Friday - Ob-la-di meme

This weeks Ob-la-di meme asks if we are more or less active as we get older?

"If you were retired (or are retired) are you planning to take it easy, lay back and do nothing, or are you looking forward to doing all those things you've been waiting your whole life to do? Will you slow down? Will you speed up? (I feel like going into a "Green Eggs and Ham" parody here, but I will refrain.)"

I don't like going slow
I don't like it, no! no! no!
I don't like the arthritic pains
I don't like it more when it rains

okay...my little bit of fun. But there is a serious side to that goofy poem. At 35 I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. In a nutshell this is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints.I was told at that time I would be in a wheelchair by age 50. I am now 61 and am still walking. But, yes, it has slowed me down. The pain can be so excruciating at times I have to stop what I'm doing and sit down. I find myself cleaning house in spurts rather than one long cleaning session. There are nights when sleeping becomes almost impossible due to the pain in my knees, left hip, and back. Yes, it affects many parts of the body. My hands show it the most with my fingers twisting and the joints swelling. There are medications, which I take with care, and only when the pain gets beyond what I can endure. The side effects of the medications are often worse than the disease and my asthma can react badly to the meds.

This is not the type of pain I used to get when over extending myself skiing or bike riding or playing tennis. Those pains could be relieved by stretching exercises and making myself get moving. Unfortunately with RA you just have to deal with it. There are good days when I am pretty much pain free and I take real advantage by getting outside to prune and trim. I will mop floors and scrub the tub on those days. So, it's not all bad. But when it strikes I am at the mercy of the pain.

But the point is I don't give into it. I learned years ago I could let the pain control me or I could control the pain. So, even on my worst days I am up and moving and getting things done. It takes me four times as long on those days and I can work in 15 to 20 minute spurts before I need to sit for awhile and let the pain in my spine let up. But I am not going to stop living because of it. As long as I refuse to give into the pain it cannot control me.

And I still dream and still have ambitions and yes, I do look forward to doing things I had planned on doing when I retired. And someday I'll actually do them!