Living with an autoimmune disease isn’t easy. When your own body attacks itself, in my case, the fight can start anywhere. Over the years I’ve had it in my joints, liver, eyes, skin and muscle damage and depending on where it is, is what it’s called; arthritis, fatty liver, uveitis, psoriasis and myositis in the…
Tag: health
My top 7 tips for those newly diagnosed with arthritis
Any new diagnosis requires a period of adjustment, time to come to terms with the implications and a good support network around you – however, arthritis is particularly challenging. The chances are it’s a condition you have to manage for the rest of your life, dealing with pain along with potential mobility issues and any…
Preparing for the Biologics appointment
Next week I have my first appointment with the Biologics team since the switchback to Humira. Usually a routine six-monthly check up but the significance of this one is that it’s three months since I restarted on Humira – and three months is the period in which you are told to expect to see a…
I used to be
I used to be fit, I used to be strong, I used to be witty and happy; belong. I used to be driven, oh, to be enthused, I used to entertain and sing; amuse. I used to be healthy, I used to have fun, I used to compete, be agile and run. I used to…
Coronavirus – why it's a disturbing time for biologics users
I’ve been off work the last week with another chest infection, its infuriating, frustrating and detrimental to my career but unfortunately it’s part of daily life when on biologics treatment – but it’s better than the alternative. Arthritis is destructive; it’s your body attacking itself due to your immune system being overactive and essentially, like…
Tipping the balance: What an arthritis flare looks like on the scales
As you may know, I recently got back into the gym. It felt like a big step forward and was certainly a positive thing but it did make me think a lot about the last two years – where I am came from, how fit I was vs how limited I am now etc. and…
First gym session in over a year!
I did it! It’s been over a year but I got over the pain and fear of failure and injury (mostly fear) and got my backside in the gym. I managed an hour but in all honesty, I could have done more – but my wife reminded me that I was looking after the baby…
2 months old for Joel Vs Arthritis – this is amazing!
Wow. I’m amazed that I stuck at this for this long :). With the amount of work I’ve put into this and how it’s become something that I look forward to doing every evening, it feels much longer in some ways. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was hoping to achieve when I first started…
Humira update no.2 – mixed emotions
Note that this blog carries on from a previous post, which can be found here: https://joelvsarthritis.co.uk/2019/11/25/humira-treatment-update-1-week-in-signs-of-life/ At the time of writing this, I am taking my third Humira injection, so six weeks into the treatment and I very much have mixed emotions at this time. Writing that in itself is depressing for me given how…
A poem about how I feel right now
As some of you know, I’ve been experiencing some brand new symptoms of late that are really getting me down, multiple infections, crippling fatigue, all over joint pain and night sweats to name but a few. After recently reading Lindsay Reid’s poetry based on her experiences living with Ankylosing Spondylitis (available here: https://www.redsquirrelpress.com/product-page/my-dark-guardians-lindsay-reid) it made…
