what is the greatest challenge you've ever faced in your life?

Intimacy. I am a cold hearted b*stard. I don't think i'll over come it. There has been too much pain that i've felt and I choose not to feel it again. I'd rather be an island.

 

Best of luck on your trials, Cabbage.

I'm fortunate not to have any battles with my own personal health so far, but my family has had a history on both sides. My father is going through chemo and taking on diabetes on the side. My aunt and uncle on my mother's side passed away from heart related illnesses and diabetes.

It must be the biggest trip in the world to have your body betray you, yet it's only a matter of when it happens to most of us. I don't know if that will give you any comfort, but you're not alone in your struggles.

Personally, I've gone through intimacy issues and some self destructive aspects I don't feel like typing. I guess my mind has betrayed me at some point.

I believe all of us will face great challenges in the next 50 years given the state our nation and the world is heading.

 

The hardest thing in my life so far is definitely living with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

People see me limp and they look at me funny. Some people ask, what's wrong? Did you hurt yourself? And I tell them my situation. A lot of people sit there and say, oh yeah, I've got Arthritis in my hand sometimes... it sucks, I know how you feel. But they, and most people don't even realize that for me, everything is magnified. For me, everything takes 10x more energy, more work, and more pain. They don't realize that I've had it since I was eight. They don't know that it covers most of my body - my jaw, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles, and toes. They don't realize that I don't have (and might never have) the normal musculature and mobility that most people do.

When I was first diagnosed, I cried uncontrollably every day because of the pain I was in. There were tons of doctors visits, a lot of hospital stays. a lot of testing, a lot of poking and prodding, a lot of school missed, a lot of missed opportunities because of it all. I don't remember anything from when I was 8 until I was 10 because of the physical, mental, and emotional strain it put on me.

And of course eventually after many years and a lot of work, we got it under control enough that I was leading a semi-normal life. I even got taken off my medicine, but it didn't last. Of the 15 years I've had this disease, I've been pseudo-normal for maybe 4, but like I said, that didn't work out.

I've known since I was diagnosed that eventually I'll grow out of it, but jeez, I'm about to turn 23, and I'm almost as bad now as I was 15 years ago. I can't run, I can't jump, I can't kneel down, I can't climb stairs (or come back down), I can't stand up for more than 10 minutes and be able to sit down immediately thereafter, I can't sit down for more than half an hour and be able to stand back up immediately. I can't walk around a grocery store for more than 15 minutes without having severe pain. Shoot, I can't even sleep through the night without waking up because of some joint hurting.

I've been on almost every pain medication, arthritis medication, and immunosuppressant on the market, most of them have lost their effect. I'm allergic to a third of them, and the remaining few react adversely with each other. At this point, most of my options have run out - all I can really do is sit and wait until I grow out of it. But even then, I'll never be able to do sports, I won't be able to run, I won't be able to do much physical activity without damaging my joints more than they already are.


But I know that there are far worse fates out there than what I've been dealt so far. So if this is all I'll ever have to deal with, I'm extremely grateful, and if not, then I already know I can handle what's coming because of where I've already been.

 

thacabbage - good luck.

 

Watching the Rockets from 2001-2004

 

The greatest challenge in my life has been overcoming the doubt other people have had in me, and the greatest reward in my life has been proving them wrong time and time again.

 

I want to say I really appreciated reading this thread, and thank you to everyone that contributed.

I just got out of college myself, and am dealing with some issues of the unsureness of my future and what I want to do. However, the thread makes me realize how lucky I am and how transient my issues are in the long run.

Keep the chin up - everything gets better.

It's threads like this that makes me feel that Clutch BBS is a real community.

 

Another member of the "going through a divorce/can't see my child" club.

Good luck Cabbage.

 

meggoleggo:

I'm very sorry to hear about your conditions. Although it doesn't seem to be life threatening, I know about the long term drain and suffer of chronical disease. Of course, mine is much less severe than yours so I don't mean I really understand.

