Usual story – stand up in church and witness to the fact that through prayer you have been set free from the need for rheumatoid arthritis medication, and get hit within a couple of weeks by the biggest flare-up ever. Yes, ever. My beautiful wife has been so unwell that I have been off work for a week and two days caring for her, and am only back at work because the kids are on half term holiday and can take over.
Last week we went to the specialist at the hospital, and he gave her a steroid injection. Unfortunately it had no discernible effect, and a week later she was still unable to get out of the sofa without me lifting her up, and she is totally unable to care for her baby.
Yesterday she was back at the hospital, and this time saw the head of department who actually knew what she was talking about, had all the right records, and insight into our domestic situation. Another steroid injection, a prescription for steroid tablets, and the start of a course of a drug we have not tried before to replace the methotrexate she had previously weaned herself off. That will take 3 months to take effect, but this morning the steroids were beginning to show and she was a bit happier getting up from the sofa. The shock of her experience has changed the way she thinks about medication, which is probably a good thing in the long run, but it is a worry that you are filling your body with unnatural chemicals which even the doctors decribe as 'toxic'.
Meanwhile we have been hit by other pressures as well. Our 8-year old has a massive flare-up of eczema, so we have been running to and from the doctor with hydrocortisone, aqueous cream and doublebase gel, and they are talking of referring him to the dermatologist in the next city.
I have also had trouble with a debt collection agency chasing me for some money which I had already paid (late but voluntarily) before the contacted me, but they won’t believe me and have been phoning me every day, even though their client aggress that I have already paid and has told them to stop contacting me. What can you do? You find yourself dreaming up many unchristian vengeances for the extreme stress they cause.
It has also been the time of year when my company accounts for 2007/08 are due, and my accountant seems increasingly unable to put figures in the right column and so they want me to pay an extra £1400 tax which I am convinced is wrong. Looking after wife and baby all day means I have to do the sums at 1 am. This can’t go on!
But the good news is: the kids are off school, I’m back at work, and my wife might be starting to recover.
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