Some things haven’t changed: The Lord still provides for my every need, my spouse is my choice partner in life and adventure, and autoimmune arthritis flares come when they’re least expected.

The first two constants I delight in. The third I endure.

I’ve felt surprisingly well over the past five months. I’ve done some diving, gone on a challenging hike or two, and began a new full time job. Joint pain and fatigue have persisted but I’ve kept my regular pace. Until this past week. I’m not sure what triggered the change. It could have been the return of the trade winds, a day of moderate rain, or the walk I took up a paved but steep trail this past Sunday. Whatever it was hit me Thursday afternoon. My knees stiffened and that terribly slow gait returned. Thankfully its easy to make appointments to see my Rheumatologist now. I saw him on Friday and began a pack of Prednisone right away. I’m walking just fine today. It seems like an easy fix, but I’d rather not need the help of stimulants to feel like myself. And yet- the more things change, the more that stays the same.

Pictured: My husband and I before take off in Guam June 9, 2015 (20 hours ahead of Hawaiian Standard Time)

T-shirts hang from the doorway, over the backs of chairs, and on every spare hanger. It’s laundry day. Socks, underwear, and other loose items lay on the couch leaving few places to sit. My husband and I look at each other and say, “What are we doing?” We’ve been asking that since our move from Guam first spun into motion. Now the question should be: “What have we done?”

In Guam it didn’t take 75-cents for a cycle in the dryer that left our clothes damp. We both had jobs we loved. We didn’t need to plan our activities based on the flow of traffic. Our rent was 1/3 of the cost here. There were plenty of dive buddies, and lots of great places to dive. Flights to Asia were short and inexpensive. The people were friendly. It was home.

So why did we move? There were several good reasons. Among them: a new career opportunity, greater likelihood that family will visit, the ability to vote for the president, and better healthcare.

Yes, healthcare.
That was one of the most compelling reasons to go.  I had a good primary care provider in Guam, but no rheumatologist. Seeing one required a flight to the states or the Philippines. While there are some excellent healthcare facilities in Manila- and I would recommended St Luke’s to anyone- it was problematic to me that I had to take time off work to see a doctor. As important as my health is to me, I’d rather use my annual leave to explore new cities and visit relatives. Traveling for medical care also made it difficult to find and choose the right doctor.

The last one I saw didn’t consider the opinions of previous rheumatologists and changed my course of treatment without offering advice when it proved ineffective. I wasn’t confident that I’d find the right doctor the next time I got on an airplane. If I did, would I be able to continue working with him or her from a distance?

In Honolulu there are lots of rheumatologists, all just a short drive away. I had my first Rheumatology appointment here a few weeks ago. It was a brief visit, but a good one. The doctor listened to my history. He examined my joints and asked me what activities I’m unable to do and if I’d like to do them again. We talked about treatment. He gave me helpful advice.

I previously wrote that my goal was to stop taking methotrexate but he advised against making a change so soon. Eventually, he said, I can ween off the methotrexate but there is no reason to hurry. I should focus on being able to run or hike first.

So here I am, in a city full of doctors, and it appears I found a good rheumatologist on my first try. That makes me glad I moved to Hawaii.

Three solitary blasts illuminated the skies over Ford Island as former enemies gazed at the fiery display from below. These thunderous bursts were unlike the explosions over Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. The chrysanthemum fireworks were ignited as symbols.

One to honor the Americans lost in the battles of World War II, a second to remember the Japanese military personnel and civilians who perished in war, and a third for the continuous pursuit of world peace.

Under the canopy of light sat the Mayors and civilians of Nagaoka and Honolulu, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, a relative of the Emperor of Japan, and a descendent of Admiral Yamamoto, the man who planned the vicious attack carried out at that very site.

The observance of the war’s end took place a day early in Honolulu to coincide with the date in Japan.

On Saturday the public was invited past military gates for a much grander display commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese Surrender.

I was privileged to be one of the invited guests on Ford Island Friday evening. Tonight I watched from a lawn chair near the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial.

As I viewed the magnificent show I thought of the irony that pyrotechnics would mark the absence of war.

As a news reporter Samsung voice-to-text also saved me time. When my photographer and I were coming up against a tight deadline I would draft my story on my smartphone while en route to the studio. Frequently I would have the package completed, minus time codes, by the time our drive with finished. This allowed me to have my script ready for editing only moments after returning to the office. When really pushing the clock I’d view my interviews in the car too. Here’s a draft I put together using voice-to-text in my phone’s memo pad. As you can see the app isn’t perfect but it allowed me to organize my thoughts without pounding away at a keyboard or touching tiny letters on a screen. Any necessary changes could be made after opening the script on my desktop computer. Punctuation and formatting commands are available as well. I’m using the feature now to write this post in my WordPress app! I also use it for lengthy emails and texts. It’s simple to use.

