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Last Sunday (November 1st) was the Day of the Dead. Every year we celebrate, and this year was no different. Here is a photo of the table that we set up, in order to welcome and honor family, friends, and pets who have died.

“The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st, and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls’ Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.”

More Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

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I was up most of the night with a really upset stomach (hence, the really late post this morning). Fifteen minutes after I took my medicines before going to sleep, it felt like a match has been lit in my stomach. It’s has still not settled down completely. I have to work better at protecting my stomach from these strong medications that I am currently taking.

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Spent the day yesterday watching college football. With the beauty of Slingbox, I can stream my parent’s DirecTV over the internet into my house here. If I connect my laptop to my television, it’s just like being in the U.S. I’m all for protecting players and preventing unnecessary roughness, but it does seem like the referees are being a little too cautious – did anyone else see the bad “high hit” call in the Iowa-Northwestern game yesterday?

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I’m having my own version of Christmas Creep this year, and it has nothing to do with stores or shopping. This past week, I’ve started synching my holiday music to my iPod, and have been listening to it on a regular basis. I’m really looking to Christmas this year – my parents, my sister and my brother-in-law will all be joining us!

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Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

Okay, so my ankle protectors aren’t really made out of titanium…but sometimes it feels as if there are.

Although my ankles do get slightly swollen at times, that have yet to show any signs of permanent joint damage. On some days they are weaker than other days, which used to be a problem – until I started using my McDavid ankle braces. Now if I have a day where my ankles feel particularly weak, or if I am going to be walking more than usual, I make sure to put on my ankle braces.

This pair that I use has a lace system, which allows me to adjust for just the right level of support. I then adjust the stirrup straps (my ankles are already in heaven by this point), which provide a great amount of side support…and then top thing off with the final elastic band at the top, which hides the laces and provides that third level of support.

The best part is that with all of these levels of protection, the ankles are very lightweight and still fit easily into any pair of shoes that I normally use. Their black cover is great, and often allows me to pretend that I am wearing just a normal pair of socks.

McDavid #195 Ultralight Ankle w/Strap
Protection Level III Maximum

Worn by the best players in the game.  Why spend the time and money on taping when the #195 gives you the support you need? It’s the most popular ankle brace on the market today. Used to replace costly tape for injury prevention, it features a lightweight nylon/vinyl fabric shell with two “Figure 6″ stirrup straps that may be adjusted at anytime during play without removing the shoe. These straps simulate a professional taping technique that lends additional support and protection for common injuries. Other support and comfort features include a padded lining with a notched front, elastic heel and tongue and a sewn in arch support.

Used and recommended by top professional and collegiate athletes as well as sports medicine professionals nationwide. Guaranteed to last. Fits left or right ankle and any style shoe.

Product Info: http://www.mcdavidusa.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=55&DEPARTMENT_ID=.

I have not received any compensation, financial or otherwise, from any of the companies whose products are included in this post.

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

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This past week I decided to take out my camera and start experimenting with photography once again. My motivation got the best of me, because a day later I was going up a harrowing road on the side of the mountain and didn’t know whether to close my eyes or keep them open – it was that bad!

Once I got to the top, though, it was all worth it. The sun was just setting, and I got to see day turn to night. This photo shows the sun the moment it set behind a strip of houses perched on the edge of a canyon.

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Yesterday I had ice cream for the first time in almost two months! Even better, it was homemade. Made from blended chocolate soy milk, tofu, bananas, and toasted almonds it was surprisingly good. Next up: strawberry and vanilla.

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Tomorrow August 3rd, my grandparents celebrate their 68th Wedding Anniversary. Wow!

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We’re already in August, which can mean only one thing – football season is just around the corner. (Hey, what can I say? I grew up in Texas in the 1970s, when it was all about the Dallas Cowboys.) Don’t worry, I will not be renaming my Sunday blog posts to “NFL Sunday Break”.

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Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

Dual Sport Life
“If you never take chances … you’ll never have anything to talk about.”

My name is Terry. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I am determined to enjoy life and not let this disease dominate me. I live with pain everyday, although most days it is a low scale pain. Dual Sport Life is an analogy of my struggle with RA. I have raced motorcycles for a large of my life, but have just recently found dual sport riding. The combination of my RA and land closure in the National Forrest’s in our area make dual sport riding a good alternative for me. I also love dogs, and have come to the conclusion that “Little Dog” owns us, not the other way around. I invite you to follow my blog as I will be posting on living with RA, dual sport rides and occasionally reliving some old racing memories.

