Sometimes plans change suddenly and quite a bit.
Friday, I drove home from work and stopped to take a few pictures of two lush fields of blooming sunflowers. I stood on the edge of one of the fields for a few minutes thinking of the fun weekend I had ahead of me while trying to ignore the ache in my right hand I hadn’t been able to shake.
Divas, taking care of yourself means being tuned into your body enough to know when something is off and not ignoring small signs of impending trouble.
I’d been tired – very! – for a few days and the ache in my hand was persistent. There was also heat around a joint and some swelling. Putting the clues together, I realized that I was having my first rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flare in years.
Uh-oh.
I once had a flare so severe my hands clawed and I couldn’t drive. (That one also involved my ankles. It was terrible.) Proper treatment and frequent check-ups have kept my condition at bay, although I’ll probably never make a tight fist with my right hand.
In the past, I would have ignored what my body was telling me, insisted on keeping my plans, and wound up weaker and sicker than necessary, and done that quite literally by my own hand.
Instead, I took to my bed like a Regency debutante avoiding an unwanted caller.
All through yesterday, I aggressively rested, meaning I never got out of pajamas or left the house. I played a great number of puzzle games, finished a light mystery, and drank water every time I was near a faucet. I drowsed most of the morning, afternoon, and evening and took ibuprofen on a strict schedule, hoping to avoid the need for steroids. Today I feel much better, but will still do very little. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist on Thursday and hopefully this flare was just that – a random thing that quickly fades back to my usual baseline.
We’re all getting older, Divas – a privilege denied to many. Pay attention to your body and keep it active, but don’t push yourself into injury.
And notice the flowers along the way.
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