Day 266 – Turn the Blue Apple GREEN!

I’ve been making apples for 9 months now.

I’ve learned so much about so much. What a crazy wonderful ride it has been so far and I love every day I can say I’m an artist, a blogger, and I want to tell the world about Autoimmune Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. Some may ask why I decided to do “Art Apple A Day” – to spend a year of my life dedicated to this crusade and all I can say is that it was just what I had to do.

I deal with this disease but I feel fortunate. The medications help me and I no longer suffer like so many people with this disease do. But, I’ve been there.

I’ve. Been. There.

I’ve been in a place that no one should have to ever be, a place of constant and non-stop pain. I do not want people to have to live their lives this way. I am not immune to the fact that I could be back in that place. The medications can stop working, the options can run out, as they do for many or, I could never have been able to get them at all.

I live with this knowledge but as long as my pain is lessened and my disease is somewhat controlled I feel that I need to work to help people who are in “that place” – I feel a responsibility since I am one of the fortunate. And I feel guilt because I do not understand why I can get a medication that helps and others cannot.

Because of all these reasons – I do this.

Until tomorrow.

Jenna

Day 266 was created in liquid acrylics and watercolor.

*** Please help me “Turn The Blue Apple GREEN” – Today is my 100 day countdown to the end of this journey. Today I announce a new initiative to raise funds for others suffering with Ankylosing Spondylitis. To learn more about this project visit my Apples For AS page – the story written by fellow AS Advocate and friend Michael Smith.

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