At War With PsA

Psoriatic arthritis and my other chronic illnesses are my enemies. Their mission is to destroy my life and make me miserable. Every day they attempt to break me down. They want me to believe that I am worthless. There have been periods throughout my chronic life when they came close to winning. That is until I turned the tables on them. I developed a three-step plan to fight my chronic illnesses, and the best part is that they didn’t see it coming!

Strength in numbers

My first step was to build an army. I took a look at my closest friends and family and chose people I knew I could rely on to assist me on the battlefield. The people I chose were people who understood that my illnesses were anything but predictable. Most had witnessed how bloody my battles were and would be able to be strong for me when I was weak. I know that I could call any member of my army day or night and they would be there to assist me in battle or takeover so I could have a break.

Lock and load

The next step was to stockpile my ammunition supply. I armed myself with things that repelled my illnesses. I changed my diet because what I used to consume only made my enemy stronger. I began exercising. Some days I may only do some light stretching and others I can get in a full workout. How little time I spend exercising or how much sweat I produce doesn’t matter, what does is that I make an effort to move my body every day. I changed my treatment plan and continued to make changes until I began to experience improvement. The steps I have taken to improve my health have not only made me stronger, it sends fear filled chills down my enemy’s back. With each of my efforts to be healthier my enemy takes a step back.

Know thy enemy

Surrounded by soldiers and armed with ammunition, I finally had the upper hand. At first my lead was slim, but that didn’t matter as any lead was a win in my book. After reaching higher ground I could finally see my enemies, and I began to observe them. My observation revealed what triggered them to attack. The most important thing I have learned is to not fight back when they launch an attack. My enemies love to fight, and the battles would leave me weaker than before, while they grew stronger. Instead of fighting I hand over peace offerings. These offerings come in the forms of naps, rest, and pacing. This bores my enemies and they retreat faster than if I would engage in battle.

My battle plan isn’t perfect, but it has decreased the time I spend in the infirmary. Do you have a battle plan?