September 21st, 2018

What do you think about my schmancy new gloves?  Nifty eh?  And they are pink!

This was one of the recommendations by the arthritis specialist that I visited this week.  He and all of the staff were really very nice. I never once felt rushed. He was thorough, asked a zillion questions and then listened, actually listened to my responses.  As doctor visits go, this one wasn't bad at all.

He determined that I do not YET have rheumatoid arthritis. Whew!  Although he does believe that it will develop over the next 5 - 10 years. So there's something to look forward to (not!). I was told that what I do have at the moment is a particularly aggressive form of osteo arthritis and I'm teetering on the brink if something called Erosive Osteo Arthritis which I haven't even bothered to look up because it sounds unpleasant and I think right now I want to just bask in the non-rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis afterglow.

The mitts on my hands are compression gloves.  And well, I'm still trying to get used to them.  Points for being pink and not grey or some other blah non-colour.  They are fairly easy to put on and take off despite my declining hand mobility so a few more points for that. But huge negative points for driving me crazy.

I tried wearing them at night but I find that I take them off in my sleep!  HAH!  All I can assume is that since I never like feeling closed in and by virtue of it's very purpose, compression gloves....compress, they definitely close my hands in.  It's a claustrophobia thing. It's the same reason I prefer my clothes to fit a little loosely and I need lots of windows that are not covered by shades/draperies. Open!  Not closed!  In a previous life, I was probably a cat.  (Cats notoriously hate closed doors/windows).

So since I cannot seem to control myself while I am sleeping,   now I'm experimenting with wearing them during the day as long as I'm not doing something that will get them dirty, like cleaning, cooking or yard work.  Which kind of leaves typing, reading, playing the piano.  So right now, while I am typing this blogpost, I am wearing the gloves.  Which is slowing me down something fierce because my movements are constricted enough to make me make a lot more errors than usual, which in turn means constantly going back to make corrections! ARGH! 

I think reading would probably be fine. When I'm reading I don't notice ANYTHING else. It's me and the book and that's it.  But playing piano I think will be an even bigger challenge than typing.  I haven't tried it yet, but I will.  Maybe I will get used to it.  Let's just start out assuming that I will. 

I will not be wearing them outside.  Not because I give a damn what anyone thinks but because it's too damned hot.  Still.  Maybe when it's cooler I could try it.  In fact, in the winter maybe I will appreciate wearing something on my hands!

The doctor's other suggestion was to take Alleve on a regular basis instead of Advil only when I cannot bear it any longer which is what I was doing.  In other words, stay ahead of the pain instead of trying to catch up to it.  And Alleve as opposed to Advil because Alleve is supposedly a 12 hour medication meaning taking less medication and I'm always in favour of that.  So far I've managed to remember to take Alleve two times this week, at night.  So I am not doing a very good job on that end, but I will try harder.

He said that there are shots as a possible future thing but he would advise avoiding it as long as possible (Ok I'm good with that) and he also threw out the possibility of me going to Occupational Therapy which I declined for now at least.  It would just one damned more thing on my schedule and I honestly prefer to find new ways to do things on my own.  The things I cannot do, there are no work-arounds for. I wave byebye to those things and concentrate on finding new ways to do the things I can do. Pragmatism.

As far as everything else goes, it appears that I am doing  the right stuff, exercising, eating (mostly) right, having a good attitude and bless his heart he did not say one single word, not even a hint of a possible suggestion, that I need to lose weight. I am liking him better by the minute.

Unless I have a problem, I don't have to go back for three months. Yay!

So that is the result of the appointment with the arthritis specialist. Aren't you glad you asked?

Please everyone have a wonderful weekend!  Have fun and be safe :)