On and off for the past few weeks I've been fighting through a flare. Up one day, down the next... you know that story.

So day before yesterday I had an awesome day, walked and rode my bike and went for a short swim.

Half way through the swim something felt wrong in my left sacrum area... you know that feeling.

So, I got out of the pool and rode my trike home just in time for my back to FREAK-THE-H-OUT and spasm from my skull to tailbone.

Stayed in bed for 36+ hours with big knots in a few places along the spine. This morning I woke up with the bulges nearly gone.

And I just figured out (yes I know I am slow to catch on ) that my flares happen in MY SPINAL JOINTS just like my fingers, wrists, toes, & ankles.

OMG I feel like such a goofball. How long have I had RA & AS? Since I was around 8 years old.

Guh. I am slow...

Can anyone else relate to this level of denial? Please say yes, even if it's only to make me feel less of an idiot.

hindsight is always 20:20!

so yeh, lots of examples of it taking me a long time to catch on.

like the dozen years of no dx, often in doubt, having to give myself pep talks. then finally when i found doctors who explained to me why other doctors couldn't see it, it was like, DOH!"

or flares. i didn't realize you could have flares, unless you had remission. since i never had remission, i didn't realize getting worse at times were flares. now its like "DOH!" and seeing the graphs that mig posted, showing how we can have our own baseline of "inflammatory stuff" and then spikes of flares. and it was like, "oh yeh, that's me!"

oh i could go on and on, but yeh, i'm slow enough at realizing things that now, when a doctor asks me, "do you think "such and such" contributes to your flares?" instead of denying it, i just tell them, "i don't think so, but i don't know." because i now am starting to realize some of the things that send me into flares. of course part of that is "one has to be well enough in between to be able to see the flares coming." and i hadn't really felt well enough in between flares until i found this rheumy, this chiro, etc.

life is one big learning process. the truth reveals itself slowly.

<LOL> - Oh well - words fail one. EErrrrmmmm. Yes. Errrrr - how about not swimming for a few days and give up trike ditto...just a suggestion. (ducking)

Hope knots undo and flare gives over -

Take care Erika -

"spasm from my skull to tailbone."

i used to get them in my 20s....torture

Right there along with you. I had to cut out my swim therapy when the weather turned. On good days though you just want to cut loose and go for it and then you are jacked up for awhile. You are definitely not alone.

*NODS WISELY*

...says our resident prof

Mine is decreasing in frequency thank GOD!

Awww...