[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Lucida Console]For the last few years, my arthritis has gotten rapidly worse, leaving me with a number of limitations. My rheumy has finally controlled my pain with a combination of meds, so that is not so much of a problem now. It is just that I cannot lift anything over 10 pounds, I need to rest frequently, be careful of my knees, etc. I am having trouble accepting all this. I am 57 years old and have severe OA plus other conditions. Anyone have any suggests on how to deal with a body that is detiorating at warp speed?
I know that getting depressed is not the answer! :eek:
Lynne

When life deals me misery, I find keeping a positive attitude helps me get thru the days of misery. Life is never a bed of roses but would be nice if it was! My attitude is that if I am going to hurt any way, then, I might as well do whatever I want to even if I am miserable and move in slow motion and enjoy life.

Misery usually flucuates from minute to minute, so, live every minute to the fullest because the next minute you might be miserable beyond words.

Know one thing, my misery does not hurt half as bad when I have a smile on my face as it does when I have a frown!

I do not have severe OA, but I have some in my left knee in particular. About 2 years ago I began to limp because the left knee hurt when I walked. I did not want to take prescription arthritis medicines because I saw what they did to my father. I know celebrex and vioxx are supposed to be better than older NSAIDS, but I don't trust them. Two years ago I started taking Turmeric standardized to 95 % curcumin. I do not walk with a limp. I can tell that my knee is not exactly okay but I walk as if nothing is wrong. You need to take enough in devided doses to get 1200 miligrams of curcumin per day. If you have gall bladder or bile duct problems you may not be able to do this.

Adapting to limitations

I thought the title ment what items would help you preform daily stuff when the OA limits your ability. I'm 56. I have OA + other things (Don't we all). I do not walk with a cane but I have all kinds of little helper ideas.

If you have higher storage areas (top shelves of cupboards or closets) use those only for items that are not breakable and that are very light weight.

Get a Grabber for those hard to reach things. I have a nice grabber that works extremely well. it's called a "Golden Retriver" I use it to reach up and gently drape the folds in the Window scarf. I use it to grab a plastic bag of paper cups or paper plates from the top shelf. I use it to grab paper towels from the highest closet shelf. I love my Grabber.

Step Stools are a dangerous thing. I bought a ladder. A nice WIDE 4-step ladder with a very nice plastic hand grips on the top and sides. the heigth of the 4-step latter allows me enough sides heigth and top to "pull myself up & hang onto" for balance and security. I only step up on the first step (and no higher) but the hand hold grips on the top & sides allow me security. Wide steps allow my feet a secure space to rest on. You don't want those skinny steps regular ladders have.

I have a Quad cane (4 metal feet). I do not need a cane to walk. I do have OA and misaligned knee bones. if I put my leg down and the bones don't manage to go together right I must catch myself with the other leg. So I use the cane in the bathroom. It sets solidly on it's 4 feet on the floor and I can reach my hand out to it and securely balance myself on the cane when I step that first foot over the rim of the tub. You'd be suprised to know how many accidents happen as people step over a tub rim.

When I do housework at any steady pace I wear athletic knee supports and wrist supports. These help my muscles support my joints better and I end up with a lot LESS pain.

I also have a back problem.. but it's not always there. There are rare random mornings when I wake and my back will not lift me off the bed. For that I have an old simple wooden cane hanging backwards over the head board. I can reach it and use it to brace against the floor and get myself up off the bed. On days when I don't need it, it just hangs in back of the headboard there, unoticed.

The grocery stores (all stores) give you plastic or paper sacks and I find these slip right out of my hands. So I have a large cloth shopping bag with handles and I put all the other bags into it to carry into the house. It's the only way I can avoid dropping them. I know one person who has a back problem and she keeps a metal folding wheeled grocery carrier in her trunck. She unfolds it and places her sacks in it and wheels them into the house.

Just some ideas. These are helpers the public does not see you use and you will have more confidence if you can do more things for yourself safely.

It also helps to have older neighbors. Helping someone 20 years older than you makes you feel younger.

limitations are hard especially after one has had a full life. But you know there are reasons for our limitations.

I am 41 and can't lift over 10 lbs - so guess that leaves out holding my grandchildren for now. But I also know that if I were to life more then I would have increased pain later on. Not like I don't have enough of that already - why add more.

You can do some PT exercise to help keep your muscles strong. This will also help - go water walking at your local ymca Do what you can to help keep the muscles strong.

Another thing is that at times we all feel that we are not as useful as before because we can't do what we did before. Although we can't do them the same way - who says we can't find alternative ways to do them. It may take some exploring but we can still do it.

Like my clothes - I love to wear sweaters and pull overs - so I leave my shirts inside out when I fold and hang them up - makes it easier for me to get on later.