Terry, whose site I have just come across, has been blogging for the past couple of years. He writing brings together his passion for dual sport motorcycle riding and his life with rheumatoid arthritis! This is definitely one combination that I have not come across before.

Granted, I don’t watch the NBA finals anymore. (I just don’t have the time to watch so many games…) But I did follow this recent series on twitter…does that count?

And the truth is, for me baseball has never progressed much beyond a sunny afternoon outing to the ballpark – hotdogs, peanuts, and all. (San Francisco has such a beautiful park right next to the bay, no? I used to work right across the street from there…extended lunch break anyone?)

But if we talk about the Superbowl, I’m there! I certainly enjoy any excuse that allows me to make my homemade buffalo wings, kick back, and enjoy the game. The commercials are usually overhyped, so I really don’t look forward to them as much as some people might. The halftime shows are often entertaining. (Speaking of hype, remember the whole Janet Jackson “controversy”?) But in the end, it’s all about the game – and watching an exciting game is much more important to me than having “my team” win.

My only gripe, probably due to the fact that I have lived outside of the U.S. for many years, is the title of “World Champion” that is given to the winner of the Superbowl. (I think “National Champion” would be much more appropriate.)

The places I have lived in outside of the U.S. are Europe and South America. Being surrounded by what many people consider to be THE worldwide sport, it should come as no surprise that I am now a big fan of soccer. Already, excitement is growing for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as national teams from around the world compete in qualifying rounds.

There’s nothing better than hearing that long drawn out “gooooooooool” as one team scores. No matter what is going on, everything comes to a standstill whenever this word is uttered. I was outside Milan during the 1990 World Cup, and every time Italy played, the city shut down completely, work day or not. Once I made the mistake of going to a restaurant in Buenos Aires as Boca Juniors played. It only took  about two hours for my food to be served, as everyone working in the restaurant was glued to the television for the entire duration of the game.

So as I start get excited about the World Cup matches that are going to be taking place a year from now, I turn my attention to something in my more immediate future: my near-term goals.

For a large part of my life, I have gone from one goal to another. Some accomplishments took days, whereas others took years. Some of my goals are complete (go to college, go to graduate school) and others are still a work in progress (yoga, lifestyle changes). Some are still completely untouched (have kids). Some goals are financial (slowly becoming less important), and others are spiritual (slowly becoming more important).  The one thing all of these goals have in common is that I have often used them to measure both where I am coming from and where I am going to.

Talking about goals brings up one of  my more personal challenges of living with rheumatoid arthritis. As my entire world continues to turn upside down, the whole notion of moving from milepost to milepost is no longer as simple as it used to be. (Heck, I don’t even know anymore if taking physical steps tomorrow is going to be easy or hard.)

For the past three weeks I have been telling myself: “Next week, I will reach a point where I can walk without my crutches.” As each new week arrived, I realized that I had not yet reached this point. In one regard I have indeed progressed, because in the past I would have pushed my crutches aside whether I was ready to or not. (I guess that I was most concerned with the appearance of  progress.) Even as I do the right thing by continuing to use my crutches, I do feel the disappointment of not having met my goals as expected.

I have been careful to not define a specific recovery point. I tell myself that what is important is to continue moving forward, even if I do have to take many steps back during the process. It would be nice to reach a point where my rheumatoid arthritis is in remission, but I am would rather not set myself up for feelings of defeat if this does not happen. I want to stay positive, while acknowledging that there will be negatives.

As I write this, I ask myself once again what “moving forward” means. My head fills with visions of pain-free days and joints that aren’t constantly popping. Being able to leave the house without crutches or a cane seems like an accomplishment. No longer having days where I have to remain within a short distance of the bathroom would be nice. But maybe, still, I am expecting too much.

So as I settle on what “moving forward” means to me, I end up with this: Taking care of myself as much as possible – body, mind, and soul. By this definition, I have been moving forward over the past couple of months.

It is easy to think that I deserve certain rewards for taking care of myself – such as walking without crutches in a week, or finally waking up one day without pain. After all, I have grown up with the belief that for every case of illness there will always be an achievable state of good health – as long as we take care of ourselves. (Get well soon!) I now know that when dealing with chronic illness, this is not always the case.

But maybe I should focus a little less on what I expect my rewards to look like. And in doing so, I just might be able to finally see the many true and unexpected rewards that will no doubt come my way.

I now commit to live each day to its fullest, no matter what comes my way.

As I add this to my list of my personal goals, I find comfort in knowing that I need not rush to put a check mark in front of it and consider it done. As long as it remains open, it will serve as a constant reminder of what I need to do – each and every day.

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

When we were forced back indoors – either due to the late hour or rain showers – not all was lost. There were board games of all types, such as Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, Clue, and Parcheesi. I even remember having hours on end of fun with a barrel full of plastic monkeys. I can’t believe I’m admitting this publicly.

And then there was the game that was all the rage when I was young: Twister. With the large plastic mat full of large colored dots and the corresponding spinner, we had so much fun seeing who could get into the most precarious position without falling down.

Of course, this was back then – when all of my joints were still working correctly. Now, the thought of playing Twister does not have the appeal that is used to. (I wonder why…) And think about it: about the only thing the spinner might be good for now would be to add a little spontaneity to my checkups during my visit with my rheumatologist.

Right foot? Swollen.

Left hand? Slight inflammation. Moderate pain.

Right hand? Visible disfigurement in the wrist. Bright red knuckles. Lots of pain.

Left foot? Painful to step on. Lots of heel and ankle pain. Puffy appearance.

So I started thinking – If today I went back to playing the outdoor games that filled my summer days when I was young, what modifications would I have to make to accommodate my rheumatoid arthritis?

Here goes…

Hide and Seek

First of all, the person doing the counting would have to double, maybe even triple, the count. (How does seven-hundred-thirty-three -Mississippi sound to you?) Before I got into any particular space to hide, I would have to remind myself that I have to eventually get out of the space. During the hide, I would have to stay as still as humanly possible – I wouldn’t want any creaking joints to give me away.

Red Light/Green Light

Definitely need to add a yellow light.

Dodgeball

As I already don’t feel like I’m constant being hit by a (lead) ball all the time??? Okay, I’ll give it a try – as long as the person throwing the ball is blindfolded.

Hopscotch

Only if the lines are drawn on the sidewalk with permanent paint. Chalk would be a dead giveaway – too many streaks. None of this one foot thing – both feet are going into every square. And I’m walking.

Jump Rope

I’m not even going there…

Kickball

I should be able to kick, with my ankle guards, heel cups, and power shoes.  Chances are I’ll even hit it out of the park, with my semi-bionic leg and all. But I definitely need a pinch runner (from home base, that is).

Leap Frog

Rules? What was the point of this game, anyways? No point, no play.

Mother May I?

“Mother May I take a giant step, but first may I get my crutches, and since I can’t really take a giant step can I replace it with four of my current steps instead? And am I allowed breaks?” (Rant: one of the most unfair games of all time…if the person was mad at you for any reason, you were practically guaranteed that any request you made – no matter how nicely – would be answered with a “no”.)

Thumb Wrestling

Forfeit.

Quiet Game

Finally, this is my type of game! No modification required. Growing up as one of five kids, shouting and playing in the station wagon (there were no minivans back then) we were such the sucker whenever my mother asked us if we wanted to play the Quite Game. To this day, she still says those were some of her best dollars ever spent…

Is there anything I forgot?

No matter where this weekend may find you, be sure to make it  a great one. Don’t forget that inside each on of us there still is a little kid – so go play!

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

The electrodes had just been removed from my ankles – for about twenty minutes electrical currents of varying intensity were being delivered to my body. (It’s always interesting to see the look on the technician’s face when they realize just how far up they have to go in order for my nerves to register any sensation of the pulsating current.) And even though I had been warned that five minutes into the session there was going to be a change in polarity – please don’t get scared – I still found myself letting out a short shriek of surprise when that polarity change came.

So while I played with the laser gun (hold in one place and press down on the button until it beeps in approximately two minutes, then move to another point and repeat) the technician took out the ultrasound device and rubbed it around my tendons. The metal surface would have been quite cold were it not for a large dab of anti-inflammatory gel that had previously been applied to the spot.

In between the different treatments on my hand and feet, warm water bags and towels were wrapped around my wrists and ankles to keep them warm. With the inflammation of the past weeks the circulation levels have dropped considerably, causing my hands and feet to plummet to seemingly sub-zero temperatures when left uncovered. (It amazes me how one area – the joint – can feel like it’s on fire while the surrounding area feels like it’s frozen.)

While I would like to say the above is a typical visit to a superhero spa (leave those wax strips right where they are!), I must confess that this was one of my recent visits to the physical therapist. I have been going every other day for sessions that last between an hour and a half and two hours.

