Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Makes Things Difficult
Rheumatoid Arthritis makes certain things difficult. From what I can tell, the classic list is opening doorknobs, jars, or buttons. I have found many more things to be difficult than that, so I thought I’d modernize the list a bit. Got any more ideas?
Things RA disability makes hard that no one thinks about.
- Peeling a sticker
- Closing Ziploc bags
- Opening a Band-Aid
- Using dental floss
- Tucking in sheets
- Killing a bug
- Washing hands
- Applying lotion
- Remote control
- Laptop on lap (hips / knees)
- Walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night
- Using clothes pin-type hangers
- Putting socks on a child
- Opening the refrigerator door
Recommended reading:
20 Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Mirror
My Quest for Answers to Questions About Rheumatoid Arthritis
What Makes Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis So Difficult?
Christopher Columbus, Part 3: How Does Reactive Arthritis Compare to Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Copyright © 2009-2010 Kelly Young, All rights reserved.
Subscribe to feed
Don't miss this!
walking
Walking for sure, exercising, washing my hair, and being so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.
Pumping gas, washing my hair, using my mouse, some days: putting my contacts in! picking up my dog to put her on the bed w/ me at night. And one that I noticed the other day: using a regular stapler! I didn’t remember it being that hard to press the last time I used it (pre-flare).
oh, and putting small earrings in or fastening a small clasp on a necklace or bracelet.
Tina,
Yep, I totally gave up jewelry when RA got to my wrists, hands… I cannot manage put it on & everything is too heavy anyway. I use tiny easy earrings. Nothing else.
Stapler: I have to lean w/my whole arm.
bathroom at night definitely. when you have to have so much water with these oral meds, or stresses during a flare.
suddenly i have overactive bladder at 1,3, and 5 am!
let me sleep!
mel!
I guess you’ll be glad you did all you could to protect liver & kidneys w/extra water, but… I agree:
After 38 years with arthritis I’ve found many solutions to these odd problems we face. Don’t give up on necklaces, there are magnets available to clip on your necklace and make it easy to use. They don’t affect the look at all.
Glad I’m not the only one with potty issues, but there is a solution, a couple of them at larger med supply stores that might help. Not cheap, but my right shoulder is going to heck, so will have to invest in one soon.
I would rather shop on line for these types of things. There’s a site called Active Forever and even Amazon carries them.
Hope this can help someone.
Thank you, Nanc. Good ideas.
Cutting my nails…toes especially
writing (a thick barreled or ergonomic pen is a bit easier
tying my shoes
picking up a gallon of milk
opening the twist top with ring on a gallon of milk