Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
it sounds ridiculous since my hands bother me so much, but i've recently picked up cross stitching. i've been working with small pieces in 4" or 6" hoops - nice and easy to handle. i already completed two small pieces and ordered stuff to mount them, and will be finding frames for them. of course, now my problem is what am i going to do with all the cross stitched crap that i'll be making!
most of the patterns i've found are ridiculous. they look all pretty and traditional, like grandma would make, but say things like 'whatever' or 'do not f*ck with me'. i enjoy the juxtaposition. i'm also planning on making one with a sloth that says 'live slow, die whenever' for my brother and sis-in-law because we love sloths. and then i found a great etsy store that sells ridiculous patterns - 'b*tches get stuff done', 'girls just wanna have fundamental rights', stuff like that - right up my alley.
anyone else have any hobbies that have blossomed since diagnosis?
most of the patterns i've found are ridiculous. they look all pretty and traditional, like grandma would make, but say things like 'whatever' or 'do not f*ck with me'. i enjoy the juxtaposition. i'm also planning on making one with a sloth that says 'live slow, die whenever' for my brother and sis-in-law because we love sloths. and then i found a great etsy store that sells ridiculous patterns - 'b*tches get stuff done', 'girls just wanna have fundamental rights', stuff like that - right up my alley.
anyone else have any hobbies that have blossomed since diagnosis?
Hoping for all that tomorrow will be pain free
Bluedogs2
Had my first grandchild & he takes up every single ounce of energy but soon I'm going to take some ME time.
Reading is & has been my 1 favorite, but haven't been able to focus much.
I'm thinking of taking some old things or dull things & re-do
Fix up, paint small things whatever kind of spruce up the house.
Used to do that all the time.
Want to do some Scrap booking too.
Never have a minute unless I'm chair bound. Then I'm miserable & don't care.
LOL Steph, perhaps make them as gifts or if your really up to it donate them.
Sammy
I've individualized them for gifts & family loves them, not because their family-nice to get a gift that has thought and meaning.
You've upped my motivation!!
I also joined a four part harmony (not all barbershop but a lot of it was) but recently have had to give it up as am just too tired and a hand issue which started last November put me off the heavy demands of a long evening and two or three singouts every week - especially as I was on drum playing duty for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"!! I miss it.
Singing is good for mental and physical health so I reckon it is a helpful thing to do, even if only along with the radio or whatever in the privacy of one's own home.....9I do still go to a more formal choir which isnt so demanding physically).
I think doing craft work is very therapeutic too but I am very cack handed and my fingers ache if I grip for too long.
I do all sorts of things but definitely a fair bit of change from the activities of full health.
So I got into planted fish tanks (aquascapes). I have four 5-10 gallon tanks in living room. Each with different plants, different scenes and different colored guppies. They're wonderful little gardens.
The cross stitching does sound like fun though!
I'm awful at video games. My girls got some good laughs at my expense every attempt at playing.
I'm thinking about the WII bowling just for exercise.
That's after I figure out which daughter has the WII console.
Sammy
i'm not great at video games either. sometimes dh and i try to play two player games but i'm really bad at it.
I have been fortunate in that everything i was doing before RA I still do. Bowling, walking (3.7 miles each Sunday - beach walk). I do find that the swollen knees at times gives me a little more of a challenge.
First of all - totally laughing out loud at the cross-stitch patterns - I would love to own one that said "do not f*ck with me," LOL!!!
Like you, it's odd, because the hobby that has really blossomed for me also has to do with my hands - that is, writing pen-pals - and my hands/fingers are definitely affected by the RA. Not in a serious way, like deformity - they just ache and swell....and yet, I still love writing and typing - and since my dx I have really "upped" my pen-palling (right now I have 3 in the U.S.A., and 4 international!).
When my hands just cannot hold a pen, I can still type 80wpm - I do not understand that, but there it is. : )
I'm with RASally in that I spend far too much time on the internet buying books. I either order a regular book from Amazon so I can get a "goodie" in the mail (lots of used books for just 1 cent!), or, when I'm feeling particularly NON patient, I love clicking the "buy it now for your Kindle" button and having a book ready to read in about 10 seconds. Now THAT is awesome. : )
I'm loving reading all of your hobbies and interests. We sure do have a great variety of people here with all kinds of unique interests and talents!
Best of luck with your new hobby, Steph! : )
cassie, i also used to sew a lot - i made and sold tote bags, purses, laptop cases, etc. online. my mom taught me how to use a sewing machine and she helped me design all the stuff i made. once she passed, i stopped sewing. i always think about getting back into it, but i just don't think i'm ready.