Old before my time...

Good morning!
Or is it?  Normally, most mornings are tolerable, even if one of my kids is hovering over me at the earliest part of the day, when even the sun hasn't bothered to get up yet.  I have been woken many times by tiny little fingers pulling apart my eyelids, with dragon breath being blown on me as they giddily laugh that mommy is up and breakfast can now be served.  But, it's the pain, mostly in my jaw and shoulders, these past few weeks that makes mornings not so fun.
See, when I was at the ripe ol' age of 26, I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis.  I had been suffering on and off with joint pain, but it was throughout my body, so I didn't really know that it was considered "joint pain".  It started in college, but thankfully, with the help of wine coolers and Busch pounders (only the best for me!), I was able to mask the symptoms for the most part.  As I got older, it got worse, until one day, I couldn't move my neck.  It felt like lightening bolts if I moved even the slightest bit.  I was at work, and my boss had to call my parents to come pick me up and take me to the hospital.  Turns out, my lymph nodes were so enlarged, they were afraid they would burst, so I needed to stay in the hospital for a few days on antibiotics and IV's until the swelling went down.  Still then, I wasn't diagnosed with anything but an infection, so I hadn't started treatment.
Finally, a doctor in Bethesda diagnosed me and started me on Enbrel, which is a subcutaneous shot that is supposed to be taken every 3 days; injected into my thigh.  That was when I was 26.  10 years later, I'm doing well.  I am lucky that I popped out so many kids, because as I found out, pregnancy can put arthritis into remission.  Who would have known?  Certainly not me, but I guess my body thought I was 87 years old, and then I go and get pregnant 3 times in a row, and it got confused.
However, this year, Dave switched jobs and now works for a company in Canada.  Canada has their own healthcare, so we had to get private insurance.  Because of my Enbrel usage (it's VERY expensive), I got denied.  So, I have independent insurance, which I pay a crap load for, and will come in handy if I get the flu or something, but pre-existing conditions are not covered.  Soooo, I've been trying to stretch out my shots.  I have 2 left.  And I need them to last till March.  That is like telling me that there is peanut butter pie in the fridge, but it's gotta last till the weekend.  And it's Monday. No way that's going to happen.
Anyway, I'm planning on taking a shot tomorrow, so I feel great for the weekend.  But after that, who knows.  I think about people who have conditions like me...at my age, being a mom to 4 VERY active kids...and who may not even have insurance.  It's crazy. 

But I focus on other things.  Like peanut butter pie, for instance.  Thankfully, I'm going to get my butt back into the gym when school starts and do yoga.  That helps.  I took an arthritis movement class once, but I was the youngest by probably 50 years, and the woman in front of me kept passing gas.  No thanks...I'd rather be stiff and achy!!

Well, off to see if I have the ingredients for the peanut butter pie, which is just delish.  Want the recipe for a super easy, scrumptious one?  Here you go!  Enjoy!

3/4 cup of PB

1 pkg. cream cheese

Blend together with a mixer

Add 1 tub of cool whip and 1 cup of powdered sugar

Put into a chocolate shell pie crust

Shave choc. for a topping (optional)

Freeze for 3 hours and then refrigerate. Enjoy!!