How has arthritis changed what you do for enjoyment?

Wow! @ToneBlues I'm sure you didn't write this to impress us but to find out what others do. Even so, I'm impressed. I've banged on for years that the more inflexible the joints, the more flexible the mind must be and you have just proved it. Instead of clinging to what you had and letting that make you miserable, you moved on and were later rewarded by finding a different way to get a similar enjoyment. I'm even more impressed because we're talking about being a musician and I know how that kind of gets into the soul.

OK so, at 15, when my fingers could still play the piano but were hitting all the wrong notes due to the RA, I gave up a mild ambition to be the soloist in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto. This was definitely a blessing for the world. I still loved music but I kind of loved boys a bit more so I coped😉 From time to time I tried other instruments but this was all before DMARDS and now it wasn't just my fingers so that didn't work. However, what did work was that I gave birth to a musician and, when he was doing composition for music A-level i decided I'd have to have a go. I took one OU module. It was hard year but I loved it. Since then life has always brought me his concerts, his choirs and it's wonderful.

Pre-RA and, during early periods of remission, I loved hiking. Musician son's brother has been into sport from an early age (He was playing football at about 5 month's gestation) so I still got in some walking at football, rugby and cricket matches. Cricket is another addiction of mine so 'walking a wicket' became an obsession. I aimed for 3 walks round the boundary per twice weekly match. When he left for uni I took up riding for the disabled. Many happy years until my surgeon got a bit precious about my knee revision so then came the wheelchair walks - I'd walk a bit and ride a bit. I always got ejected for the steep, uphill bits but, hey, that's marriage😄

When No 1 son moved to L.A. and his little lad started baseball, that became another obsession to the point where his Dad now fixes a camera to the fence and we can watch, over here, in real time on our TV. I draw the line at the UK grandson's rugby. I'm now old and it's cold so that's Grandad's job.

From the first son being 9 months old I've been involved in doing voluntary work. At first it was nice just to mix with adults(!) but I've always found it really valuable whatever kind I've done. Now that I'm decidedly knackered, my rollator keeps me walking (a little), my sons keep me entertained with music and baseball, the England cricket team keeps me very frustrated😆 but, as cricket is the family religion, it's a shared frustration, and the voluntary work keeps me out of mischief. Well, some😉 I learned to adapt, change and thoroughly enjoy.

Before PsA came upon me very quickly I was a keen walker, amateur photographer and DIY'er. I also enjoy cooking. 17 months on I'm back to walking but on flat surfaces mainly - inclines and declines are a bit of a problem so no hill walking for me and my labrador Ben. I've been thinking of selling my cameras as my right hand isn't back to normal and unfortunately that's where the shutter button is. I'm lucky I'm left handed and I've got more control and power in my left hand. DIY is an issue as my wrists and knee preclude doing a lot of stuff. I also need both hands to pick up cooking pans and I've kitchen tools to open lids, bottles etc.

@frogmorton I love your wonderful cheery outlook on life despite the challenges, and its of course the best approach, hard though it is, better to look at the glass half full! Thank you always!

@jamieA Shame about your camera, but perhaps you could sell it and find one with a remote shutter button? Or maybe there is a bluetooth remote for it?

my new kitchen gadgets!

@jamieA Yes, def miss the DIY and heavy tool handling. Now tinkering with small electronics & modifying kit.

jamieA

Yes, I had one of those! but as I remember you still had to screw the cable into the shutter button (and the trigger wasn't that reliable) but I get what you're saying about the need for a tripod etc.

I know I’m a lightweight compared to many sufferers, but my arthritic hip pretty much knocked my favourite leisure activities into a ditch. I went from the very fortunate position of taking my fully functioning body for granted all my life, and given our family history, anticipated doing well into old age. So at 62, this has been a really tough adjustment. 9 months post THR I’m coming to terms with the fact that some of them aren’t coming back any time soon, if at all, and certainly not to the extent that I once enjoyed.

The big treks and peak bagging are now replaced by short low level walks, but a year ago pre-op even those were impossible, so I’m grateful for this much at least. I sometimes need help getting over stiles or on the odd awkward downhill step (I’ve only fallen twice so far). My husband has found an alternative walking buddy, so I don't have to feel I’m restricting his enjoyment too.

