?

Brain: Yesterday? What did we do yesterday? I'm a bit foggy. Let me think. Umm.

Lupie: Well that explains that. I'd better at least take some domperidone now so I can have breakfast.

Feet: Don't you even think about standing.. ouch! ouch! ouch! Owwwwww for the love of God, we're too swollen to walk on!  Sit down, sit, sit sit!!!

Hips: Do not sit down. Do not under any circumstances do anything.

Knees: Don't make us bend, just don't, we can't. Stop it.

Brain: Who's in favour of going back to sleep.

Gut: Not me, I've got plans for today, big plans.

Eyes: We'd be crying now, but we're so dry the tears would burn.

Lupie: So I didn't really do too badly yesterday.  It feel like just another ordinary day today. Coffee to wake up brain, some medication to calm everyone else down, and there's nothing I can't deal with.

Merry Christmas

lupus.cheezburger.com

Merry Christmas lovely lupies.

Or Happy Hannukah, if that's what you celebrate.

Or have a wonderful day whatever you are or are not celebrating.

I hope you all have a low-pain, low-fatigue day whatever and however you are celebrating.

Let's all try not to over-do things.

Lupie's Morning Routine

Wake up.  I'm feeling terrible. What to do now?

Analysis. Why do I feel bad?

1. My eyes are sore dry, and feel like they've been rubbed down with sandpaper.
2. My mouth's also dry.
3. My feet and legs are sore and swollen, and it hurts to stand.
4. Random joints hurt.
5. Exhaustion.  I feel like I haven't slept in a month.
6. Overheated.  
7. Gut feels uncomfortable.

Plan.  What can I do about each of these things?

1. Dry eyes: Use my eye gel.
2. Dry mouth:  Rinse with dry mouth mouthwash.
3. Feet and legs:  Try the tens machine.  If that fails take a fluid tablet.
4. Joint pain: Tens machine again, if that fails, anti-inflammatory gel on the problem joints, failing that, pain pill.
5. Exhaustion: Coffee.  Lots of strong coffee, and my vitamin B12 supplement.
6. Overheated: Turn on air conditioner, and put hair up in ponytail to get it off the back of my neck.
7. Gut: Take my fibre supplement.

Action. What I do.

1. Put in eye gel.
2. Wash mouth with dry mouth mouthwash.
3. Have coffee and try to remember what else I planned to do.
4. Go back to bed for another hour because I feel horrible.

The Social Side of Lupus Life

I bake nice things, and have good coffee.

Hello Lovely Lupies,

I'm back from my little break in time for Christmas.  I really did just need some blog-free space to clear my head.

A friend here for morning tea, said something about his social life being coming here for morning tea.

I said, "Well my social life consists of baking nice things to lure people to come here and talk to me."

I was only half-joking.

I bake when I have energy, mostly because baking is one of the things I enjoy doing, and because it's one way to get gluten free food that tastes nice.  But that does mean I usually have something nice on hand when someone has time to drop by for a coffee.

I find having people come to visit me is much easier than going out, especially in the summer heat. When they leave, I can clean up straight away, or have a rest first.  I don't have to immediately drive home from wherever.

So lovely lupies, with Christmas coming up, and it being the season for socialising, how do you handle it?  Do you just miss out on catching up with friends? Do you invite them to come to you?  Do you find the energy to go out?