One of the most frustrating things about RA is having to deal with the sometimes-disability – sometimes I feel more like a normal person, and others I feel like a 120-year old lady. Although, this can also be a blessing, because that means that I can do more sometimes.
I often talk about how having the RA for basically my whole life probably gives me an advantage, because I don’t remember a life before it. It also means that I’ve missed out on some things that others with RA have gotten to do – gymnastics, sports, etc.
I’m really fortunate to have gotten to go on a vacation in May. We did a lot outside that I did not expect to be able to do. My arthritis cooperated for the most part. It did get bad towards the end there, but the worst day was when we were flying back home.
I know that I’ve talked about my vacation a little here and there, but it’s pretty amazing when you look at the things I did over those two weeks…
- Sat in planes for like 5 hours on two separate days
- Hiked a little over a mile into the forest over rocks to find a waterfall
- Hiked up a butte
- Toured a lighthouse, then hiked down from the lighthouse to the beach (in flip flops, nonetheless)
- More hiking to waterfalls and Crater Lake
- Walking around in the Oregon desert (yes, it does exist)
- Climbed around in a lava field, hiked a lava butte, and toured a lava river cave
Oh, and did I mention we stayed one week with my uncle and his FIVE girls, age 8 and under?
Since then, I haven’t really done a lot of physical things – other than moving and helping other people move. But I’ve also been working 8 hour shifts at a job where my main thing is standing at a desk…
I’m really excited to be able to go on a mini-vacation next week at a water park. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do, but playing in the water will definitely be worth it.