Stuff....long.....

[Guest guest]

Eileen wrote: I guess everyone is at different stages.

Ardeith writes: We are. I was dx'd in 72, and I'm 63, now. I have what

some might call a lot of damage, hands, wrists, elbows, some in my feet, and

now my doc says I probably have inflammation in the bursa around my sit

bone....bursitis...which explains why it hurts so much to sit on anything

too hard. My hands may be ugly, but they are functional, even if I can't

type fast enough for most job qualifications.

My mother was dx'd in the fifties, and she couldn't tolerate the meds

available then. She had much worse damage in all her joints than I have.

Many of those dx'd in the last few years have a chance to avoid a lot of the

damage.....sometimes I envy you, you know?

Eileen wrote: But if I overexercise, I am worse the next day ....trying

to find a balance.

Ardeith writes: What sort of exercise? Stretching, bending,

flexing.....gently... can help keep your joints functional.....but the hard

stuff that jars the joints will make you pay....as you are learning.

Eileen wrote: I really don't even know for sure that I have RA.

> The primary care doctor says if it is RA, I will feel alot worse

> than I do now. I can't imagine.

Ardeith writes: You need to get to a rheumatologist and get the lab work

done. Then you'll have a better idea of what's going on with you. And

yeah, if you have RA, you could indeed feel a lot worse.....but getting a

diagnosis, and getting on the meds can keep you functional and lessen the

permanent damage RA can do. One thing I don't think the docs stress enough

is that just dealing with the pain, just enduring it in order to do the

things you want, is very tiring. Your body has to work very hard to cope

with the pain, even if you are just sitting and reading. You do get

tired.......and other people can be cruel...or maybe just thoughtless, when

they encourage you to " get up and DO something " !!! Your body is already

doing something.....it is trying to function despite toothaches in the joint

s........

Today I'm paying for my expedition into town yesterday. The elbows and

wrists didn't like controlling the steering wheel, the feet didn't like

walking around on concrete, and my back didn't like standing up long enough

to scan the used science fiction books at the used book store......I stopped

at the grocery store on the way home and got fried chicken, potato salad,

and coleslaw.....I wasn't about to try to stand up and cook dinner! I

spent too much on used books, and used audio books, but books are how I stay

sane (as sane as Ardy can be, anyway) I escape into books.....and while I'm

reading, I'm not brooding about how much I hurt. Then I put on an audio

book to listen too while I stitch....keeps me from brooding then, too. If

I didn't have books to escape into, I suspect I'd get really depressed......

and I'd rather read than do the pill thing for depression.

But my boys caught a small rat last evening.....there's a hole in the

flooring where we can't get at it to fix, and the tree rats come

in.....anyway, here's this four month old kitten with a little rat (mouse

sized) dangling from his mouth (his brother caught it, but Mischief stole it

from him) and he's trying to growl at the dog who is dancing around wanting

the thing herself! She nails any big ones who dare to come into her house.

And brother is lurking around wanting to steal the prize back from

him....which he eventually did. Oh, how he does love his prey! He pats it,

he licks it, he tosses it into the air, he shoves it across the floor just

in front of his paw so he can fantasize about how he caught it again. I

pity the little thing, but I'm glad I've got such good ratters.....and I'm

relieved when they finally kill it. The dog doesn't play with her

rat....she just chomps until it quits wiggling...her tail wags madly the

while. Both kittens go around with their tails high, stalking along on their

tippy-toes, acting like they think they are big bad panthers, and they don't

want to be reminded that they are housecats....no petting or even talking to

them for an hour or two. Then they are ready to sit on a lap and be cuddled

again.......

Ardy