April 13, 2022

Good News about arthritis in my Good Hand

Eighteen years of overuse damaged the cartilage in the finger joints of my sound hand.  This produced bone-on-bone pain and swelling.  Fear about losing the use of my good hand motivated me to follow the joint protection principles I wrote about on February 11th, 18th, and 25th.    

After 2 months the pain and swelling in my good hand receded.  For example, a painful hand no longer wakes me up before my alarm clock goes off.  To see if the brief pain in my middle finger also disappears I decided to stop doing crossword puzzles.  Currently I am reading books I got from the library while I drink my morning coffee.  Thank God I have a book easel.  My post of          April 28, 2020 shows how I read hands-free.   

Now I have to figure what to do with my aching good shoulder.  Moving objects I use regularly to the bottom shelves in my kitchen cabinets has helped.  Now I have to tackle the ache I feel when I drive for 45 minutes.  When I visited Point Pleasant Beach recently, I was concerned about the ache I felt in my shoulder towards the end of the ride. This was a surprise because my good shoulder does not hurt when the steering wheel pulls to the left as I slow down to stop for a light.  However, keeping my car in its lane during long slow curves on the highway takes sustained effort.  My plan is to see if new tires and a front end alignment makes a difference. 

Bottom Line: Pain turned into a guide for what to do about arthritis.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

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