What Did I Do Wrong This Time?!

How often do you have a “bad day”? A day when you didn’t think you did anything wrong, but for some reason, you feel your worst?

I have those days, as I'm sure all of us do. It’s inevitable. You had a great Saturday and a Sunday from the 7th circle of Hell. You didn’t run a marathon. You didn't climb a mountain. You didn’t even mow the lawn that day. At most, you hung out with your family and watched a baseball game on TV. Yet, somehow, you wake up unable to move, with swollen joints and pain that is topping the scale. Because there is no logical answer, we start fabricating reasons to give our pain some purpose. And then, we play the blame game.

“I did something wrong.”

Playing the blame game

Often I play this blame game to explain my bad days. Do I find it comforting? Or, perhaps it appeals to my scientific mind. No matter the reasoning, I get down on myself and figure I must have done something wrong!

I ate something I shouldn't have.

I pushed myself too hard last week.

I didn’t go to bed on time.

I forgot to take my meds.

I didn’t follow the directions to the “T”.

We've done nothing wrong!

I am guilty of thinking all of these things, and so many more.

And while doing many of these things could incite a symptomflare, I just want to parlay a little information.

You Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong!

AS is gonna do what AS is gonna do.

Living life with AS to the fullest

AS doesn't know when you “slipped up”. AS is going to do its own thing. If medical professionals had any idea what causes AS symptoms they would have given us a step by step guide on how to avoid the pain and stiffness. So, until “The Perfect Guide To Painless Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis” is published, just keep living your life to the fullest.

We will have bad days. But try to remember...

You Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong!