Separating mind from body when the body is in agony and cannot respond as we want it to is very, very hard. The words Gabriel sings are correct: “My body is a cage/But my mind holds the key,” but the music — the melody, the use of minor notes, the slow beat — tell the real story. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching piece of music. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I hope your current flare eases soon so you can once again breathe, rest and recoup. I’m far away, but I understand. You’re on my mind. I’m sending all the warmth, care and calm that I can to you through the ether, high in your mountain city among the clouds. Know hope.
Wow, Friend. You said it. Your body is a cage, but your expression is a meadow, with strong light beams from the sun, and every shade of green you can imagine.
I love this song. I originally heard it awhile ago (sung by Arcade Fire) and have identified with it because of my chronic pain. Sometimes my body really feels like a cage, but I have to live with it.
Last night, I had one of my longest cries in a long time.
On Monday of this week, I called my doctor because my rheumatoid arthritis continues to worsen, even though two weeks ago we upped all of my medications and added a one-month Prednisone boost. One of the worst feelings in the world--even though I know that these meds often ...
After a couple of relatively symptom-free weeks, my rhuematoid arthritis is once again knocking me down. Today I didn't get out of bed until around 1:00 p.m. Even then, I did't much get past first gear...although I am proud to say that even as my day passed by in slow-motion, I was able to make it into the kitchen to ...
"Quality of Life (QoL) is a phrase used to refer to an individual’s total wellbeing. This includes all emotional, social, and physical aspects of the individual’s life. However, when the phrase is used in reference to medicine and healthcare as Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), it refers to how the individual’s wellbeing may be impacted over time by a ...
Nine years ago tomorrow--on the day that I turned 30--I submitted a letter of resignation to my manager. My roaring twenties were over, and I could not be happier. By all practical purposes, the previous decade had been filled with many different successes: I graduated from Columbia, I graduated from Harvard, and only a few years later, I was earning ...
I used to think that accepting the reality of my rheumatoid arthritis meant that I would be giving in to this disease.
As long as I grabbed on to the life that I wanted (thus avoiding what was obviously becoming the life that I had), I figured that I would be okay. For a while this actually seemed to work, and ...
I had big plans for this morning. First, I was supposed to wake up early to take my dog Alva to the vet, so that we could check her blood sugar levels. Then, later in the morning we were going to do some shopping, followed by lunch at whatever restaurant happened to be in the vicinity of wherever we found ...
Many readers know that, for almost the past year, I have been treating my rheumatoid arthritis without medications. Some people have interpreted this as me saying that I'm not doing anything for my RA, something which could not be further from the truth.
During this past year, I attended physical therapy on a 2x or 3x weekly basis, I successfully incorporated ...
Yesterday morning, I started my Friday in my usual way: I left my house at 10:00 am, in order to go to physical therapy. (I rarely ever make commitments before lunchtime, but I will make an exception for PT.)
During my session, we did some of our regular therapies: heat, ultrasound, and electrotherapy. I was a little surprised that toward the ...
This is a rheumatoid arthritis flare:
January 16, 2011
I woke up crying today.
It used to be that I could alleviate some of the pain by staying still…but today, the exact opposite seems to hold true.
It hurts to sit down. It hurts to stand up. It hurts to lay down. Pressing my forearms down on a tabletop, placing all of my weight ...
"Physical therapists, also known as physiotherapists, comprehensively assess RA patients in an ongoing manner. The evaluation of each patient includes an examination of affected joint flexibility, bony alignment/joint deformity, muscle strength, endurance, mobility, ambulatory status, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. It can be a delicate balance to enhance mobility and strength without fatiguing the patient or ...
[[[RA Guy]]]
Separating mind from body when the body is in agony and cannot respond as we want it to is very, very hard. The words Gabriel sings are correct: “My body is a cage/But my mind holds the key,” but the music — the melody, the use of minor notes, the slow beat — tell the real story. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching piece of music. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I hope your current flare eases soon so you can once again breathe, rest and recoup. I’m far away, but I understand. You’re on my mind. I’m sending all the warmth, care and calm that I can to you through the ether, high in your mountain city among the clouds. Know hope.
Wow, Friend. You said it. Your body is a cage, but your expression is a meadow, with strong light beams from the sun, and every shade of green you can imagine.
I love this song. I originally heard it awhile ago (sung by Arcade Fire) and have identified with it because of my chronic pain. Sometimes my body really feels like a cage, but I have to live with it.
Wow.