Strategizing

I think I am finally figuring out how to manage my own health. Call me slow but I am finally getting there. I try to be a good patient. I take my (huge pile of) pills every day and show up for appointments and all that. Sometimes I even try to take a step back and look at the gigantic huge big picture of my overall health.

I am trying to be even more proactive about my health. I know there are on going issues that I need to tackle - lose weight, keep eating healthy, and getting regular exercise. But I am also aware of many other issues that I need to work on. Primarily coping with the side effects of my medications and treatments. That's a big one.

I take methotrexate (MTX) for my rheumatoid. It is also a chemo drug but in lower doses it is used to treat RA and other ailments. One side effect is that it keeps my immune system so low that I keep getting sick. I have had at least two bad colds already this year that caused a week or more absence for work. I am also on two prescriptions for other side effects.

I decided I need to cut MTX out of my life so I talked to my rheumatologist last week about getting off of it. So for the next 8 weeks I am cutting back on it and increasing another prescription which has fewer side effects and shouldn't have as much effect on my immune system. We will see in 8 weeks if I have more RA problems. And if I don't get another bad cold.

I need to strategize (Is that a word? Spell check says not but I'm using it as it makes sense to me.) some more about my health.

I know losing weight would be a big help to me. But I can't exercise more so I guess I need to eat less. I have more upcoming doctor appointments and I have to do some thinking about changes that I might want to make.