Arthritis

[vaneramos]

Arthritis runs in Mom's family. She manages the pain in her knees without a cane, but others have been less fortunate. Aunt Gayle was confined to a wheelchair by the time she died in her 50s.

I've always attributed my pains to sore muscles until this summer, with several bad flare ups in my hips, knees and feet. Walking on pavement aggravates it. I described the symptoms to Mom and she said with shock that it's probably arthritis.

Today I went shopping with Danny. For the first time, he had to slow down and wait for me, the one who always strode ahead of everybody else. An aggressive driver sped towards me on a side street, expecting me to hurry out of her way. Idiot! If I had a cane I would have waved it. Then I realized this has begun restricting my mobility.

I need to consult the doctor and find out what to do. Would getting back to light weightlifting be good or bad? In the past it seemed to help. Mostly I have my dad’s excellent constitution. I don’t get sick easily, and don’t like to complain about my health.

But I’m only 41 and this sucks.