My personal definition: Being 34 and feeling 80- I’m not kidding or exaggerating. My mom, who is 63 and disabled, can do more than I can on most days.
I’ve always been an active person and people who know me, know that I’ve always taken care of myself health wise so Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has changed the definition of who I am. Basically, I’ve got to invent a new definition of myself- who am I now? I’m not who I used to be, and the pain, well, pain changes a person.
I guess my personal definition of RA changes on a daily basis when I wake up in the morning and survey the damage- Can I get out of bed quickly or is it a slow-start day? Can I eat or is my jaw too swollen that day? Can I drive or are my hands too painful, or worse, can I even get my daughter in her car seat (that is the most painful, emotionally and physically). Every day I have to assess what joints are painful and swollen and that’s how I determine what I can do that day. If it's a bad day, I try to stay positive and in my bathrobe.
No comments:
Post a Comment