Aside from being exceptionally challenging for me last year, Christmas taught me a few lessons about my new limitations. For a few months my right ring finger has been unusually stiff and painful each time I try to hold something or make a fist; during the holidays the bones actually began dislocating at the knuckle. Because popping them back in place is not only extra painful but creates wear and tear on that little joint, that means no more stressing my ring finger. If you want to know how inconvenient that is, try to grab something heavy with just your thumb and first two fingers -- or just open a jar with them.
The arthritis has progressed into my left knee, judging by the new pain and swelling that's going on after I walk, sit cross-legged or put any pressure on it for longer than two minutes. I've always relied on that knee to compensate for the other one, which is weak and tricksy, and can pop out of place if I put too much pressure on it. Basically this means I have two bad knees now.
Dealing with this disease since I was 28 means I have a lot of experience in compensating for mobility and dexterity losses, which is a good thing. To adjust to the ring finger problem I'm practicing using my left hand to eat, hold, and open things. Because of the two surgeries that left my old dominant hand basically useless I'm clumsy and have no strength in those fingers, but they still work a little. I'm hoping to train them to do a bit more.
There is nothing I can do about my right knee without more surgery, and then I'd run a serious risk of losing the leg, which I'm not willing to do. The left knee is in the beginning stages of deterioration, and will only get worse. I can hold off the permanent damage by losing some weight (Health trivia: Did you know every pound of weight you lose takes three pounds of pressure off your knees? Yep.) and exercising it daily.
Every time I feel sorry for myself (and yes, I do that, too) I remember that I'm lucky. I still have both hands and both knees. I'm not in a wheelchair. I can still do some things. There are amputees and quadraplegics who would happily trade bodies with me to regain those abilities. So I will do what I can to compensate, because any measure of mobility and dexterity is better than zero.
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