Author Archives: MonicawithRA

Nail Art: Sort of Halloween?

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Still going with the color scheme I decided to try my hand at some full on sugar-spun.

 

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I used Wet n Wild “Black Creme” with one coat of Cover Girl Glosstinis “Flamed Out” as the base for my middle and pinky finger. 

I used Julie G “White Orchid” with one coat Cover Girl Glosstinis “Flamed Out” as the base for my index and ring finger.

I used Milani “Black Swift”, “Foxy Lady”, and Urban Outfitters “Banana Hammock” for the sugar-spinning. Initially, I had a pattern all set up but I ended up just going with the flow of what looked good.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

NAIL Oct. Theme Four: Hallow’een

28 Monday Oct 2013

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I love bright orange and black together so I focused on that color scheme for this week’s NAIL theme.

 

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I love how fluorescent Color Club “Wham! Pow!” is. I used 2 coats as my base.

I generously applied Formula X for Sephora “Bombshell” Effects Top Coat to my index, middle, and pinky finger.

I applied a generous coat of Milani “Sprinkles” to my ring finger.

I sugar spun Zoya “Gwin” and Essie “No Place Like Chrome”. 

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Naptime

27 Sunday Oct 2013

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In honor of my love of naps!

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For the base, I used 2 coats of Milani “Peacock”.

I used the water-color technique for the thumb, ring and pinky finger.

I started with a generous coat of Seche Vite to protect the base. I alternated Milani “Quick Teal”, Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet”, Chanel Le Vernis “Pearl Drop”, and a little Zoya “Adina”. I went really heavy on the nail polish remover because I did not want any harsh lines.

I used a water decal (Christmas collection) from the Born Pretty Store on my middle finger.

I set all nails with Seche Vite before adding one layer of INM Northern Lights for a little sparkle!

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: When in Doubt, Add Glitter

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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I decided to paint my nails at 10pm last night??

I could not bring myself to do anything too labor intensive and on top of everything else, I managed to knick the polish on three nails!

I salvaged the manicure with glitter!

 

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I never thought blues looked good on me but I love Sephora by OPI “Go My Own Way”. It is the perfect navy blue!I used three thin coats.

For the marble, I used 2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear “White On” for the base. I interchanged Sephora by OPI “Ms. Can’t Be Wrong”, “Mr. Right Now”, Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet” and Milani “Peacock” before dunking my ring finger haphazardly into the water. Minus the colors, I am getting an Union Jack vibe?

I am very very picky about my glitter top coats. It’s right there in the name! Top coat! I should not need another one on top of it! Sephora by OPI jewelry top coats are totally amazing. They do not dry totally smooth but the glitters are dense and dry flat! I do not experience a lot of chipping. The glitters are high-shine, even if the base is not. I prefer this since the focus is the glitter!

I used Sephora by OPI “Lights, Glammer-a, Action!” over the blues and “Come to Pappa-razzi!” on the accents.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Now It’s a Slide

25 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Like my favorite childhood game, Chutes and Ladders, I find myself on a spiraling chute. Unlike the game, I do not have any clear idea of how many spaces I am falling behind.

And I am falling behind. Far.

 

Ever since I stopped rock-climbing, I feel like I am on a never-ending slide. It’s too slippery for me to grab the sides and stop myself from falling.

The upsetting part is that I did not stop rock-climbing because the RA made me physically unable. I stopped because of insensitive people’s perceptions of the RA.

In a previous post I talked about what a co-worker told me. That I burdened everyone with my RA and nobody wanted to hang out or rock-climb with me.

I feel alienated at work, I have no desire to hang out with anyone and I am just sad.

 

Rock-climbing was the last thing that made me trully happy. It freed and strengthened my mind, it made me feel good about myself, and it made me feel in control. It was one of those things that was a part of me.

 

I am used to giving things up, I have been ever since I was diagnosed: possibly my career, full-time jobs, biking, bouldering and now I have to pick and choose what I do during the day because I can no longer do it all.

 

This feels different than before. Maybe it’s because it was the last thing that made me happy, and now it’s gone. Maybe it’s the reason why I had to give it up. Maybe I am finally coming to terms with what having this disease really means.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Dumb Sh*t People: RA Edition – Series Three, Part Three

25 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in Dumb Sh*t People Say Series, Rheumatoid Arthritis

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“Is RA contagious???”

 

The silver lining is I can easily separate myself from the people who make me feel worse.

 

I was always one of those people who went into every relationship preparing myself for disappointment.

I know it makes me sound like a holier-than-thou brat but honestly, I realized very early on that people are selfish.

I can count on my closest friends to not treat me differently. They support me and never make me feel bad about this illness. They are my closest friends for a reason. They are the people who I think are selfless, caring, and happy. They are willing to make small sacrifices for me (like instead of going out, staying in and watching TV, etc.) They never ever come back and throw those situations in my face. They are the people I want and need to surround myself with.

Most of the people I have been friends with for more than ten years, some less.

Recently, I deluded myself into thinking that my co-workers and others actually cared about me. Was I wrong. I carried around a false sense of security. They talked the talk, but if the RA affected them they turned and said it burdened them.

Over the last couple of months, I realized that I need to re-adopt the wariness I always had. If someone cannot support me with this illness I don’t need to spend time on them. Sorry, but this is with me for life and I cannot waste energy convincing people this disease will not affect them.

It could take weeks or months to fully gauge how supportive someone can be, so I guess I should thank these people. In just a couple of minutes, with questions like these, they are telling me everything I need to know.

 

Part One

Part Two

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have  RA.