**BREAKING NEWS**

I have just realised this morning that I can open doors (push or pull) pain free! I haven’t been able to do that for the past five months so this is pretty big news for me and I just don’t have enough people to tell!

I think we can say that either the injection they gave me three weeks ago or the medication I am on (which takes up to 8 weeks to show effects – I am on a high dose though) is working! In the last week especially there has been a huge difference in mobility and pain levels. Its hard to explain to people who I see every day because for them they just saw me walking slower and it was so much more than that, but when you can’t see pain its hard to understand, I’ve learnt that much. It’s still not perfect and my inflammation levels are all still high but I am feeling more positive now that I can move more without it exhausting me and causing a lot of pain. I am literally champing at the bit to get walking, I just have to pace myself, as after the first hundred yards it’s not so easy, but I will get there.

Its only when I think of what I can do now that I realise what I couldn’t do before, how easy it is to forget, I’m glad about that as they weren’t good memories.

Things I can now do pain free:

Open and close doors – work doors!

Lift my duvet when laying down

Sleep on my side

Wear a bra with straps pulled up– this was a double pain because I am cursed with plenty of boobage! Lol

Pour milk in a 4 pint container (when it’s full)

Brush my hair

Clean my teeth

Cuddle my nieces

Lift things bigger than my phone

Take plates and cups out of the cupboard

It’s all so exciting to be able to do the above again and I can’t wait to do more! I also used to have to count to eight to get up from sitting and now I don’t need to, if the seat is too low I will still have problems but Yay!

I am actually feeling quite proud of myself for all I did when I was worse than now – at the time I was just frustrated and annoyed but determined to battle on through the pain – its so hard to explain but when I woke up in the morning it was like my bones had fused together and all my muscles were numb, and I just remembered another one! Lifting my head off the pillow!

I hope you all have had an equally exciting day J and thank you for all your positive vibes as I think they helped loads.

Kate