I've been making an effort this week to take more control of my health. I phoned the GP surgery and confirmed my rheumatology referral has been done at last. I've stuck to my calorie controlled diet and cut out alcohol. I've invested in some multi vitamins and glucosamine/omega 3 capsules. Although I don't know if these things will help, it makes me feel better for trying.
I also filled out the forms for a swimming contract as I love swimming and exercise can only be good. This took me a while to do as I'm not good with a pen right now so it looked like a spider had gone wild on the page. Anyway, before setting off I pulled out my swimsuit from the back of the drawer, you know the type with the super sucky in tummy panel, great for my flabby 43yr old belly. Unfortunately my best made plans went a bit awry when I couldn't pull my swimsuit on. My poor stiff fingers were having none of it. In the end after much straining and pain I had to give up I could buy a baggy swimsuit but don't feel confident having my tummy free to do its own thing! Suppose I could do a little more walking with the dogs in the evening instead. Now all I can do is get on with things and hope for an early appointment. x
Best excuse to go shopping and get a new one, what about one of those with a dressy top and big pants. It looks like a skirt when you put it on thus hiding anything you don't like.
Well done for starting to help yourself to get fitter. Don't give up on the swimming yet.
Take care sylvi.x
Okay next things you could do are to buy or borrow a very soft stress ball - or use a large pair of socks rolled into a ball and squeeze gently as much as you feel able. Try to do this everyday - it has made a huge difference to me and I can use a pen again and brush my teeth and even squeeze a cloth out if I use both hands! Also my physio has given me finger exercises to do daily and they do seem to pay off although the stress ball has made a bigger difference I must say. This is to take each finger individually and bend it with the other fingers so it touches (or tries to touch) the bit of palm underneath it. The end goal is to be able to hook all your fingers down by themselves in a kind of clench but I can't do that yet. Also don't fuss about having your tummy held tight - just get a stretchier cozzy and have done with it - life's too short to worry about wobbly tummies - (famous last words I can't face the life guards in our pool watching me but then I've known most of them since birth or for years and I live on an island!)
Finally splash out on a Nintendo Wii Fit and make a fool of yourself in the privacy of your own home - stretching and stepping and keeping a close eye on your BMI with only some robotic trainer or American voice watching - it's great! If none of this appeals don't worry at least you're trying and no one can expect more of you than that. Good luck meanwhile. TTx
my girls have a wii fit , you have inspired me to have a go!
Big pants sound like a plan! I think I will try finding a stretchier swimsuit because it would be really nice to go swimming. Tilda, I got a Wii Fit for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and it is fun. I do worry about having to use it barefoot though because I have rather flat feet. I've not used it this week due to a knee injury from over vigorous hula hooping, although there's no better medicine than a good belly laugh watching your husband flapping his arms while flying across the ocean! I've got a stress ball and I try to use it when Bailey my Jack russell (thats him in my picture) isnt around as he thinks it's time to play fetch when he sees it. x
You make me laugh Paula - I used the birdy one but just can's seem to land on any of those blasted islands with radioacive beams coming off them?! In the end I just carried on flying up and up and ignored the bossy "You are flying too high" so what if I end up like Icarus - a soggy waxen mess on the ground?! Must get hubby to have a try last time he did it was a total hoot - and he has a lovely big nose which quivers when he's concentrating and that was life-enhancing for me too!
Flat feet be blowed you need to wear the big squishy socks before rolling them up into a ball and doing your hand exercises to save your poor feet. I jog, lunge and do all sorts of warrior things now and the ski slalem is my treat to begin and end each session but I admit the birdy flapping did for my poor wrists rather badly a few days ago and so I'm staying off it for a while. I think sometimes we RA people get paranoid that we will pay a price for doing these things afterwards - but the reality is that everyone gets stiff and sore if using new muscles and joints and after a few goes it gets better and goes away. And anyway we live and we learn. My dog has his eye on my orange space hopper stress ball so it lives in my bedside drawer and he just settles for my hats, gloves and socks the wee menace! TTx
When my ra was v bad the physio assistants had to help me off with my costume after hydro.. I soon bought a looser one as I couldnt manage x
Oh Summer I don't think there's a physio strong enough to wrench me into this swimsuit. I think to be honest I've just gained too much weight from sitting on my backside too much and it'd take a shoe horn and pound of lard to get me into it Trip to the shops today for new larger suit! Loving the description of your husbands big wobbly nose Tilda!
i do aqua aerobics and now,believe it or not - aqua zumba ! !
i leave it as long as i can do buy another costume as i know the trouble in getting into a new one! ! so i know how you feel ! ! the last one i bought was really cheap from asda - i know it is plain black and doesnt have the tummy control but at least i can get it on and walk as fast as my fat chubby arthritic legs will carry me to the pool ! !
i too have a dog as you can see if you look at my profile - she was a puppy then and is now seven and still as mad as ever - went out to woods today with normal coloured retreiver and came back with one that was muddy puddle coloured ! ! aarrgghh ! was ready to sit down but no, bathtime for honey and me !!
keep on with the swiming as it makes you feed really good after - i feel i have achieved alot when i have finished .
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I could buy a baggy swimsuit but don't feel confident having my tummy free to do its own thing! Suppose I could do a little more walking with the dogs in the evening instead. Now all I can do is get on with things and hope for an early appointment. x
What is control?
Feeling a little invalidated
Just a little update on a diagnosis.
