“Change is inevitable. It is sure to happen. You haven’t done anything wrong or bad or stupid. If something isn’t working in your life it is simply because you haven’t got the tools or techniques to access all that you really need to put it right.”  Penny C. McClean

I loathe the taste of Ginger, but I loathe the aftertaste of the Prednisone which helps my inflammation so I am looking at Ginger like my medication. Ginger helps with inflammation and gout issues so that is why I have made the decision to take one small piece of crystallized ginger a day in order to help me combat my inflammation in my foot and leg. According to the package you can take up to nine pieces, but I don’t think I can stomach eating that much. Cherries help too, but the funny thing is the store I went to didn’t have frozen cherries or cherry juice, so my caregiver came back with cherry Greek frozen yogurt and some cherry yogurt. His heart was in the right place, so I cannot be upset with him for the store not having what I need. Cherries are out of season, but of course ginger is in season all year around.

Right now my gout in my foot is feeling a lot better, still tender in some parts, but the redness is gone and my foot doesn’t look swollen.  It amazes me that one side of my body is affected worse by the RA and gout. My right foot is numb, my toes, and the top of my foot. When I had x-rays done a year or so ago the doctor said it looked like I had been a parachutter, but that was one job I never had.  As the quote above states “change is inevitable” and believe me I know this by watching my body and all the changes I have sustained in the last few years. Some of the changes have been great, like with my throat. I have not had a throat surgery in a year and that is one change I am excited about. The other changes that are occurring I have to admit I have been having a lot of self-doubt. The main thought that goes through my mind is what in the world am I supposed to do with this body, the swellings, the extreme tiredness, living with a trach, and all those medical things that seem to show up out of nowhere? Yet, there are the changes of my environment that I love. This week I have been cleaning out my apartment and getting rid of things I don’t love or whose things bring me memories I do not want anymore. Feels good to be able to let go and move forward. The only negative thing right now is learning to not compare and accepting my illness. I have accepted my illness is some aspects, but there are still some things that trigger those emotions that make me think I am pathetic. All things I hope to be working through with my new counselor whom I will meet next Wednesday. Also next Tuesday I am heading up to Seattle again but this time to see my Otolaryngologist. I am looking forward to this appointment because maybe just maybe significant improvements are happening in my throat and I can eventually get rid of this trach. I can still hope right?