Hey all, welcome back to my little corner, on Arthur’s Place. First of all, I’m really sorry that I’ve been so quiet of late, however the last few months have been pretty full on.
So, despite being on my meds, and trying to keep as active as possible, unfortunately my body is still at battle with RA.
My joints have suffered another big hit, so I’ve had to deal with that. But there is some good news as well. I finally returned back to work for the NHS part time at a specialist hospital in London; however, it’s not all been smooth sailing.
I had been looking for a part time job at a hospital for a while, until I finally came across a posting for a part time HCA to join the bank agency at the hospital. It was perfect timing. I had been back in the country for a couple of months, after coming to the end of my extended vacation back home in India.
So, after a lot of thinking about it, I finally decided to go for it. I was asked to attend an interview, but whilst I was really thankful and happy that I would finally be able to get back to doing something that I love, at the same time, I was worried that my colleagues wouldn’t understand the ongoing challenges that comes with having a pre-existing and chronic condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. 
Sadly, I’m also a patient at the hospital that I’m working at, so I had to adjust to having to work with, and bumping into my consultants, and doctors on a daily basis.
I absolutely loved being back at work, but I’m pretty sure that my body didn’t, as it fought me pretty hard when I started back.
Even though my dream was to return to a full time HCA position at the hospital or within the NHS, I actually started to really enjoy being a part time paediatric HCA, as this allows me to work as much as I want, but I can also take time off, if I need it or want to, as this allows me to pace myself more and to give my body a well-deserved rest when needed.
Unfortunately, just as I was finally getting back into a working routine, the world was suddenly put on pause by an awful virus that decided to come out of nowhere.
So due to this, for the past few months I have had to shield, due to my due to my suppressed immune system as a result of the medication I am currently on for my arthritis and the multiple medications I am also currently taking for my asthma.
My workplace, being a hospital, has been understanding about all this, so they have said that they are very much looking forward to seeing me when I am back at work. However, I also know that because I have not been able to get to work that they may say that I am no longer needed at the hospital, but I pray every day that will not be the case.
The one thing that I have learned from battling the constant fatigue and the aches and pains that come from having arthritis is that you have to pace yourself and you have to really listen to your body, as it will tell you when you need a bit of a break.
Never be afraid to admit to yourself that you may need a bit of a break or rest every now and then, as that is completely fine.
That’s all for now folks, but stay tuned, as I will hopefully be posting my next blog post soon 😀
