Hanging tough!

When things are rough, hang in tough. I know, most folks say its easier said than done and growing up I so often thought the same way but the older I've got I have learned you have to do this even when life tosses its worst at you.

I hung it tough in my truck race Saturday night in the top 10 and came away with a 5th place finish. I hang in tough with my RA too, grin and bear it through the pain and persevere in the end as victorious! Victory is a victory, even if you're paying for it and hurting from it at the finish. Hang tough and strive for your best finish!

~Mrs. Laura

The Difference Maker

My parents told me when I was a child that our attitudes determine how we'll do in life and what we'll get from it. If I ever got discouraged, my mom or dad would tell me try again and that a solution is found from making mistakes. I stuck by this throughout my life afterwards with my music when I was constantly rejected by record companies and kept plugging away and it really has struck me ever since my RA diagnosis. If we're negative about what we're given, we'll get the negativity in return that we put into it. It works the same if we're positive and try to make the most of what we're given, we WILL get that in return.

No religious views will help us see things positively if we're constantly negative, there is no quick fix solution. The repairer of attitudes begins within US, not with someone else or behind beliefs. We can all make a positive attitude if we grit out the tears and hard work, anybody that says otherwise has never tried or they gave up when things got too hard.

Make that difference, be positive. Never let negativity drag you down!

Starting off and finishing strong.

How do you stay and finish strong against an opponent like Rheumatoid Arthritis? By not letting it defeat you at its worst. I admit that it is a struggle for someone like myself to get out of bed in the morning with RA, some in those shoes would want to give up and not get up but I've learned that doesn't get anybody anywhere in any form of life. No matter what life deals us, like I said in my past entry it is up to YOU on how that life goes. We can either make the most of what we have or we can let what haves us control and take that most away.

I use my medical marijuana for when I first get out of bed and get to wake with my tea in the morning and then when I'm unwinding during the evening hours or before I get into the online racing events. It eases all that pain, stiffness and negative energy that would try to come through when I wake and makes most days manageable and worth seeing through what the day has in store for me. I was skeptical of using the marijuana at first, even reluctant, because of the bad things people would say about the drugs but with the challenges I was already facing, I thought to myself what is one more challenge and why hold back on taking chances when life is full of them.Honestly how I feel about folks who look at marijuana in a bad light are those who have never tried it and simply rely on the naysay of the world around them instead of looking at the world in 3D and with BOTH eyes when they live in a 1-Dimensional box and only see with their ears.

I finished 3rd in the truck race on Saturday night and even led a lap. Was I in any discomfort? Yes, I'm always dealing with some but I hung in there and stayed strong throughout the night. The picture above is me in that race, going against two folks who are family close to my heart. Jessica and Robert are very sweet people and I cannot imagine my life without them in it. We may compete on the track but we know in our hearts and off the track that our bond cannot be broken and comes first.

After I'm done with my batch of marijuana in the evening, I spend time with my wonderful and loving husband Paul as we reminisce about the day and cherish that we've made it to the end of it together. That is how every day ends for me, with him and not feeling that I am facing the world of RA alone. We need support to deal with the pain, may it be friends and family or even the one you are married or engaged with. It may not always be enough to be the cure-all, but it is sure a HUGE percentage of the total package.

Bless you and post again soon.

~Mrs. Laura

Not only is it a race against my family and friends, it is a race against the clock. Making the most of a world that my worsening joints is trying to steal from me. I've learned since my diagnosis of RA in 2008 that when we lose the ability to do one thing, we need to find the next ability that we CAN do. I was almost tempted to give up on the world, so very close to doing it but family and friends kept pushing me to find something better that I could do while encouraging me that life was not over but just entering a unique chapter.

That's my race car that I posted above for the E-League, which I run in. Despite dealing with all the pain and stiffness in my joints, I beat over 40 other drivers in 2015 to become the league champion. 10,458 laps are how many I ran that year. It's an incredible number when looking back on it and how determined I am to do my best and be the best me that I possibly can. We're all dealt different cards and those cards have all the potential to slow and drag us down. Its a matter of how you deal with that hand, you can either put your faith in and get the royal flush or settle for the high card. It is all UP to you.

Post more again soon. Bless you all.

Mrs. Laura