Arthritis
Well guys, I am still working on my kitchen! It is taking a lot longer than I thought it would, or wanted it to. But, aside from chronic back pain, I have my health. All I can do is what I can do. After recently learning more about arthritis and how greatly it affects peoples’ ability to do what they love, I am grateful that I can do the things I can do.
This post is sponsored by the The Arthritis Foundation.
Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis
I was recently approached by The Arthritis Foundation asking me if I was interested in helping spread awareness about the disease. Through their Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis campaign, the Arthritis Foundation is calling upon all Americans – with and without arthritis – to learn more about the disease and how they can make a difference. There are currently more than 54 million Americans living with arthritis, and many are unable to do what they love or even perform everyday tasks due to the pain, inflammation and/or joint disfigurement caused by their arthritis.
Let me give you a bit of background (because if you’re like me, the only thing you really associate with arthritis is ‘old’ and ‘sucks’). However, arthritis isn’t just an “elderly disease.” In fact, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65, including 300,000 children. I can’t imagine having arthritis now, much less as a kid, and the fact that so many kids are having to deal with this disease is sickening. Unlike some of the other life-altering diseases, arthritis doesn’t get half as much coverage as it should, especially with as many people as it affects. (Also, the stereotypes around arthritis, like only thinking it appears in older people, doesn’t make people feel like it relates to them or their way of life). To promote awareness, fund research, and ultimately find a cure for arthritis, The Arthritis Foundation launched its first-ever cause campaign—called Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis—as a rallying point to raise awareness about America’s No. 1 cause of disability, arthritis. Which brings me to: the gloves.
Arthritis Simulation Gloves
Part of The Arthritis Foundation’s campaign included sending me arthritis simulation gloves so I could feel (to some extent) what it would be like living with the disease. The gloves don’t simulate the pain that accompanies the disease, but they do limit mobility and make it difficult to do anything, which is very frustrating. I can only imagine that frustration accompanied by pain — and not being able to “take off the gloves.”
Obviously, having arthritis is different than wearing giant gloves, but I definitely felt the frustration of not being able to pick up tools, play the piano, or even put in earplugs. And, essentially, that’s what the disease does; it makes it much, much harder to do things that would normally be a piece of cake. This is why The Arthritis Foundation and their Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis campaign are so important– every day they continue to support the arthritis community by supplying information and resources, impacting more than 22 million people online and 120,000 participants through fundraising events last year.
Madison tells me that my side of the family has trouble taking a break or stopping ourselves when we are in pain. According to a recent Harris Poll survey commissioned by The Arthritis Foundation, I’m not alone in that mindset. Nearly 60% of Americans would be uncomfortable requesting time off of work each month to manage an illness*. With more than 54 million Americans with arthritis, that comes up to around 172 million work days lost annually due to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions*.
Luckily, The Arthritis Foundation is leading the fight for the arthritis community, conquering everyday battles through life-changing information and resources, access to optimal care, advancements in science and community connections. While there is no cure yet, there are steps you can take to adapt so you can continue doing the things you love despite arthritis. Check out these tips and tricks about crafting with arthritis.
Spreading the word (and knowledge) about arthritis is incredibly helpful for those with the disease and those trying to find a way to fight it. Help me raise awareness about arthritis by posting what you love doing on Twitter/Instagram, because not everyone with arthritis can do the things they love. Remember to include the #LetsGripArthritis hashtag and tag your friends too!
*According to a recent Harris Poll survey commissioned by The Arthritis Foundation.
Wow Nichole, thank you so much for sharing your personal story – of living with this life altering disease. I know my experience, wearing those gloves, was nothing like what it would be like to live with arthritis. It made it very difficult to do anything but I didn’t have any associated pain AND I got to take off the gloves. Like you said, living with arthritis, you live with it every second of every single day. I can not even imagine how hard that must be. I am so sorry you have had to suffer so much. I truly hope that you will find some relief. A cure would be amazing and until that is found, I hope for treatment that can provide relief so you can live your life! I can somewhat imagine the mental and emotional tole. I tried playing the piano while wearing those gloves, I couldn’t pay even the simplest tune I know. I’m don’t play even remotely well at all, but playing the piano is therapy for me. It soothes my soul. The thought of having to give that up made me feel very sad. I didn’t include any of that in my video because it was so bad, it seemed comical and I didn’t want my video to come across, in any way, as a joke. It was definitely a very personal experience though, and increased my desire to help spread awareness about this disease.
