Fear......

[Guest guest]

wrote: I am trying to maintain a happy outlook as the holidays

are upon us but it is difficult. I am scared about what is to come.

Ardeith writes: I can understand your fear, but you cannot let it rule your

life. I know, that seems like a trite thing to say, but it's true. If you

focus on what you fear, you will enter a downward spiral that can lead to

deep depression. Yes, there are legitimate things to fear with RA.....the

loss of mobility, the stiffness and pain... but you have to think past them.

If you play the piano, run a mile every day, or do anything else that

requires great physical ability, you are going to find yourself more and

more limited. I'm sorry about that, but you are more that your physical

abilities, and you can learn to compensate for your limitations so that you

can live as full a life as possible.

Your feet and ankles hurt, but you love to cook? So, learn to do as much as

you can sitting down. Chopping vegetables does not demand that you do it

standing. Get a stool and low table and chop away. Chopping hurts your

hands and wrists?

Find a place you can buy an ulu.....I'm not sure of the spelling of that,

but it's a knive the Inuit made that has a semi-circular blade beneath a

handle.....my Fred is a welder so he was able to make me one, and it

distributes the pressure of chopping so that my fingers are more protected

and the whole hand is involved. Yes, it still hurts sometimes, but

cutting and chopping things is easier. I haven't figured out how to wash

dishes without standing yet.....so I do them in stages....and sit down when

I need to........

Learn to do something creative whether it be drawing, painting, sculpting

clay, stitchery, or writing. If you can create beautiful things, despite

your limitations, you will feel better about coping with life. And don't

say you can't draw a straight line. Most sketching does not require

straight lines. Nature does not seem to believe in straight

lines.....except for some crystal developments......nature is all curvy

lines and sometimes wavey lines.....but not straight lines.

If you need to use your physical abilities to earn a living, maybe you could

teach your brain to do that for you. I've a friend who can't walk, but

makes her living writing technical manuals for various companies, and

another friend who teaches history despite his crutches. Our bodies may

let us down, but we've got good brains.....if we can learn to use them. I'm

sure you can.......

You have to focus on what you can do.....not on what you can't. And keep

learning. Keeping your brain active and learning can help......you won't

have much time for brooding about what you can't change if your brain is

involved with learning something new. Astronomy is a good one, and I enjoy

geology too......can't go hiking in the mountains, but I can learn all

that's known about how this old world is made. Keeping your brain

stimulated will be vital in the years to come......

Ardy