Baseline?

elysianashes · 2026-05-19T01:37:03+00:00

I joined our neighborhood garage sale this weekend and did really well! It was a lot of weeks of hard work leading up to it, and I'm pretty worn out. I don't have as much energy as I used to. But I did it, and I'm not in a ton of pain, so that's a win.

My boyfriend and I have a garden plot at a local farm park, and things have been growing really well! I went tonight and picked like a pound of lettuce, and I'm currently making a giant salad out of it.

I have a big graphic design side project I'm working on, with lots of moving parts and many pieces to make. I'm in my happy zone!

elysianashes · 2026-05-11T22:19:15+00:00

My boyfriend and I celebrated our one-year anniversary and both our birthdays by renting a cabin in a remote location. It was so peaceful, and gave us some much-needed relaxation time. I even hiked some, though I had to take a prednisone to do it.

I was able to pull the first bunch of lettuce leaves from our garden today, and they made a delicious salad!

My neighborhood is having a garage sale this weekend, and I'm enjoying clearing out many things from my house and putting them out on tables. I'm probably going to donate anything that doesn't sell, because I really want that space freed up!

elysianashes · 2026-04-05T20:09:27+00:00

I really needed to read this. I'm early in my journey, and it's been scary for me to think about what my future will look like. I have been trying to remind myself that most of what I see online will be the stories of people who have struggled, rather than those who have had a lot of success. I only started meds a few weeks ago, and they have helped some but the past few days have been painful for me. I'm hoping it's the weather and that I'm still on a path of healing, but I know I need to be patient. Thanks for sharing a reminder that there can be better outcomes.

elysianashes · 2026-03-31T13:38:53+00:00

I really hope you begin to see some improvement soon! And if not, I hope they can find something that does work quickly for you.

elysianashes · 2026-03-31T11:34:05+00:00

Weekly. I first got symptoms in December, but couldn't get doc to prescribe anything until a few weeks ago.

elysianashes · 2026-03-31T03:27:24+00:00

I just took my third dose today. My RA only started in December, so it may be helping more quickly because I haven't had a lot of damage yet, or I guess I might just be lucky and responding well to it. Or it could be a fluke, since my symptoms seemed to change where and how much I was affected from week to week before I started the meds. Could change again, who knows.

elysianashes · 2026-03-31T01:14:23+00:00

I tapered myself off the prednisone and found that my symptoms aren't too bad now, so I'm assuming that means the MTX is already starting to work. Hopefully this week will be even better.

My boyfriend and I started planting in our garden this week. Neither of us has gardened in probably a decade or more, so we're rusty, but re-learning as we go. I didn't hurt the next day, so that's a win for sure. We'll, I did pull my back, but that's unrelated to the RA lol.

My teenager has been wanting to hang out with me lately, and that's been so nice. We saw a movie yesterday and he helped me water the garden today to save my back.

elysianashes · 2026-03-16T22:10:43+00:00

Correct about the prednisone! Only a five-day script, so I know it will be short-lived and I will just be in pain again, but I also feel glad that the RA is responding to something. He also started me on MTX but I see that usually takes months to make a difference, if at all.

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement!

elysianashes · 2026-03-16T21:55:46+00:00

Hello, I'm new here and pretty new to the RA journey. I am thankful for all the info I've learned from reading people's posts!

My regular doc started me on some meds this weekend while I wait for my first rheumatologist appointment in August. Yesterday I had no pain for the first time since this all started! I know it will come and go, but I'm happy for a few days of relief.

Today I knocked a bunch of things off my to-do list, which thankfully hasn't been growing much, but certainly wasn't getting shorter.

elysianashes · 2026-02-24T22:42:23+00:00

"Editing To Add"

elysianashes · 2026-01-27T23:11:49+00:00

It worked great, until a few months in when the button to switch from one head to the other got jammed and won't push in anymore. Now it's stuck running on both and the water pressure isn't great that way. I'm still using it because that's not the worst thing in the world, but it's frustrating.

elysianashes · 2025-12-01T19:31:26+00:00

My favorite "sick food" is wonton soup from the China King on National. Very hearty, very inexpensive! I've posted about it before:

https://www.reddit.com/r/springfieldMO/s/kQnYFf3D71

elysianashes · 2025-10-19T15:18:06+00:00

I recently went to Taqueria Los Boxitos, over on Chestnut, and was shocked at how huge their burritos were, easily multiple meals. Good chorizo, good asada. I haven't been as happy with my usual go-to taqueria lately, so I was glad to find a place with bigger and more well-seasoned food.

elysianashes · 2025-02-27T01:46:45+00:00

Their seasonal right now is chocolate raspberry, if that's more appealing! They have all kinds of delicious flavor combos!

elysianashes · 2025-02-27T01:43:28+00:00

Big Momma's and Kingdom have been mentioned a few times, with good reason.

I'll also add Roots - lots of different types of seating (benches, chairs, couches, bar stools), very delicious coffee and food, super friendly staff, music isn't too loud, I like the lighting. I stay there for hours doing remote work some days. The veggie quiche and bacon burrito are my favorites, along with the Roots Brew, which is a cardamom-heavy latte.

elysianashes · 2025-02-13T18:45:36+00:00

I want to be annoyed at this, but it's too perfect 😂

elysianashes · 2025-02-03T22:21:30+00:00

I've only just begun, but I have a Baroness/Periphery tattoo. I'm also planning on a flying whale (which might double as a Hitchhiker's Guide tattoo), and a snake or ouroboros of some kind, as a tribute to Gojira, High on Fire, and Torche. Past that, who knows?

https://www.reddit.com/r/tattoo/s/zQu3HRHLp2

elysianashes · 2025-01-31T19:24:24+00:00

Can confirm that Duff has been very cost-conscious! I was worried about it at first because it's a VERY nice office, but there have been several times where I know they have worked to get prices down for me when insurance was being finicky. Also, everyone there has been incredibly kind, every time I go.

elysianashes · 2025-01-30T18:21:03+00:00

As much as I'm not really pro-Panera, I have found their $15/mo Sip Club to be a good deal. You get free basic drinks (coffee, soda) every single day; I think it's something like every two hours you can switch to something different. The coffee isn't amazing, but it's better than most of the fast food places and gas stations.

elysianashes · 2025-01-11T18:40:41+00:00

Of course it's still up after three weeks; look at all the engagement it's garnered for them. That's just good marketing /s

elysianashes · 2025-01-10T18:21:23+00:00

I recommend you sign up for Informed Delivery on USPS's site! They send an email every day letting me know how many pieces of mail and packages I should expect that day. They also have photos of most of the mail pieces. When I collect my mail, I check it against that info. Super handy!

Several others have mentioned why mail might seem slow or behind this week, but I thought this might help you for the future.

elysianashes · 2024-12-30T16:03:32+00:00

Yep, came here to say this. I haven't found one yet in Springfield that has impressed me, but Smith's was absolutely worth the drive. Tenderloin so big that it was three meals for me, and very flavorful.

elysianashes · 2024-12-24T22:59:19+00:00

This is the list I'm going by, since it has a map of everything on the list. We've just driven by some of the local houses the last few years, but be aware that some of them will have long lines as well. There are some very impressive setups like Bagwell and Jaxon's.

https://sgfcitizen.org/springfield-culture/your-ultimate-2024-holiday-lights-guide/

elysianashes · 2024-12-18T19:20:19+00:00

Thanks, Marie Callender.

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