Life changes,
we cannot stop the years coming

Life does change, when you least expect it. But we should expect it. One moment you are young and healthy, and you take it all for granted. Then suddenly you are living as a forty-six year old woman, with anklosing spondylitis, is not an easy way of life. The medicines you take, the chemo drugs, the injections often make you very tired. A lack of energy goes with the territory. The result is the progression of the arthritis in your back will hopefully slow down and help you live a longer life. However, as I get older, I get tired, weaker, other immune problems creep in and that is normal life too for me. My doctor says my treatments for the arthritis in my spine are successful for slowing it down. Unfortunately, this is slowing me down also.

I have a son in high school, the year he was in the ninth grade. He was happy enough, he knew his friends well. He has not had to make any life changes since he was a small boy. Nevertheless, all of a sudden, rumors arouse from my husband's work. The Bellsouth was emerging with ATT. Probably; these rumors persisted repeatedly.

When the rumors began to appear probable, we thought about our lives on a long-term basis. We knew we could not find another job to make the mortgage payments we had. BellSouth wanted volunteers to go, or they would begin to let the extras go anyway. We made the decision to sell our house and seven acres. The result was we downsized into a small two-bedroom apartment.

Then numbers began to crunch. We were not sure what would become of my husband's job. Before we knew it, two months after moving into the apartment, we were given a move out package. My husband had two weeks. My son was worried, I was worried. The question on where to go was immediate.

My husband said we would move to the coast. "But what about the hurricanes?" "What about my friends?" my son asked. My husband said "None of that mattered." We were moving to the coast because that is where your mother always feels better, at the beach, closest to the ocean." He was right. There is less pain here. However, I could not believe he would/could do this. The jobs would pay more in the larger cities but, we moved to the Mobile Harbor and the jobs are good. Two weeks after we got the notice, we were moved and living at a house, almost a quarter of a mile from shore.

My son has the nicest friends, a better school to go to, and stays busy doing everything around, when he is not working now. My husband has a great job in Mobile, better than he has ever liked in years. I spend a lot of time swimming, fishing, and a little writing. I see the Rheumatologist twice a year for check ups. Otherwise, I do fine.

It just goes to show, you never know what is behind the corner. Things do work out and it will be for the best. In addition, I have the best husband in the world! Anything can happen.

Life does change when you least expect it, keep your eyes open and your heart, you will pull through. There is not one thing in the world, two people cannot overcome, if they want to. It is just a bump you might hit in the road, that's all.

Learn more about this author, maddie rose.
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