Psoriatic Arthritis and Tornado Season

Living in the Midwest can be hard with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and tornado season. This particular day started as many do, but then turned into a scary experience.

A pleasent weather surprise

A beautiful, warm spot of sunshine wakes me up. I first noticed that I was not stiff like most mornings. When I look at my phone, I notice the temperature is in the 50's. That's a real treat for this time of the year. Usually, there are temperatures in the 30's and 40's in Chicagoland. Today's temp seems like a fluke.

The sky promises good things with its beautiful blue background and fluffy white clouds. Usually, I am covered up with no skin showing and wearing layers. I'm not sure what Mother Nature has in store today, but so far, I like it.

Enjoying the relief from pain

By mid-afternoon, the sun is out full blast. I am riding to my sister's house and feeling pretty good! The window is down, and the music is playing fun summer songs.

Looking up at my car's temperature, I see the temperature is nearing the 70-degree mark. Hello, spring. I have missed you. Generally, I was a swollen mess in February from arthritis and the cold.

One observation I have noticed today is my legs are not swollen up. There is no intense pain in my knees, feet, or hips.

My sis and I have errands to run today and thoroughly enjoy this newfound warmth. Today has lifted my spirits and brought me out of the usual gloom of a gray, cloudy, and cold day.

An unexpected turn

As time marches through the day, we approach early in the evening. What a splendid sunset. So many bright orange, pink, and reds. Even the temperature is still 68 degrees when we arrive at her house.

We bring the shopping in, and my brother-in-law tells us to watch out for the weather. It's supposed to rain by 7:00. Next, we go to the garage to put some food from our shopping trip in the freezer.

Just then, we notice the heaviness in the air. Yes, you can feel the rain coming in. Oddly, it's not cooler; it's just humid.

Once we are back inside, my sis and I are in her bedroom talking and laughing, and I am trying on clothes from her closet. During this moment, I noticed a sharp pain in my left knee. Looking down, I can see swelling.

Suddenly, we hear an eerie shriek. Quickly, we hear fast-paced walking to the bedroom. It's my brother-in-law. He yells through the door to us, "Ladies, the tornado sirens are going off!"  Next thing I know, I am looking for clothes to put on. 

Dashing out of the room to see outside, there is sharp, nasty lightning. Woah, thunder! Peering into the darkness, we go to the window to close it. Just at that exact second, a gust of wind blows in, bringing icy cold air.

Weathering the storm and battling pain

Knowing the drill, we enter the hallway space at my sister's. The wind picked up after the cold air burst in, and the sirens went off again. 

Tuning into the news, we can see that there have been six tornados in the county where we live. As we move around, my knee tries to give way. The swelling of my left knee causes it to dislocate. 

After that, I was forced to sit in a chair in the hallway. Waiting is hard when you are in pain with limited space.  A new symptom has emerged: shooting pain in my lower back. Now, the stenosis in my spine is causing pressure and pain. What extremes mother nature is showing us today.

The calm after the storm

After an hour of this, we are given the all clear. Tornado warnings are now thunderstorm warnings. Some areas around us have a little damage, but by and large, there are no injuries or damage in the area.

Once all the commotion was over, I had back to my house. I encounter light rain and wind but nothing else. My night is going to be long based on the pain.

Getting myself ready for bed, I take Tylenol for pain. Mother Nature treated us to unseasonably warm happiness by turning her head and treating us with cold, bitter wind.

In the early morning, I wake up and walk about my house because the pain reliever has stopped working. Such extremes as it is now snowing!

Do you have crazy weather affecting your PsA? Let me know!