Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Really, it is an experiment.

because of flaring since Wed and it not getting better I was unable to go to daughter's Thanksgiving dinner Sat.

I want to cook/bake a few dishes Wed to take to Chuck's family Thanksgiving dinner Thursday.

My plan is to take it very, very easy. Not even fix my own plate of food. No picking up house. No washing dogs. No washing/drying clothes. Not even fixing a sandwich.

I know Chuck will fill in the gaps while I am trying this.

Of course, I do not want to live like this everyday but if it really helps me gain energy and flare subsides it will be a weapon I can use whenever I do want to go to a family gathering.

Surely, I can handle a couple of days of "nothing" to be able to do "something" I want so badly.

I am even going to lie down on my bed and nap a few hours a day.

Ooohhh...I am praying this works. Please, pray with me.

Hugs dear friends

I am feeling a bit better and want to go into kitchen and do the few dishes in sink. But....I am not going to.

I must finish my experiment.

I know I can do this. It's only for Mon and Tue. And if it works I will be baking a Brown Sugar Chess Cake, Squash Cassarole, and Sweet Potato Cassarole Wed.

Chuck is making a huge pot of Black-Eyed Peas/Smoked Ham Hocks, 2 large skillets of Cornbread, and a gallon of dec sweet tea.

The best thing about our food choices is all of them taste better after sitting for a day. I assume the flavors have time to meld and become richer in taste.

We will have all foods ready Wed and all we have to do Thurs is load it up and head out. About an hour drive and it is a pretty drive.

Edna/Bob are coming to our home Wed and go with us to the dinner. They are our precious friends from AL. and will spend a few day with us. Edna will make her yummy Pineapple Cassarole. I love this dish.

She always fixes a big country breakfast the next morning after arrival for all of us. I am awakened by the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Bacon, Sausage, Milk Gravy, Biscuts, Scrambled Eggs, and coffee. Usually a jar of her homemade jam is on the table as well as sliced tomatoes and real butter.

It really takes me back to when I was a kid and Mama started breakfast before we awoke. How nice it was to get out of bed and have a hot breakfast waiting for us. Shoot, the smells coming from the kitchen made me want to jump out of bed quickly. LOL!

I will probably be writing often since I will be so still. Hope all bear with me.

I am excited that maybe, just maybe, my experiment will work and I can have a lovely Thanksgiving with family enjoying stimulating conversation and great food.

I will take my cane and use it as I walk even if it is only a few feet. Chuck did find a way to make the handle part I grip much larger so as to keep me from making a partial fist and feeling the hardness on my hand

Of course, I will still have fingers bent but not as before. Plus it is softer, though firm, and fits more to my hand without pain from a hard surface.

I intend to use the tools I have to save my energy instead of using it up doing things on my own.

Pride cometh before a fall...is true for me. Because of pride I keep trying to do things on my own rather than use my tools. My mind tells me to go ahead and walk the short distances without the cane. Most of the time I can but in doing so I just used up muy precious energy when I could have saved it for other things like going to family dinner.

Anyway, I will let you know how my experiment goes.

Hugs

I agree listening to your body makes life easier. Some times I have pushed...just to a certain limit because pushing too far will ultimatily cause more harm than good.

I have found sleeping whenever I feel the need is crucial in keeping me feeling as well as possible.

My sleep hours are erratic. Days, nights makes no difference I just sleep when I am sleepy. I do not have a pattern at all. Sometimes I sleep in 2-4 hour bursts. Sometimes I sleep for 12 hours. A few times I have slept 16 hours or days in a row I have slept more than being awake.

I have noticed when I do that I feel much better when it is over. It must be my body did need all the extra sleep. Really like recharging my body.

I fought sooo hard the first couple of years of RA to try to establish a sleeping pattern of old. It just didn't work.

So, I gave up that fight and simply followed my body's rythem. Much, much better for me.

Yes, there are problems caused from using this method such as having company, going out to eat, meals at home, doc appointments, etc. But, we deal with them the best we can.

When I stopped fighting to have a more "normal" sleep pattern I realized I had not lost the battle. I had won.

Hugs

Hoping and praying that you have a wonderful, pain- free Thanksgiving.

Keep up your experiment and if it works, maybe we can all learn from you.