Alone and Full of Pain

Many people ask: How do I manage to undertake daily activities when there's nobody around to help me?

Well if you lived your whole life in pain and having to find other ways to do the 'simple' daily tasks, when you get older and can sometimes be alone during these times you find away very early on.

For example. I keep all my sneakers (don't like calling them running shoes, as I don't run) with the laces tied up for easy accessibility.  Socks on the other hand are much harder, If I need to wear socks for the day I have to ask someone before they head out for the day to do it for me. Besides sneakers and socks I have many shoes, like most females but they all have one thing in common. If I can't put them on alone, then I don't buy them. This is hard sometimes as I can see a pair of shoes in a store and just want to wear them, but know that due to my Juvenile Arthritis it's just not possible. 

Another problem is brushing my hair and teeth when my elbows are swollen up like balloons and are stiff as wood. This is where my opposite hand comes in handy. It may take a lot longer to undertake this simple task, but it has to be done.

As many of you know I used to attend swimming lessons every Tuesday. Since my Juvenile Arthritis hip problem that will never go away. Not sure what I'm talking about? Click here. Swimming is another activity that I find hard. My legs due to my right hip aren't strong enough to push me along in the water, so now if I'm swimming my arms have to do all the work. This has it's problems too, as my elbow and wrists joints then are more likely to become swollen.

I hope by now you have realised that nearly everything I undertake always has another effect. Sometimes good other times bad, but always related to my Juvenile Arthritis. 

People think that Arthritis only effects the elderly, which in fact it doesn't. 

People also think that Arthritis only effects your joints. It doesn't. 
There's a flow on effect that I have lived and will continue to live for the rest of my life. 

This is happening and happens to 1 in 1000 Children just like me in Australia. 

Got a burning question you just want to ask me? Please send me a message through Ask Sarah on the Kids Arthritis Australia website.