Let me start out by saying that I completely believe in self talk.

Henry Ford… Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you are usually right…

Attitude determines altitude

Eagles soar but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines….

So when I saw a book today called “The 100 Most Powerful Affirmations for Rheumatoid Arthritis” I figured it was right up my alley.  This week I kind of was in the market for affirmations.  Wednesday (not sure if it is the weird changes in weather, or what it is)  a flair (maybe… maybe just my Orencia wore off early??? ) hit and my hands have been bitching up a storm every day… I’m taking Napproxen, using Outch Ointment and Tiger Balm and Voltaren Gel all at the same time to take the edge off.  I’m living for 2/28…

Anyway, I saw the book and thought… well, yeah… I could really really use this.  So here I am… “thumbing through” my Kindle book looking at the affirmations.

My hands have been having the kind of hurt that kind of makes you want to throw up but you really don’t/can’t so you are just left feeling very off…

I have been accused of being Mary Sunshine. (I try)
I have been accused of living in a fairy tale world (hardly)

This book makes me look like the biggest Debbie Downer ever…

I will kind of buy “I will not stop life for my arthritis”…
I will even buy that “I am strong, and can make it through this” (for strong, I substitute stubborn… but hey)

But…

“I will not sit in a chair all day” might be a bit of a stretch (I’m in IT for heaven’s sake)

and

“My body will keep going, I just have to fuel it properly” and “I am a wonderful human being with lots of strength” and… “I am healing more every day”??? might be not accurate.

“I am on top of my pain and I cannot be stopped by it”… probably wrong.

And “I do not need a lot of painkillers to feel healthy” is dead nuts wrong.

And I know that there are a BUNCH of people who are much further down the RA trail than I am and more of these “affirmations” are somewhat inaccurate.

 

Worse…

There are two bonus books included…

“The 100 Most Powerful Affirmations for Easy Breathing” has me near tears…. anger… frustration… at the stupidity of some of them…

“I will control how much I cough” …. horse shit
“I can take a breath with ease”…. his O2 was 62 when he was on his way to Giant Eagle today walking… so… yeah…

I need to write some of these on post it notes, though…

“I am worth each breath I take” is something I want to impress upon Bear.

If you are in the market for Mary Sunshine quotes on a really bad day… don’t turn to this book.  It will help on decent days, but there are days when it just feels like it makes things worse.

Right now… It’s kind of down to…
Just keep swimming
Just Keep Swimming…

Love and Light
April
2/23/2018