Readers Respond: How Do You Win Battle With Arthritis?

Living with arthritis pain, day in and day out, is not easy. There must be days when you would like to stay in bed and pull the covers over your head. Going to work or keeping up with your daily routine must be overwhelming. It must be tempting, some days, to scream out that you can't do it. How do you keep from losing the battle with arthritis? How do you keep going? How do you do it? Share Your Secret

How Do I Do It

I have had RA for 3 years. It started in my feet. Doctor was aggressive with treatment and within a year it slowed down and has been in remission but I'm still on all medications. I try not to worry about flares when I get a painful day. Worry seems to aggravate symptoms. Prayer and family are my lifeline.

—Guest renee

Go with the word go

I have the same problem since last so many years. Earlier I was keeping myself packed in my room and just giving rest to my body in an attempt to be fit. Slowly I realised the time I am wasting in this. I moved out of all and started living my life like normal people. Now I am happy and living pretty normal like any other guy. Yes sometimes I feel my body movement a little slow but its ok to me. There are some days when I am not keeping well at all and have much pain in joints, I keep myself at full rest these days, take painkillers and try make myself pain free. Once reached normal pain level, I again start my routine of normal life. Now I am covering all part of country to roam and relax, ensuring to live life at fullest.

—Guest nitesh sanghi

Winning the battle

I pray and trust that God knows what we need to live with this. Healthy eating like tons of greens and beans and fruit, exercise everyday like walking or yoga or swimming, manage stress like deep breathing and singing and laughing. Hot baths and electric blankets are my best friends.

—Guest sue

Have I given up?

I have taken medical retirement. I have enough trouble looking after myself without trying to work. I have OA in both feet, ankles, knees, hips, lower spine, shoulders and hands. I also have gout and high blood pressure. There is no way I feel I could work, it is difficult enough to cook, clean the house, tend the garden and clean myself, some or all of these frequently get left. I have little or no social life and have suffered from depression for years. My government's disdain for disabled people frequently leave me frightened and despairing of losing the small benefits I do get. However, I am still managing to keep myself going just about but I sometimes wonder why.

—Guest Dave

How I Cope With Arthritis

I cope by doing what I can to help prevent flare ups. When I do have a flare up, I attempt to be gentle with myself...giving myself a break.

—Guest lanelocust48

Share your secret

Exercise, pain killers daily, positive outlook, try to keep upbeat about the whole situation although sometimes laughter does not come easy.

—erikafogazzi

Hurt

I am attending physical therapy sessions. They have forced me to focus on my problem, finally. I have been trying to ignore it, but that's impossible now. One subject that has come up is hyperlordosis. I would strongly urge any woman who has had several children to look up the meaning of this word. I think it is probaby very common but not well known. I am just learning about it myself, so won't elaborate.

—Guest Hurt all over

I am just now fighting back

I lived for 4 years in my bed and slept through my life that way. I finally decided to quit smoking because I knew I was filing for disability - laying in bed in pain and mental illness for 4 years will do that to you. Anyway, I quit smoking and then I started feeling a little better. Then I started trying to get up and get some movement in and I found a site called SparkPeople.com. I have fallen in love with this site and in 4 months, I have gotten my body to be able to move much better than before. It still takes me an hour to get out of bed, but I can get up and walk now. I have lost 22 pounds during this time and I don't plan to quit. I am hoping the disability comes through just so I can get my healed, broken bones fixed and then go back to work. It's nice to WANT to wake up every day. Before I was just lying in bed waiting to die and wishing I would just die so it would all be over and I wouldn't be in pain every day.

—Guest Angela

Renal tr recipient with AVN, gout, osteo

Twenty six years of post renal transplant living with limitations - physical, has never limited my spirit to live. Side effects of medication in the form of gout and osteoporosis with T score of -3.8 has posed a challenge to my will power and I wake up every day from my bed with a prayer and smile to enjoy yet another day. Life is beautiful despite the daily challenges to meet with personal needs. It is lot more easy when u say 'I am fine' and get along with your efforts. I have learned to take life as it comes and no comparison with others who may seem better off - relatively. What matters in life is love, compassion, and accepting others as they are and to remember that every one of us is unique in our own way.

—Guest srinivasan

Keep moving!

I know it's hard and counter-intuitive to exercise when you ache. After feeling sorry for myself, I determined that the rest of me didn't have arthritis and really didn't enjoy the lack of exercise. I found some caring instructors at the YMCA and started slowly, and cannot believe that the experts were RIGHT! Moving - even a little bit - feels so much better than doing nothing. I'm already resuming activities that I thought were long out of reach. Be good to yourself, go gently and keep active!

—Guest Trish

How to cope with arthritis

I try to take one day at a time. If I have a bad pain day, I remind myself that tomorrow will be better and I just take it easy. I agree with Shelly, it is fixable with surgery. But I am trying to hold off on that as long as possible. I swim 5 days a week, do Tai Chi, lost 50 pounds and do use medication carefully. For now, I can deal with it -- walking is great exercise and I keep telling myself that moving about is the best plan. I challenge myself to go a little further each day..

—Guest Betty B.

Dealing with RA

Well, I try to eat right plenty of fruits and veggies. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week walking, little strength training and take my anti-inflammatory meds. Stay positive! Get outside as much as I can..

—Guest Gloria

Indoor pool

I walk in an indoor pool three times a week -- makes it easier.

—Guest jeanne supplee

Coping with arthritis

I am one of those unfortunate few who have had no specific diagnosis as yet, though it is inflammatory arthritis of a sort. I walk a lot and carry on with the housework sitting down when it all becomes too much. I have also stopped trying to pretend nothing is wrong and will use a stick if needs be. I also get up early and take a warm bath to ease the stiffness and take it easy before shuffling off to work. Have a little daughter and make sure that I am cheerful and happy for her all the time, even when the pain leaves me feeling depressed.

—Guest Jay

How I do it

I work a 40 hour job with arthritis that is bone to bone. I take meds. I am getting a knee replacement. I will exercise to strengthen myself until I get close to normal. I realize that aging is not for the weak. I work somewhere that the customers are much worse off than me. I feel grateful when I am not feeling sorry for myself. I realize that you can't be 27 forever.

—vivela60