If you are anything like me, this time of year is a Catch-22. I love the heat. Let me say it again, I LOVE the heat- most of the time. I love when it's hot out during the day. I love to spend time out in the sun. I am happy to eat out on my patio, to sit outside and read in shorts and a tank top, to feel the sun warming my joints. The rub is that I can't sleep in it so even if we didn't have the pup to keep the house cool for, we would have to keep it cool at night for me and during the day for my opposite-shift-working husband. Unfortunately, in Kentuckiana, along with the heat comes humidity that can be oppressive. Now- most of me doesn't even mind the humidity, but my joints do.
When the humidity rises it's an invitation for my entire body to swell. It's like my body wants to draw that moisture in and keep it all for itself. I mentioned when I took my day off that my shoe size ranges from a 6-9 (or more) due to swelling but my hands and wrists swell like balloons too. So I end up with Flintstone feet and fingers like sausages. It's not cute at all. I mentioned that the feet burn when I use them. The hands don't hurt much- they are just harder to use due to the swelling so typing is harder, gripping is harder- you get the idea.
Now, I am a "ring girl". I love, love, love rings. As a rule I wear 8-10 rings at all times. I wear my wedding ring and anniversary band on my left ring finger, a knuckle ring on that middle finger, thumb rings on both sides, and three rings that are important to me on my right ring finger. When my hands swell- they hurt, a lot. So- I have been removing them when they start to cut in so much that I need soap to get them off but that leaves me feeling...naked. While I have accumulated most of the rings over the years, I have been wearing a wedding band for 30 years and though I have had to go up a size from the original- not having it on feels like I am missing a part of myself.
Recently I gave myself permission to buy myself a "spare". Just like I have shoes that are much larger than normal, I bought an inexpensive silver and glass wedding set to wear when I can't wear my real set. It's pretty-ish ( I prefer 10k gold) and I know it's not the same but it's the symbol and I am not missing my rings as much. When I bought my bigger shoes it was a decisive action because I was tired of only being able to fit into flip-flops with swollen feet. These rings are just another work around so that I don't dwell when I swell. Kind of a way to move past this side effect and keep going if you know what I mean. I may not be able to beat the swelling, but I don't have to let it win either.
This is my question for you- what do you do to accommodate so you can keep feeling "normal" while your body is in a mini rebellion? Whether you swell like I do or if there is another reoccurring thing that happens due to your illnesses, what small things do you do to rise above it and keep living your life?
3 comments:
I hate humidity too. I was once told it could not be arthritis as I preferred cold. Yea.
I swell up bad. I have muffin tops for ankles and knees that wont bend. I do take a water pill to keep some of it at bay. I have been know to go into a restaurant at lunch time and ask for an extra glass of ice, then wrap my hands around it. I put my feet up in public too. Or put that glass of ice on my knee.
I don't drive a stick anymore. My knee would swell too much to push the clutch in.
Good luck with your summer.
When I read this story I realized just how similar it was to my condition.
Years ago, when my children were young, I developed rheumatoid arthritis. I became practically immobile and put on a lot of weight. Every move felt like torture and my knee joints suffered so much strain that I got osteoarthritis in my early forties.
To make things worse, my husband left me for a "friskier" woman. After I got over my rage at my husband leaving, I realized that I had to do something drastic unless I wanted to be a cripple for the rest of my life.
Fortunately, after searching far and wide, I came across some simple natural remedies that made my body feel better than I could remember. My joints loosened up and I had energy like I was running on rocket fuel.
Most of what I did is detailed right here in this article:
http://www.journalofnaturalhealth.com/arthritis
Hope it helps anyone reading this!
Hi Julie. Sorry – I can't find an email button… :) I really love your attitude of gratitude! So important! :) Also, so great to see people blogging and helping each other out in this worldwide autoimmunity epidemic! Please bear with me if you don’t know me… I am not selling anything or taking advantage in any way. I suffered horribly with psoriatic arthritis and other autoimmune issues, but rejected medication and decided to go my own way with it, studying and experimenting for years until I succeeded in reversing it. This book is my story from diagnosis to success with all the crazy wrong turns and magical discoveries that happened in between (with a foreword by well-known neurosurgeon and biohacker Dr. Jack Kruse). I’d like to just let you know that it is FREE on Amazon Kindle for the next three days from the 26th, so if you’d like a copy, go and grab one. I really hope that my story inspires, and if you’d like to leave an honest review, I’d be very grateful.
Link below to Amazon US, but it is available in all territories.
https://www.amazon.com/ARTHRITIS-Psoriatic-Rheumatoid-Arthritis-Autoimmunity-ebook/dp/B01HRLWSRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468398566&sr=1-1&keywords=phil+escott#navbar
Kind regards,
Phil.
Post a Comment