I am currently without insurance and have been since December 31st. As a travel nurse if you are off more than 3 weeks you loose your coverage. I only planned on being off around 5 weeks which felt safe to go without coverage. But due to lack of contracts in the sunny state of Florida combined with my REALLY getting used to this sunny weather, I have decided to wait and start my next contract in April. Now I am VERY aware how lucky I am to be able to take off 3 months to do what I want. But I did not plan for the insurance aspect. Aside from RA I feel relatively healthy but I am starting to get nervous as my pain is starting to increase. 

What do you do when you are in that gray area when looking for health insurance? I do not qualify for medicaid and applying is not worth the hassle if I did. A gap policy will provide limited coverage for a "catastrophic" event. Due to my change in employment I qualify for insurance through the market place. I have found these to be quite expensive and the coverage to be limited. What to do? This is a good reminder of what many Americans go through on a daily basis. I am fortunate that I can afford to pay for coverage, but what about those who cant? I also have been well enough throughout the year that I have stock piled some of my medications and have plenty should a flare arise. What about those who do not have meds to get them through these times?

This is one of the many reasons I strongly support a "Medicare for all" initiative.

What I am doing until my next contract is buying a gap policy and paying cash for any surprise appointment if I need it, here is to hoping I do not:)

​About a month ago I had a weird dream. I won’t go into detail but it involved my breast and a blackhead. I attributed this to my love of doctor pimple popper videos. But it lingered. So, I did a self-breast exam. And I found a lump. Crazy! I was freaked. I called my doc and went in for a mammogram. The day after my mammogram they called me to schedule a diagnostic ultrasound. Now I was getting more freaked. It was a week before I could get in for the ultrasound. The good thing was that I got my results that day. They bad thing is that they wanted me to get a biopsy. I was now in panic mode. They could not get me in for two weeks. If you have ever waited and worried for two weeks it feels like your life is on hold. To make it worse I am in Seattle all alone. My husband is back home working on the hemp farm while I am on a travel nurse contract till the end of the year. I was scared and alone, I couldn't focus and per usual only thought of the worst. I had my biopsy Tuesday and got the call yesterday, EVERYTHING IS OK! I tell you this because it is scary and hard. RA is not always the only thing going on. Other things can sneak up and before you know it you are overwhelmed again. But all we can do is our best and hope it will all work out. I am grateful I am a lucky one, I could be writing a very different post right now. And for my health I am grateful. ​

There is a reason I do not update this site nearly as much as I should. Well, many reasons.

I have been working as a travel nurse the last two years. This year I have been working in the PNW. Currently I am just outside of Seattle. We have been traveling a lot! Canada, Illinois, Florida, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Italy, Ireland..........I am sure I forgot some. My head is spinning just thinking about it 

Next,  I am working hard to start a new business. Some of you may have heard that Illinois is set to legalize recreational marijuana in 2020. And I want in! As a traveler and a nurse I have had a great deal of exposure to cannabis and I can see what is being done right, and where this industry is missing the mark. I feel there are so many benefits to using cannabis and we have only scratched the surface. I am working on developing my own line of edibles with people like me, and you in mind. I don't want to give away all my secrets, but if I am fortunate enough to be granted a license next year you will be hearing all about it. This is WAY outside my scope and all my time is going into research and development. Cross your fingers for me guys, this is a big hurdle to jump!

When I started this site it was with the hopes I would give it more attention then I actually have. But the good news is I AM BUSY LIVING, which means you can too. I have gotten more emails then I can keep up with. I am sorry, I know how it feels to be so lost and looking for hope. I feel immense guilt when I cant respond to every email I receive, but I am trying. Please find me on Instagram @RoamingRNandBen, I tend to uploads pics there a bit more and respond quicker.

As for my RA, I am doing pretty darn good. I had to change up my meds, there has definitely been disease progression. But not in a way that at all limits my life. I make adjustments and forge ahead.  That is all we can do my friends, go with the flow. There is no other option. Be easy on yourself, rest when you need to, and know you are not alone. 

​Keep on keeping on my friends!

I am ashamed at how long it has been since I have written here, but sometimes life just gets in the way. I wanted to share some updates on how things have been going on my end. Life has been great!!!! My RA flares have been few and I am living a very active life. I graduated with my BSN last year and am working on my masters. I have altered my diet a great deal which has allowed me to stop my medications. I have went vegan. Never in my life did I think that would happen but here I am! Sugar, alcohol, and dairy are the hardest on my joints. When I indulge on occasion I pay for it. But a girl has to have a little fun! I hope this finds all of you well. I am trying to respond to emails slowly but surely. When my semester ends I will be doing a much better job here I promise.                   Take care!! 

Life. It seems to get in the way sometimes. Trying to juggle school, friends, family, work, illness and everything in between, I sometimes forget what it is all for. My purpose. This week I recieved a lovely e-mail from a mother whose daughter has been suffering for many years. It could not have come at a better time. It reminded me of how I felt not too long ago. Scared, alone, desperate for answers. I had this disease but couldnt find anyone to relate to. My head was spinning. That is when I decided to start this site. To provide a place were other girls like myself can find hope. Without hope I would not have gotten through all this. I feel more and more like my old self everyday. It is not without sacrafice and sick Carrie is a completely different person than healthy Carrie. I dont get it right all the time, I sometimes do things to my body that I know I shouldnt. But this is how I live a life that still feels normal. A life that is not filled with pain and fatigue. I hope that you all know, we will survive, we must. There is no other option but to go forward. When those around us dont understand what it feels like to writh in pain. To want nothing more than to wake up in the morning with energy. To live a day where the smallest amount of stress doesnt send waves of pain thorough your body. Those moments when you struggle to breathe from inflammation but say nothing as you fear just speaking of it will send you into shock. If I have learned anything, I have learned that only the sick understand what it is to be sick. Others can say they understand, but they dont. It was hard for me to not fault others for this, but now I have learned my purpose. My purpose is to care for the sick in any way possible. Be it as a nurse, as a friend, or as someone who will for the rest of my life, be sick.

I just passed my first nursing class of the semester and I have learned a few things about being a student with RA.

1. If you have RA you should avoid stress. I dove in head first! Nursing school equals stress. I am managing well, but the pain is a bit more noticeable these days.

2. Homework KILLS my hands:( I need someone to write for me. I take breaks constantly to relive the pain, however this leads to me taking double the time to do homework.

3. We covered RA in a chapter this semester and I was asked to speak to my class. It was great to share! But, I was reminded how little people know about this disease and how everyone compares it to their grandmothers hip pain or their own knee pain. If it were that easy.

I am still struggling explaining my disease to new people I meet. I feel like carrying a pamphlet:) i know it could be much worse. I am grateful how well I am doing, despite the stress and abuse I am putting my body through. Thank you body for bearing with me lately. I will be gentle:)

Have a pain free week!

I don't recall much from this week but I do recall saying I would be back to normal by Friday and I was right! If someone would have asked me on Sunday how long it would take me to feel better, I would have said weeks. However, I woke up this morning feeling good as new. Steroids are my life savers. I learned from this flare to not take small doses and wait till I can't sleep from the fever and pain. Next time I am firing off the big guns from the start! I am grateful to be feeling good again:)

On another note, I am starting a belly dancing class to add a different routine to my cardio. I have NO desire to shake it in front of anyone but I realize I must find creative ways to workout. Until all my inflammation is gone belly dancing and swimming it is. I may sneak a kayak session in, shhhhh don't tell my shoulders, they ate gonna be pissed:)