Thinking about the way Arthritis has taken me from where I was to where I am now.
Before it became the problem it is now I worked with Special Needs children in a pre-school. I had 5 children, a house and a garden. My responsibilities were all encompassing. Gardening, housework, cooking, decorating, laundry and the children.
I walked the dogs on the Chase and that gave me a lot of release. There is nothing like walking dogs to give you time to put the world back to where it should be.
When the Arthritis started to bite a little I gave up working with the children. I went to work in a call centre instead.
I didn't give up walking the dogs until I had to but gradually that has gone.
The house work takes a lot longer than it used to, and I admit I put it off a lot. My husband tries, but it is hard to let someone else take over. In fact he has taken over a lot, but not the gardening. I have to leave the house when he is decorating because I wouldn't be able to stop telling him he was doing it wrong.
The pain is changing. It is becoming more obtrusive. I can no longer ignore it.
However the person I was may have gone but the person I have become isn't that bad. I still have a lot of independence. I can do my own shopping, as long as it isn't a full shop. I can still browse a craft shop! Instead of walking on the Chase I spend my time scrapping and making cards. It doesn't have the same freedom but I get satisfaction out of doing it. Instead of working with children I work with systems, which are just as difficult if not as noisy.
I think I am still the person I was, if not better.
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