My Mom's Swollen Fingers

Starting when I was young, my mother would complain of pain in her knees, fingers and hands. I never thought much of this,I was young and I often thought she was either faking it or even after watching her run scalding hot water over her hands to get them to open and close, thought the she was greatly exaggerating the amount of pain she was feeling. She would sometimes ask for help that we kids would grudgingly give. I never knew. I couldn't imagine. I had no comparison for the pain she was going through. I didn't know what arthritis was, even when I knew that was what was causing the pain.

But now I know, arthritis is hereditary. I have it, in a stunningly ironic twist, in my hands, my knees and my fingers. I was lucky, my onset didn't happen until I was in my early 40's. My mother's onset happened in her early teens. Knowing the pain now, I marvel that she was able to take care of four children, much less carry those children for nine months until born. I have wondered how those savaged knees supported her and the baby.

Arthritis is a horribly disabling disease, twisting the joints and attacking muscles with pain so terribly hard to describe. The best I could come up with was:a fingernails down the blackboard, gears grinding over and over in a truck or car, or maybe the sound of silent tears.

Arthritis is a hidden disease. It is hereditary. If either of your parents have it, the odds are you will too. Often the onset of arthritis is caused by a great shock to the body. My mother was hit by a car as a young preteen. It can be brought on by a bad fall, a car accident, the death of a parent, sibling, or spouse. The shock does not have to be physical, it can be caused by great stress also.

There are over 100 types of arthritis. The two we hear the most about are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. Osteo attacks the bones and rheumatoid attacks the joints. Psoriatic arthritis attacks the skin. Other types attack your muscles, your glands and your organs. This disease can take over your life if you let it, but with some simple adjustments to your lifestyle, you can take your life back.

Do not get overtired, sleep 8 to 10 hours a night. Take a nap if you feel your energy collapsing. Accept the new limitations that have been placed on your body and work with them. You can often expand those limitations if you work gently with your body. Find a gentle form of exercise, swimming, water exercises, yoga or tai chi are good examples. Do not sit or stand in one place for long periods, move around. Eat healthy. Try to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Eat or drink more soy products. Green, leafy vegetables are very good for you. Try eating more fresh vegetables and fruit. Eat less red meat. Try to limit your meat to cold water fish like salmon, tuna, herring or mackerel and some chicken. Drink plenty of water, vegetable soups and juices.

These are the things I have done to improve my quality of life. You will have to find your own combination of methods to help you. Arthritis is, after all, a very personal disease.