With that said, have you tried practicing Tai Chi? Long time ago I read about some personal stories about Tai Chi relieving arthritis and other ailments. I don't practice it myself so I know very little about it, so prompted by your description I searched on the web and picked some links in the top results, hope they may be of help if you are new to it:

http://www.easytaichi.com/
http://www.arthritis.org/resources/arthritistoday/2000_archives/2000_07_08_taichi.asp

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1885538847/103-5919335-1049459?v=glance

 

thecabbage,

I don't know you, but I wish my best and hope that you can put this behind you soon. I was diagnosed with melanoma 4 years ago. My wife saw a suspicious looking mole on my back (in the middle where I would have never noticed it). My family has a minor history of skin disorders (psoriasis), but I never had any symptoms. If the melanoma was left alone for 6 more months, it could have metastasized and spread throughout my body. Needless to say, I might not be here now. I look at any other difficult thing in my life and it pales to this. Not by any amount of suffering, but the fact that I am here and life is worth living. No matter how many ups and downs you go through.

The important thing to remember is that you are here now.

Be strong,
Steve

 

Peter Gibbons: "So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."
Therapist: "What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?"
Peter Gibbons: "Yeah."
Therapist: "Wow, that's messed up!"

Thought I would try to make some of you guys laugh, but really I'm sorry to hear about the problems that we all have to deal with.. I have been lucky so far, but I do have a small heath problem, but nothing like has been posted above.. Good luck everyone..

 

... and look in my signature...

Master Cheng Jincai teaches here in Houston, but has students coming in weekly from Austin, Dallas, etc. for classes in Qi Gong (much lower impact) as well as Chen style Taichi (much higher, kick you in the ass Taichi). I haven't been able to make it out there to Bellaire for a while because of my work schedule, but I really recommend trying it.

 

thanks everyone for sharing. i dont have any stories of mine to share (im only 20 turning 21 in sept... so who knows what the future has in store for me). but i rarely see such genuine people these days. sure maybe the rockets bring us all together, but seems like there is so much more than that. i really appreciate the testimony from you manny and all the other people willing to share their stories and faith. it is really encouraging to see that. for me personally my faith in Christ has brought me through a lot of stuff that i delt with, they are not life threatening or anything...but just some things i had to deal with. it is encouraging for me to read this board. what a real community. thanks.

cabbage, i always enjoyed reading what you had to say in GARM. i will def keep you in my prayers man. get well soon and let us know how you are doing.

 

WHAT!!?

Crap Cabbage, I am so sorry. I can not think of anything in the world that some tweaker basketball fans could do for you remotely, but if there is, I would gladly do it.

On some level, the weird thing about being sick is how it can dominate your every thought until you are healthy again, and then people tend to forget it once it is over. Its like waiting in line for a rollercoaster - it sucks for two hours, but then the memory of waiting is gone and all you remember is the ride, which is odd to me - 55 seconds of fun preceeded by two hours of nothing, and you always remember the 55 seconds.

I was in and out of the hopsital for Sept-October 04, couldn't work, but by Xmas, I had sort of forgotten about it.

BUT, it would be nice to be able to appreciate health while one has it, and not take feeling okay and being okay for granted; it I guess one of those things that is difficult, but probably the most healthy and accurate perspective is to be grateful for whatever health and blessings we do have. A cardiologist friend of mine said once, "There are a dozen ticking time bombs within all of us waiting to go off, it is a miracle that we live as well and as long as we do." It's morbid to some degree, but also probably true - the point is not that "we are all doomed," but more "thank god for what we've have got." I was having a hard time putting my 3 month old down for a nap yesterday, getting a little frustrated. But crap, how lucky am I? This post is a reminder. The freaking cabbage? Sick? That has got to be a joke.

Cabbage: I hope this is not something that can get worse or threaten your quality of life long term. If you feel compelled to post more, go ahead, obviously only if you feel fomfotable in doing so. In any event, your writing and thinking reveals a uniquely intelligent and thoughtful person, and I am sure you have the internal resources necessary to get through your illness as well as anyone, whatever it may be. Best regards, many good thoughts your way. For what it is worth, you are the best poster on this board.

 

I fought 42 Cambodian midgets.

 

Did you win?

 

The first 31 were rather easy, then one got in a headbut to me groin. They were on me like ants after that, wailing away with their chubby little fists of fury.

I still have the "Participation" ribbon.

 

In all seriousness, get well soon, cabby.

 

Honestly, the first two years were the worst - learning what I could and could not do, and then learning to deal with it all mentally and emotionally. It's just a part of who I am now, but it still takes work.


Very true, and very well said too. And good luck with your health battles - you can get through it OK; I'm sure.