Happy birthday to my blog, one year has passed since I first uploaded this page to the internet! 365 days. One trip around the sun. Well, 368, if we're getting technical with these numbers. I am ashamed to know I have only posted two blog posts, and yet I have lived through the most life changing of roller coaster rides a year can be. In a lame attempt to sum up my year, I would lay out something as simple as: strangers became friends, I felt the real feeling of too much adrenaline, I became all-too familiar with the inside of a hospital, I experienced heartbreak and the lingering after waves of the feeling, I now understand happiness for the time being, I lost too many things, but I gained many more back. This was the most exciting year of my entire life. Unfortunately, the most life altering part of my year falls on the cons side of the list; and with so much to go over, why not skim to the most important news. In mid-December I was diagnosed with spondyloarthritis, inflammation that relates to joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Thankfully, my case isn't as severe as many that I have seen, but the disease definitely makes me think about life in a different way. I was diagnosed after I spent six days in the hospital due to having no white blood cells, the cells that build up your immune system to fight off infections. As a result of my entire immune system crashing, my body became extremely inflamed. I also discovered with this diagnoses that I have had arthritis my entire life, the disease is a part of my body's natural response mechanisms. However, the infection of my immune system set off an inflammatory reaction that never fled- causing doctors to believe and conclude this was a case of arthritis. The most drastic of my physical changes, besides my hands always looking like I've eaten loads of salt, is my physical activity is limited to anything low impact on my joints, such as swimming, biking, and yoga. The most outlawed of physical activity is running, tough news for a previous cross country runner. Not being able to go on runs just to feel endorphins or push my body to distract from any mental pain has been tough, but now this is my new normal. The most intense emotional change is my new treatment. The medicine I use is Humira, a burning product I inject into my leg once a week. Learning how to push myself to do something painful because the pain in one moment is worth the benefits later is a hard concept for me to grasp. Though, everything is just a hump I can overcome. This whole process has taught me how to take better care of myself as well as try to understand what others may be going through. Where my time is spent has adjusted, but this disease has not changed my personal well-being too drastically. Severe changes have only occurred to my mindset. Before my personal experience with the disease, I truly did not know the full extent, effects, and popularity in my community. If this is one in hundreds of diseases a person can have- how many people are out there suffering from an ailment I know nothing about? Overall I am thankful for the past year I have endured. Whether any of my experiences were good or bad, they have helped to open my eyes. Most of all, I have learned problems can be disguised blessings. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Dimitra Colovos