So 2018 was a fairly quiet year for me due to health reasons, but I still headed off to cover some events during the season working with clients and a few publications, after taking the winter off completely, lots of hospital & doctor visits and new medications I finally seem to have my Rheumatoid Arthritis under control I am not now in pain all the time (woohoo) which has meant my mental health is better I am not down and depressed about the fact I was struggling to do things, simple things like brushing my hair and cleaning my teeth!
Working was very hard last year after a days photographing I often within moments of stopping I would seize up with my body stiffening making it hard to move or do anything, the pain was like nothing I've ever felt before! The medication i had been on previously was just not helping or making any difference, even the "wonder" steroid injections that used to give me almost complete relief for 3-4 months were just not helping. I don't think I have cried as much as I did last year, some of you who know me will know that I always have a smile on my face, often giggling and laughing, although as much as possible out in public I tried to keep this up, as soon as I was on my own in a hotel room or back home I would find myself crying my heart out, feeling I was letting friends and family down, hating the feeling of being so helpless with the pain.
Rheumatoid usually affects the joints of the bones, and until last year I had some pain and movement issues with manly my hands and arms, throughout 2018 I found it was affecting my legs, knees & hips, feet, toes through to my ankles, arms from my shoulders all the way to my hands (which were more like little claws than actual hands) various fingers would seize up and get stuck in a position, most of the time i actually struggled to straighten my fingers out! I even found I suffered with excruciating back pain, across my shoulders and down in my lower back, there were times I couldn't say tell what part of me didn't hurt.
After getting approved for a new medication at the end of October, and starting it the next month, after being told that it can take up to 3 months for the drug to get into my system and start to work I was amazed to find during December my pain was becoming less and my movement was becoming better, I could take the dog for a walk and not seize up once I got home, although my hands were still getting stuck in claw shapes the pain was better, I made sure to take it as easy as possible, not trying to push my body too much because it felt a tad better.
The one downside I did have is that because the new drug (which I am taking alongside the original drugs) also like the Methotrexate the new medication also lowers my immune system so trying to avoid the winter lurgy's has been almost impossible, and because of this for me a cold is never just a cold it means I no doubt end up with secondary infections such as throat and chest infections, and things like gastroenteritis will last longer as I will struggle fighting it off, (so if at the start of this season you see me with a scarf up over my face its not necessarily that I'm cold but using it as a face mask to ward off the bugs haha).
Now we are in February and I can say I feel better than I could have ever imagined, I feel like my old self again, ready to take on the world and getting back out there doing what I love. I have been out on 2 photo shoots so far this month and thoroughly enjoyed being back behind the lens, back capturing those special moments.
I am really looking forward to the rest of 2019 and getting back out there doing what I love, I will once again be attending various British Evening, Showjumping & Dressage events as media this year, working alongside clients and publications with various projects during the year, and looking forward to seeing and meeting many of you out and about across the country at events, if at any events you see me please always feel free to come and say "Hi"
I will be adding more to the website and starting to offer more things like Pet & Equine photo shoots, yard visits and photo shoots, schooling photo shoots, photographing shows, events, commercial and business shoots, (if these are something you are interested in please feel free to contact me until I have set these options up on the site).
If you have any requests, have any projects I can help with or just want to chat to me about what I can do for you, please contact me on 07950 262628 or at lorraineporterphotography@hotmail.com