You just moved up a notch on my hero list!
Great and informative article. As an arthritis sufferer I gleaned some great tips from what you said. Thanks so much.
I’m 70 with severe arthritis in my knees, back, neck and hands. And I’m building my own tiny house! It’s hard.
Can I just tell you I was absolutely WOWED Because I am one of your subscribers and of course I was checking out what the email was in regards to it and was it was just amazed when it had something to do with a life altering illness that I have faced since I was four years old. I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of four, that for the Elgin at the age of 14, TMJ which runs along with JRA, In which I’ve had two surgeries to track to correct that Temporel joint of my jaw. Along the years I’ve gained at least 15 to 20 other diagnoses and that is a bare minimum. Of course now that I’m 40 years old my symptoms are so much worse than they’ve ever been and my body is just suffering more and more with each day. There have been times as a child when I was in remission. We travel to The Mayo Clinic and was very disappointed and discouraged.
Arthritis is a very mean spirited illness it can be very invisible in a way that others never know there’s anything wrong with you. However not hands especially our swan necking and they have taken deformity. I have taken each and every type of biological dad is out there and sometimes I wonder if that could’ve possibly made me in the shape that I’m in today I’ll never know but I often wonder I’m just not the same girl that I wants words and I’m is that person so very much. It’s a very hard and brutal life to live with. We miss out on life , due to the pain is so crippling it eventually causes us to become bedbound, and if most of us were diagnosed as a young child we ourselves have had children and have found ourselves bedbound and a much younger age than most. . I had to say this we displacing though was when I was pregnant I had three pregnancies I lost my middle pregnancy it was a miscarriage but even during the pregnancy all of the symptoms all of my pain everything subsided and it went away that was the best physically mentally and emotionally I have ever felt in my life. Doctor said they have heard this before and it was so true. In the beginning stages of all pregnancies up until the third trimester actually knew what it was like to feel normal and you feel completely pain-free and what it was like to be in a world of normalcy and it was amazing. I have the biggest passion for crafting and I have an entire craft room that is overly start with any kind of craft supplies and tools you could ever imagine my Pinterest board is overflowing and all I ever wanted to do was to make crafts in gear back to others that were in some type of special needs or maybe they had found themselves in the storms of life and needed some encouragement, But when you suffer with RA and other autoimmune issues you don’t have that choice you have no choice you’re lucky to be able to make it to the kitchen To get a glass of water do you take your medicine it’s weird and back to your bed on days when your flaring or the weather is bad. See in my case we tried every regimen, we’ve tried every biologic and they’ve all just made my symptoms worse we just can’t find the right combination of anything and we have been working at this for years.When I have a flyer I am absolutely on recognizable I don’t even look like my stay off my face swells up my tongue it’s thick and you can’t even understand what I’m saying and I literally just passed out and I sleep I have to sleep it off there’s no waking me up and to top it all off I have something called idiopathic Hypoaomnia, cataplexy & not ruling out narcolepsy. Crafting has always been my biggest passion I’ve always loved it and I have a special needs child it is gifted in the biggest way and honestly it’s beyond anyone’s comprehension how she’s able to do the art work that she does but she’s been entrusted with s very special gift is all I know . I just want to thank you so much for making awareness about rheumatoid arthritis it is something so hard to mentally and emotionally and physically live with every single day of your life. When you have a career that you live every day of your life have to go to work for and you have to say goodbye to it because your body refuses to continue the fight it’s hard and it’s not easy when you’re someone who is a hard worker and that’s all you’ve known your entire life is to work and how many ppl aw fortunate enough to actually love there jobs Wells was one but the RA took that and so much more away thank you for making awareness about a topic that so many suffer with but yet so many of those suffering don’t have the compassion that they truly deserve and need . Missing out on life and missing out on making those special memories with your kids is not anything you did wrong so never ever accept the blame no matter who toes to place it own you from there lack of caring to know more about your illness.