I’m looking into getting a sit-on kayak, as shoe-horning myself into narrow cockpits, or even worse rolling out of one upside down, is no longer feasible. Horse riding? Given the muscle weakness and groin pain, may not happen again, which breaks my heart, but can’t be helped. I watch it on telly instead.

Gardening is still possible with a bit more help from hubby, but it feels pretty daunting sometimes. I do it in short bursts, carefully.

I miss my yoga and pilates classes, as I had really benefited from them, but there are too many moves I can’t do now, so I exercise at home, trying to remember moves and making up my own routines, but it’s not the same as joining a class. One day maybe my body will have healed enough to go back again. Dancing is out of the question, as my balance is so poor. Shame, as I loved a good session at live venues. I wiggle about on the sofa to bands on the telly instead.

However, all this has made me discover some old pleasures I’d forgotten. I’ve knocked the dust off my guitar (literally) and am really enjoying rediscovering this, and I also knock out the odd poem or two when the mood takes me. I’m looking into evening classes, and may get involved in a few local charities. I’ve had to drastically reduce my workload (I’m self employed), as some aspects are too physically demanding, so it would be good to find something else productive to do.

Life is different now, as my surgeon warned it would be, and I do feel sad about what I’ve had to give up, things that were so much a part of who I was, but that doesn’t mean there’s no enjoyment in life, there’s plenty out there that doesn’t need me to be super fit. I would have had to face this at some stage in life anyway, for me it’s just come earlier than I expected.

I had to take my dog to the vet last week as he had started limping. He weighs 25kgs so it's easier to check him out on the floor. He was a bit skittery so the vet asked if I could help to calm him. I thought nothing of it and knelt down to give him some moral support. At the end of the check I couldn't get up. The vet and her assistant had to give me a hand to get back to my feet. That's the first time out with a hospital environment I've needed assistance from anyone outside my family. It's a sobering thought - especially as I still really enjoy walking on my own with my dog.

On a lighter note one funny thing that's occurred in the last week. My right wrist and forearm has swollen to the point I've had to move my watch to my left wrist. As I'm left handed I've always worn my watch on my right wrist to avoid damage. I wear a Garmin Forerunner 45 watch that monitors heart rate and counts my daily steps. I've set it to notify me when I've reached 10k steps in a day so I was surprised when I got the notification whist standing in the kitchen cooking. I've since found out it's not as clever as I thought and records stirring as steps. Oh well - back to the drawing board.

Just simple things like exercising, walking the dog, travelling and a reduced feeling of being competent in life. I would like those back.

Hi everyone. I am a 63 year old woman and have osteoarthritis and a right hip replacement. I have a fusion at the top of my spine and prolapsed discs going down my spine and I have crippling back pain. I have just recently been told that I have rheumatoid arthritis. I am in constant pain 24/7 and it really is impacting on my life. The last couple of days has been the worst . All my joints have swollen up and i feel like I’m walking on a bed of nails..I am pretty restricted what I can do exercise but I do what I can. I am a big reader and music listener, if I did not have these I don’t know what I would do. I don’t know hat my day will be like until my feet hit the floor, but whatever happens my glass is overflowing and I get on with my day.

Julie

Hello lovely members,

I have been asked to post this to see if any of you would be interested in sharing your story with Versus Arthritis. Stories are really helpful as they show no-one is alone - and they share positive ways forward

Thanks

Yvonne

PS This is open to anyone who would like to share a story, not solely for contributors to this discussion x

@ClaireX you have done so very very well imagine that? you did more than another 30 years through shear determination.

I don't think you should give up yet either if you can help it. Have you looked at the gentle stretches available on here?

If you struggle to read now have you thought about audio books?

Keep chatting to us lot and keep on going ((()))

Toni xx

@ClaireX

I was also an avid 'manual book' reader too. It's the smell and feel of those pages isn't it? You do adapt though and you will too. I can tell you are a positive person and that really makes a huge difference to how you cope with having a long term condition.

You are right we are lucky😊

Take care and make sure you keep posting!

Toni x