Not much is unpacked yet as we’re still acquiring furniture a little at a time.

I’m impressed with how well my body has done through this move. It’s been a long one. The slow-pace has probably helped me in avoiding a major flare up. The most intense part of the move was leaving Guam. That’s when we had deadlines and goodbyes to contend with. After that we had a month-long break while we looked for our new home and began replacing items we left behind.
Now it’s time to get settled again.

Soon we’ll have a place for everything and everything will be in it’s place. Then this small space will feel like home.

Two weeks ago we arrived in Honolulu with two pieces of luggage, oversized carry-ons, and the largest “personal item” I’ve carried onto a plane.

The next day we went to the post office where we had forty packages waiting for us.

Now almost everything we own is sitting in the corners and closets of our one bedroom condo in Waikiki.

We’re not unpacking yet; we’ll be moving again soon. This time we aren’t going very far.

It was hard to leave Guam, but our friends and coworkers threw us a lot of parties to make it easier to say goodbye.

It was especially hard to say goodbye to my television audience in Guam. Below is my last broadcast, with a special goodbye at the end. Esta Guam!

Betsy’s farewell show

The typhoon did have a short-lived physical effect on me. I didn’t feel much differently until about eight hours before the typhoon’s closest point of approach. Later I found this tweet by a weather enthusiast who was following the storm. It shows what was happening as the storm got closer.

My condition declined right along with the barometric pressure drop! My joints felt as though they were tightened by rubber bands, I was overwhelmingly lethargic, and it became burdensome to move. As the storm passed I felt better.

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For most people life has returned to normal too. The internet is back up, mobile phones are working, and only some are without power or water. Yet there are still some without homes.

This is one those days.

The pain in my knees is unrelenting.  My steps are slow and stiff.  Each task is slowed by my swollen fingers. 

Now its time to call it a night. Please Lord help me sleep.

You know that scene in The Little Mermaid when Ariel first comes out the sea but doesn’t quite know how to use her legs yet? That’s happened to me a couple of times in recent weeks.

As a child of the 80’s I know the movie well. Early on I thought crabs and tropical fish would make the best friends. Ariel of course wanted to be human but I dreamed of being a mermaid. Rays, dolphins, angel fish, sea turtles- they were all fantasies to me. I never thought I could really be part of their world. Not until I moved to Guam.

Now I’ve watched sharks bathe, marble rays sleep, mantas feed, and turtles play. Scuba diving has given me intimate experiences with sea life. Like Ariel I’ve explored sunken ships and seen whozits and whatzits galore.

As I’ve written previously, scuba diving has little impact on my Rheumatoid Arthritis. But it does have some. It seems RA is always finding new ways to interfere with my hobbies.

My knees don’t bother me as often as my fingers, ankles, wrists, or low back but when a flare is starting they do lock at inconvenient moments.  Most RA literature tells you joint stiffness (and locking) happens more frequently after periods of inactivity. My experience would suggest that a change in activity- or which part of the joint I’m using- can be a trouble causer as well.

Here is my first Ariel moment: After a great shore dive- where I even chased a flounder- I came up to the surface at a sight called Asan Cut. The tide was very low so my group was able to get up right on the reef and walk to shore. As I came out of the water one of my dive buddies even said “It’s the little mermaid!” I smiled as I took off my fins and got ready to step onto the reef. Just as I put my weight on my legs I fell. Scuba gear and all! My knees just wouldn’t hold. They probably wobbled like Ariel’s did when she took her first step. Thankfully my friends Parker and Craig helped me up. My knees did it again and they helped me again.

The second Ariel moment happened this weekend as I was getting back on the dive boat after exploring Cocos East. When I stepped up from the ladder my leg collapsed and I fell over. The boat was rocking so I’m not certain if my knees were all to blame. This time it was the fabulous boat crew, Zach, and another diver I’ve known for a while, Steve, who helped me stand again.

These hurdles won’t keep me from diving but knowing my knees are now an issue means I have to dive smarter. I’ll need to discuss this point with my dive buddy each dive so that they’re watching me as we exit the water. When shore diving you don’t want to fall and have a wave come before you’re able to get up again.  On the boat I have to ask someone to keep an extra eye on me as I get out, just in case.  (I had no trouble on the second dive Saturday thanks to someone holding my BCD as I got out.)

Also, it’s probably best not to dive during a flare. If that’s my price to be part of both worlds, Ursala, I’ll take the deal.