The Opposite of My New Year’s Resolution

I rarely ever make a resolution, because like most people, I don’t keep certain ones. It’s funny that if I make a joke about one, that’s the one that circumstances force me to keep. I am a former national-level fitness competitor, and I have been a healthy eater most of my life. One year, I teasingly said I was going to gain 10 pounds. Sure enough, I got so bogged down with work that my eating habits consisted of frequent client dinners out, so I gained more than 10 pounds.

The years that I really put some thought into a resolution I wanted to accomplish, the goals fell by the wayside. This year, I declared (as if I have any real control) that my lupus would go into remission. Before being diagnosed with lupus, I rarely got sick. I would go four or five years without a cold. Even if I walked into a room full of people battling the flu, I would leave and never be affected. My healthy lifestyle is one of the reasons my daughter is so angry about me having this disease. I was that person who would find a natural remedy long before I would resort to any type of pharmaceutical medication. Aside from having lupus, I have been fairly healthy, if that makes sense. My doctors have even noted that I am one of their more healthy patients and that perhaps it is because of how I was already taking care of myself.

So, I decided that I would go into remission in 2018, and guess what happened? I got a hacking cough that has been rocking my body the first weeks of the new year. It entails body aches of a sort that I hadn’t had while battling lupus (and there have been a lot of body aches), along with headaches and fever. So I went off in search of remedies that would help me naturally, some good and some not so good. Pineapples were my first stop, as the bromelain in them is good for helping with coughs and they are sweet, delicious, and abundant here in my tropical home. I used Tiger Balm, and peppermint oil helps with congestion. I tapped into being in Asia and purchased a cough medicine that was disgusting but helped stave off the cough. I had to review my other meds because it contains opium, but it works!

I found it funny and, yes, I mean I laughed. As soon as I put some thought into a resolution that I have zero control over, the first thing that happened was something that rarely happens to me. I am always the one to find the silver lining in pretty much everything, so here is my take on what has occurred: I have now gotten the worst part of what lupus will do to me out of the way this year. (I decided that as well, because I am in control. Right?) I managed to fight a cold while battling lupus, and to be honest, because my immune system is already in disarray, I was quite fearful of catching a cold. Now I can say I am working through it and I am one step closer to my resolution becoming reality. Stay tuned.

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Note: Lupus News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Lupus News Today or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to lupus.