Author: Mary Mann

The Cruel side effect of Flares

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A side effect of having flares is their random quality. One day a person with RA may be out dancing with the girls. The next week she may not able to join them because she is not well. Repeat. And then repeat. Is she neurotic? Her friends may be thinking. They stop asking her to go with them. Another young mother with RA  may ask her husband or her mother to help more with the children when she is having a flare that puts her flat. She was able to explain the severe and random nature of rheumatoid arthritis flares. Her husband and her mother had come to understand the severe and random nature of RA and were happy to help her more when she needed it. So, this is what a person with RA has to deal with.  You may be spending a large share of your time in severe pain. You may have serious doubts about your future. People will still look at you and say you look healthy to them.  And although …

August Journal

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I watched the last night of the Democratic convention. Vice-President Harris is a surprise.  For the last three years she has been the quiet figure standing near President Biden when he speaks. No more. She is a breath of fresh air. She is strong. There is no doubt what her agenda will be. This is my summer of learning about baseball. They do have a lot of little rules and it is about the numbers. We are Phillies fans. Through thick and thin. My favorites are Straum, a toe tapping relief pitcher, Castellanos, right fielder and dependable hitter, and Stubbs, relief catcher, energized team player. I like them because they all are characters and all are solid team players. My rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is about the same. The medical establishment offers me little at this point. I am still on Kevzara which helps up to twenty percent. I am on a low dose steroid, Medrol. My pain levels range from four to seven on a scale of one to ten. I supplement my medical treatment with …

A book of fiction and fun

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I am in the process of writing my first novel. It is called Matilda and her Alien. Matilda owns a bookstore. One day a man mysteriously appears in her store to say that he is an alien,  she is an alien, and they are at risk of being murdered, by men from another planet. It is fairly easy to believe him. Bertrand. Handsome. Charming. Twinkling blue eyes. Then , of course, she had met him years ago.  Their adventures span the globe as well as nearby planets. There are many colorful characters. Ahmed, Baghdad interpreter, Dr John, a South African trauma surgeon, Isabella, the Santa Fe psychic, and places like Solana, Granville, Albuquerque and Minnesota. Will they be able to save their fellow mutant BlueStone from slave labor and death? I am having a lot of fun writing this book. It is a lot more fun to write than non-fiction. I continue on the biologic, Kevzara, for my RA, plus low dose Medrol (6mg daily). I can take more of the Medrol when I have flares. …

Writing and RA

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About six months ago I fell into a writer’s block. I could not read another article on rheumatoid arthritis or write another article about living with it  I continued to read my Danial Silva novels, and as time passed I let Bob, my sourdough starter, pass into sourdough heaven. Who knows why what did happen. But I changed. Yes, I did. I watched the world series with my son. I was totally amazed at how unpredictable a game of baseball played out. It was fun. I love the Phillies. I joined my son and became a Phillies fan. We watch all the Phillies games that we can. I know all the players. Bryce Harper, first base, JT catcher, Bohm and home runs. All the players are great. Last night’s game was exciting. The Phillies were behind. Bohm finally  tied the game and Castellanos made the winning play in the tenth inning. Wow! Seven years ago I wrote a  10,000 word start to a novel. I put it away. I decided to take another look at …

Happy Spring

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Albuquerque is heating up as tulips bloom. Despite Phillies’ losses, loyal fans remain hopeful. The writer finds relief from pain and inflammation using a cannabis blend of THC, CBD, and CBN, reducing their need for Tramadol. They emphasize the effectiveness of THC and CBD combinations and share Easter wishes across religions originating in the Middle East.