Time....and Lack of Motion

stickywicket

There are many time zones in my life. One son lives in California so, in addition to Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time I also have to be conversant with Pacific Time and Daylight Saving Time. However, the one that causes most confusion and annoyance is the great discrepancy between NBT (Normal Body Time) and ABT (Arthritic Body Time).

Mr SW, along with most of the rest of the world, operates on NBT and, despite more than 50 years of co-existing with ABT has no real concept of the latter.

NBT allows 5-8 minutes to drive me to our health centre. ABT requires 15.

NBT has just agreed to pick up some stuff on Monday which will have to go in the very bottom of a suitcase so I can't pack until Mon pm for an early start on Tues. ABT had planned to pack Sunday and have a leisurely Monday in preparation for a 26 hr day on Tues.

NBT says he'll pack. ABT knows that will involve days of ironing on arrival not to mention squashed presents and broken cameras etc.

NBT blithely assumes a meal for visitors can be knocked up in minutes. ABT has to factor in as much resting time as prep time.

NBT says it's not far. ABT says how far.

NBT can still do late nights and early mornings. ABT struggles to manage an either/or.

NBT is blithely confident. ABT is a grumpy old cow

Numptydumpty

So much of this rings true, but it has to be said, I know I've never met you, but, you come across in many ways to be many things," a grumpy old cow " is definitely not one of them.
Numpty

dreamdaisy

You? A grumpy old cow? Yup, that's about right. No Sticky, far from it, as usual you take a major irritation and describe it with humour. Of course NBT is blithely confident because he is a bloke; they comprehend very little of the feminine world, let alone the arthritic feminine world. Twerps. DD

Boomer13

That is so true. You really have a way with words, Sticky, even if in ABT.
You made me laugh..

dibdab

Bless the NBT other halves in our lives- how would we cope without them :shock: .

Keep smiling- you'll get it all done somehow-women always do despite the bits that barely function or positively hamper us.

Deb

dreamdaisy

Hmmm, of course we cope, if only out of politeness. We have to absorb the well-meaning interference from healthy twerps who think they know better. I guess the NBTs will never understand the life-demands of us ABTs and, for sure, vice-versa applies. Who can explain the one to the other? :?

I think Sticky has nailed a very important point in our day-to-day lives: I come into contact (as do we all) with health 'professionals' who are revoltingly healthy but feel they can advise us on what we should (or should not) do. Yeah. Try walking unaided in my shoes (because I can't) for 24 hours and then we'll see how preachy you can be. DD

stickywicket

:? I'm actually rather glad my health pros work on NBT. Think how long the ops would be on ABT And, I really prefer my surgeons not to have hands like mine Physio, too, would be fairly useless if they were all hobbling about on crutches. (Oh a glorious image, though We must write the screenplay )

We live in an imperfect world. And we arthritics are, paradoxically, the great jugglers. Right, I'm off to pack before the rugby. It will take a long time but my name is SW, I am an arthritic Superwoman. (Even if I won't feel like it by the time I've finished )

barbara12

SW I do love your post, we no you must be suffering but you always make lite of it... brilliant how you put these thing together good luck with hubby and his NBT and whatever you are packing for, your sons I presume sorry if I missed something,,have a really lovely time...xx

Starburst

I think we should 'sticky' your post Sticky. It's a great explanation of how we function or not function, depending on the day! I admire how you pick yourself up and keep going, you're imaginative and creative. You always seem to find a way to deal with the curveballs that life throws at you. x

villier

Sticky just the tonic I needed, you are such a positive person and see the humour in everything, a GOC never................you should be on the stage. Thanks for the laugh my day has just became more positive...................Marie xx

stickywicket

:oops: :oops: :oops: Thank you, everyone but I'm only so positive because I've been lucky enough to have a very good life despite the arthritis (and, in some ways because of it) and because mine is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. However, I promise you all, I can still do the Grumpy Old Cow thing. Just ask those who live with me

dreamdaisy

My take on it is that you've had a good life because you refuse to let arthritis dominate: you acknowledge its presence but it has not been the be-all-and-end-all of your existence. DD

toady

stickywicket wrote:

Mr SW, along with most of the rest of the world, operates on NBT and, despite more than 50 years of co-existing with ABT has no real concept of the latter.

This is the astonishing bit :? can I add the lack of imagination among one's able-bodied fellows, as they seem to need either a) one's snail-pace life in all it's grooty non-functioning detail described in 6-foot letters (don't wish to do this thank you!) before they use a bit of nous & make any allowances.

I don't really see that more than a rough outline of poorly+no job+no not much else is necessary before people twig that while you are happy (ish ) they can skip about unhampered and that you don't begrudge them their health, that hearing they have been 'walking their legs off' on hiking holidays is a bridge too far. Yes I'm glad you're fit, but no funnily enough I'm not a saint! Yes, that extends to the elderly quadruple-bypass family friend who comes up for the week and promptly visits every local attraction you haven't been to in 30 years, and the pal who is rebuilding their house brick by brick with their bare hands in the time it has taken you to paint the front door and hang a pair of curtains, and.. Oh you all know the sort of thing, fill in your own.

Point is, I think I would have the sense not to harp if positions were reversed. But maybe that's an illusion borne of never having blithely been on NBT?

toady

stickywicket wrote:

Mr SW, along with most of the rest of the world, operates on NBT and, despite more than 50 years of co-existing with ABT has no real concept of the latter.

This is the astonishing bit :? can I add the lack of imagination among one's able-bodied fellows, as they seem to need one's snail-pace life in all it's grotty non-functioning detail described in 6-foot letters (don't wish to do this thank you!) before they use a bit of nous & make any allowances.

I don't really see that more than a rough outline of poorly+no job+no not much else is necessary before people twig that while you are happy (ish ) they can skip about unhampered and that you don't begrudge them their health, that popping in to see you after a day when they have walked the dog, cycled to work, done a whole day, been to the supermarket and after this will be going out for the evening is actually quite hard to stomach; and that hearing they have been 'walking their legs off' on hiking holidays is a bridge too far. Yes I'm glad you're fit, but no funnily enough I'm not a saint! Yes, that extends to the elderly quadruple-bypass family friend who comes up for the week and promptly visits every local attraction you haven't been to in 30 years, and the pal who is rebuilding their house brick by brick with their bare hands in the time it has taken you to paint the front door and hang a pair of curtains, and.. Oh you all know the sort of thing, fill in your own.

Point is, I think I would have the sense not to harp if positions were reversed. But maybe that's an illusion borne of never having blithely been on NBT?

Boomer13

Sticky, you may be a GOC sometimes (aren't we all, even a few NBT's...) on ABT but you are a very articulate one. Thanks for the tale. My opinion is we should include it with Spoon Theory and Gorilla in the House.

I can really relate; living on ABT means that I often feel like I live on an entirely different planet to those around me. Although, if pressed, the GOC appears and sets NBT folks straight on their impatience with ABT me. GOC is a very useful at times

Oh, and I actually am grateful for my ABT sometimes. Having been an NBT with absolutely minimal patience, I find I am now a very patient person who takes a lot of pleasure, even if painfully, in doing small things well.

toady

I have no idea how in editing and adding an extra 'and another thing' I have double-posted. :oops: Do excuse.