Yesterday, in the room next to me was a young rugby player – bearing his latest sports injury as a badge of honor. I soon realized that they entire rugby team goes to this clinic on a regular basis to treat their most recent war wounds. I’m just waiting for one of them to ask what sport I was playing when I got hurt. This time I’m going to be a rugby player – from the opposing team!

My physical therapist gave me a Sammons Preston product catalog the other day and marked off a list of items I needed to get.  Last night I ordered some ulnar protection gloves to sleep with, some padded gloves to use with my crutches, some different types of wrist wraps, padding grips for my utensils, and a really cool knife! As I flipped through the catalog I was amazed at how many types of assistive devices exist. (It was almost as cool as flipping through Best Buy’s Sunday flyer.)

On a related note, this past weekend I stumbled across FunkyArthur, a British online retailer which specializes in modern mobility equipment and arthritis aids. It’s sort of a cross between the Museum of Modern Art and Walgreens. Check it out!

I still have quite a few physical therapy sessions scheduled. The first goal is to bring down the inflammation on the ankles and wrists, followed by the knees and elbows. Once the inflammation seems to be under control, we plan on dedicating some session to strength building exercises. The first few sessions have helped quite a bit and I am looking forward to the upcoming session.

If you have any interesting stories of physical therapy, or have your own great assistive household device that you just can’t get by without, please do share!

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

I have two wood walking canes, one black and one brown. Like a good scout should always has two belts (black and brown) so must a superhero have color coordinated mobility aids. My mother once gave me a folding leopard print cane – I’m not making this up! I kindly told her that she might want to find someone else she could give it to as the chances of my using it were very very slim.

A few years back I was in New York City for a short visit. (I went to college in NYC and always enjoy returning and seeing how much the city has/has not changed.) One day I went to the Cloister to see the famed tapestries, then swung over to the Met to see the Egyptian temple, and then was walking down Fifth Avenue when – BAM! – my knee gave out like a flat tire. (Weeks of constant inflammation had finally caught up to me.)  My walking cane was, of course, at home thousands of miles away.

Needless to say, I had to cut short my plans that afternoon and find a way to get back to my hotel off Columbus Circle. So there I was in midtown Manhattan, bad knee, desperately wondering where the heck I was going to find a cane, when across the street I see a neon “Shoe Shine” sign flickering in a storefront window. It was sort of eerie, I know – just like the movies when some odd little store appears out of nowhere just at the right time (and usually selling items that carry some weird curses).

As I approach (half limping/half dragging my left leg) what do I see? A display of about a dozen walking canes, right there in front of me. I can not believe it! I get right up to the window, when – uh oh. All the canes have big silver handles in the shape of a duck, a steam engine, and who knows what else. No offense to any of my fellow superheros who happen to use this style of walking cane, but as a young guy in my early 30s (at the time) it just did not seem to be my thing.

A quick visit into the store revealed a larger collection of less flashy walking canes. Yes! I chose a classic black wood cane, had it sized (they had a saw – who knew?) and continued on my way. My sister’s wedding was coming up in a week, so I thought this new cane would go well with my tuxedo. (It did, by the way – luckily though, my height did save me from looking like Danny Devito playing the Penguin in Batman!)

So back to the present moment of today, I once again have to get used to the laser vision stares that come my way as I walk down the street. A seemingly healthy guy with a cane just seems to draw a lot of eyes. For some reason, strangers always feel the need to ask me what sport I was playing when I got my “injury”. Uh, I got into a cage match with my immune system, and my immune system seems to have won. I am tired of pretending to be a soccer player, but they always seem to like that response and leave happy. (I used to answer by saying that I had rheumatoid arthritis, but that never seemed to work — too many blank stares, and too many comments on my age.) I was once even asked if I had gotten hurt while mountain climbing. How adventurous of me, no?

I am hopeful that the inflammation will come under control in the near future, and lighten up the grip hold it has on my joints at the moment.  In addition to bringing the cane out of the closet, I also had to upgrade my right hand’s wrist guard from the wrist model to the full forearm model.  (Don’t forget, my wrists are not happy campers either at the moment.) I have to be careful that any strain that I am transferring from my foot to my cane does not cause further harm to my wrists.

So for now, Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy’s superhero nature is just a little more visible as he walks down the street.  Next time you see a young guy walking down the street with a cane and are wondering if he twisted his ankle in a pickup game of basketball, stop – and tell yourself: He just might be a superhero!

If you have any personal stories – serious or silly – about canes, crutches, and other mobility aids, I would love to hear them!

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!