A topic that is the heart and raison d'être for A Rheumful of Tips. I explained more on Why 365+ Tips:
"Life with a debilitating and chronic disease presents challenges that make those three words sound like they are spoken in a foreign language. Everyday tasks, that many take for granted, can prove to be painful and frustrating, not only draining your energy, but making your world smaller. Every day, a new challenge can present itself.
My experience of surgeries, hospitals, labs and doctors’ offices adds up to quite the encyclopedia of patience. Necessity makes a good, if not reluctant, teacher."
A Rheumful of Tips was my daily year-long blogging project. I began on September 19th, 2011 with a post entitled One Day at a Time and a salute to autumn. An earthquake moved me out of retirement and it grew to 500 posts. It lay dormant for a while, then I reactivated it on September 26th, 2016 to participate in the 2nd Annual RA Blog Week. Thanks, Rick!
You want tips, tricks, strategies and tools moving through life with RA? The categories on ART cover a number of areas you encounter (and may struggle with) on a daily basis.
When I was first developed symptoms forty years ago, there was no internet, no dollar stores and very little in the way of a community.
If you needed a special tool, you made an appointment with an occupational therapist and they might be able to make it for you. It wasn't cheap. Now, a number of companies make everyday tools that are RA-friendly. You can often find what you need in a dollar store or easily adapt what you have at home.
Shoes? The shoe box was more attractive than the orthopedic shoes. Today's fashion is much more forgiving for RA feet. Casual shoes are wider and definitely more attractive.
I could go on about how much more accessible the world is today - yes, there is still room for improvement, but when I compare then and now, the differences are vast. For that, I am thankful.
Learn from others, find out how they live well in spite of a chronic illness, then adopt or adapt what they are doing to make it your own.
You always have great tips. I love all the articles with tips you have shared on HealthCentral. Learning from others – this is so important and we are so fortunate to live in a time that we have a large community.
Best advice ever – learn from others. I can always use advice like that.
40 years. Wow. I have been a pharmacist for about that long. I remember when Methotrexate was the breakthrough drug. It is still the gold standard, but we now have so many more options, such as biologics. We have a lot to learn from you! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cathy,
I know. 40 years – I can hardly believe it.
The drug I first started on was Entrophen. Times change, don’t they?