"Arthur" is the pet name my grandmother and I use for Arthritis. Most people think you have to be old to get arthritis, but this isn't true. Even kids can have arthritis. On March 6, 2008 I was diagnosed with "inflammatory" arthritis...or early-stage rheumatoid arthritis. One in 100 people will develop it. We don't know what causes it, but I believe it is stress related. I did notice that while I was visiting Hawaii, I did not have any arthritis symptoms!
My grandmother has lived with rheumatiod arthritis ever since I can remember. She is the hardest-working woman I know. Now that I have tasted a hint of the pain she has lived with, I must say she is also one of the bravest women I know.
She once told me that people who do not have arthritis don't know how painful it is. I only have mild arthritis, and there are days when the pain robs me of my desire to do anything. If you know me well, you know that "resting" is very unusual behavior for me!
So far, my life has not been too badly interrupted. Cold weather and storm systems moving through are bothersome. I'm like a weather barometer. Simple things like opening a dog kennel or grasping an object can be hard sometimes. Even picking out my horse's hoof can be difficult. That thing is heavy when your hands are weak! The other night at dinner, I spilled a glass of water all over my friend! Just grabbed it and it dropped right out of my hand. (I'd been having a bad day with "Arthur" that day.) Guess I should try cups with lids.
In the meantime, I resort to Advil and take it easy a lot more these days.
Aloha,
Bertie
Straseni Time
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Wow Bertie - sorry to hear that. I remember your poor grandma's little hands and her surgeries. I hate that for you. Hopefully, it will progress very slowly. As my grandmother used to say, "Getting old isn't for sissies" - every day I discover parts I didn't know I had - because they're aching. (smile). Hang in there!
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