10 Funny Things I Tell Myself about Living with RA
Funny things I tell myself about RA (UPDATED)
Living with RA can make you feel like an alien since you’re the only one around you enduring what you do. Often, I talk to myself while trying to get through the day. I try to be encouraging, but sometimes the funny things I tell myself are just silly.
1. Uh oh. There’s something wrong with my knee. What in the world did I do to my knee?
2. I might end up sitting on the floor in the grocery store saying, “It doesn’t hurt. Really. It’s not that bad.”
3. My imagination is very active. It’s attacking my knees. Oh no, it’s now going after my hips. I have the strongest imagination.
4. I imagine Harrison Ford yelling at people usurping handicapped parking spaces, “Get off my plane! parking space!”
5. Someone tell me how I hurt my shoulder. I can’t seem to remember.
6. Okay, who shot me while I was sleeping?
7. If only I could get into the reality where this doesn’t hurt so bad. Is there a mushroom I can eat? Or a little door I can walk through?
8. I can’t do anything with this right hand, but that’s fine. I have another one.
9. Isn’t it great there’s really nothing at all wrong with my ankle? Nothing at all…
10. I’m okay. See, I’m just fine? See, I’m still standing. See, it’s all good.
The funny things I tell myself are my way of saying, “Keep going; don’t give up.”
And it’s even funnier when the list is repeated all day long with different joints. Sometimes the more ridiculous the RA is, the more sarcastic I try to be.
Do you tell yourself anything funny while coping with with RA?
As I update this post five years later, it’s been a long time since I sat on the floor in the store – because it’s so hard to get up. But I’m just as sarcastic with the funny things I tell myself because of the ridiculous nature of this disease. Did you ever ask yourself the name of the driver that ran over your foot? Or how a train managed to run across your bed during the night? Humor is my favorite medicine with no bad side effects.
Recommended reading
- Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Heartache
- What about Classic Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- Advice on Rheumatoid Arthritis From the Perspective of a Polio Survivor
I was diagnosed at age 19, two years ago, while still studying for my bachelor at a university often shortened as RA… I absolutely loved that uni (still do, even though I succesfully completed my studies last year) so it was weird to suddenly associate the same abbreviation with something negative. Or, as one of my teachers put it – ‘You don’t need too much of that kind of irony in your life.’ After that, we just joked about it a lot.
I have the same thing when it comes to ‘if I’m standing, I’m fine’ – I would never get anywhere otherwise. I’ve become so good at it people don’t even notice anything is wrong anymore. And if I do tell people, I tend to joke about it – say that I’m turning into Gollum, stuff like that. I try not to be too serious about it, because although of course the RA has a great impact on my life, I don’t want to let it stop me at 21 years old. I’ve heard people two or three times my age call themselves too young for RA – well, guess that just makes me waaaay too young to give into it, then!
I keep insisting I am turning into a reptile. All I need is the sun, a hot rock to lay on, and not to move for days on end. Good deal!
Every time I enter a room a car the backyard a resturant even church, I just say aloud, “TaDa” or “dunt dunt da” alone or with someone
Awwe…especially like No6……that was me this morning….2 hours later I emerged from my bed!!!….
My favourite line is “What am I like?!!” then laugh!!!
Cos I can barely remember who I am anymore!!!!
Keep up the excellent work you do Kelly….XxX
Pingback: Living with Rheumatoid Disease – A Top Ten List | Pixelated Joints
Once I fell and everyone was looking at me and I said “Oh im ok! I dont need help getting up, really!”. My kids used to make jokes referring to me walking like one of the zombie nurses on Silent Hill..it was really funny and lightened the situation.
Here’s something which is hysterical now. 4 years ago I was really,really ill & so weak that my caregiver had to call the fire department to get me off the toilet. I had to keep telling myself…Gee, it’s not the worst thing that could have happened!lol
I needed to laugh, I’ve been crying too much. Number 6 really cracked me up.
Sometimes, I just say ‘My body broke’. I love to laugh, and am rather sarcastic in my humor. I like hanging with people who are funny. It helps a great deal.
The Bible says, ‘a merry heart doeth good like a medicine’. And it is true.
Yesterday, I woke up and felt no pain, anywhere! I didn’t want to move! It was amazing. I reveled in it, and thought, this is what most people feel upon awaking. I had forgotten.
But, I had to get out of bed. Double darn drat!
Looking at all the bruises on my arms I tell myself, “Purple is my favorite color.”
I tell people I have a gang of angry ninjas I must have pissed off following me around. Can’t see them but they sure like kicking my arse.
I reword songs in my head… This is my fight song, you took my life song, I’ll prove I’m stronger song, My power is awesome, Starting over and over when I have to, I’ll beat you because my fight song is BELIEVE!
awesome Jody
Today I patted myself on the back for getting yesterday’s dishes done before my kids came home from school today, and thought, I’m totally nailing this solo parenting gig. ? (I’ve been feeling relatively well, but it’s always a struggle to keep up.)
high five Lisa.
I talk to my hands like their traitors, lol “you traitor” or “yep, they deff switched sides, not on my team anymore” “these jerks over here”
funny
I have developed optimism and a broader sense of humor with RA. The best part is that it permeates the rest of my life. My students ask how I can have both humor and optimism under the circumstances. I tell them that I can’t live any other way.
I said to Hubby tonight as I finished making 24 candles today that I’m glad I’m almost done because my shoulder has gone on strike. It’s refusing to work any longer. I must not pay enough. 😉
(Note: I have a shoulder injury mixed with lupus) Apparently I can no longer do push-ups says the same shoulder. My wrists agree. My brain does not when I can remember what I’m not agreeing to..
This phrase going throgh my head when I need to shower.
Yikes, get to the shower if the ambulance needs to cart me off to the hospital I need to be cleaned.
I actually think about that too sometimes.
I tell myself I had a good workout if I was able to shop that day, walking out to my mailbox is good exercise lol.if my pain happens to be less that day I tell myself I feel awesome, if I’m able to cook I’m the best mom ever etc. It helps me keep a good sense of humor about how limited my life is now.
I always ask “Who has my voodoo doll?” I also sing “Nothin’s Gonna Break My Stride” when I seem to be walking without help or the theme to “Rocky”!
Love it!
I am a waitress(24) working two jobs and paying for college. Here are the things I tell myself and coworkers worried.
1)Don’t touch that plate, I can’t feel my hands so I can touch the plate but you will burn yourself.
2)I call the swollen arm my ‘strong hand’ cuz some days the muscle is so swollen it looks like a body builder.
3)I feel so great right now. I can’t feel my left arm and my feet feel like they are on fire…but I feel like a new woman.
4) I have two arms ok, the right ones fucked but the left one can still do arm stuff.
5)I am literally snap-crackle- and pop