As I stand amidst the chaos of moving boxes, bubble wrap and packing tape, preparing for the imminent move from the home I love, I can't help musing over how much my life has changed in the last year since I was diagnosed with RA.

We bought this home a little over three years ago ... our own little piece of Heaven on Earth, in a small rural community just a few minutes walk to beautiful pristine ocean beaches.  Two hours drive - and a million miles - away from the big smoke.  This was where we planned to ultimately retire when our working days were behind us.  We spent the last few years slowly renovating the house, getting it just the way we wanted, and turning it into a home.  Many a coffee break and late afternoon glass of wine were had on the outside decks, taking in the sea breezes, and generally unwinding from the ongoing stresses of work, family and 'life in the fast lane' that seems to define the 21st century. 

There is only one problem with the house ... the stairs.  It is a two-storey home;  the decks catch the sea breezes because they are UP STAIRS!

Three years ago, when we bought the house, stairs weren't an issue.   And if the truth be known,  they aren't a major problem right now either, as my RA is largely under control and I've learned to minimize the use of the stairs as much as possible, to avoid aggravating my joints.  But thanks to the months of pain leading up to and following my RA diagnosis last year, I had a sneak peak into how I might cope with stairs in the future as I age - and it wasn't pretty!

There were so many days last year when every step up (as well as many down) was nothing less than excruciating on my sensitive toes, feet and knees - none of which was helped by having to use stairs each day at both home and at work, where my office was also up one flight of stairs and there was no elevator.

But so much has changed since then.

I eventually quit my job. The long hours, the mounting stress, the constant interstate travel - was all too much to cope with on top of months of unexplained pain.  Every click of the mouse and stroke of the keyboard hurt my shoulders, wrists and fingers. And I was increasingly 'crotchety' after months of painfully sleep-deprived nights. Ironically, the RA diagnosis came just weeks after my resignation and, to this day, I wonder whether I'd still be in that job had I been diagnosed and treated sooner and had my RA under control. I guess I'll never know. In the end, I took several months break from working to allow my body and spirit to recover, before working part time and then eventually returning to full-time work again earlier this year.

My new job is just as busy, and just as stressful. But this time I've learned to set boundaries and to look after myself a lot better than I ever did before. I now take cues from my body and amend my working hours accordingly; for instance, some days when the old bod is stiffer than usual, I take my time and come in to the office a bit later. I try to take lunch breaks more often instead of eating my lunch at my desk while working through the in-tray and never-ending emails. And instead of working all hours, I now try to leave in time to do an evening aqua exercise class on the way home. Plus, my employer organised for an occupational health assessor to advise me on strategies and devices to ensure that my posture and work habits avoid unnecessarily straining my joints.  Careful placement of items such as the keyboard, mouse, monitor and phone is critical here, as is regular stretching and movement to avoid stiffness.  And the gel rests on the mouse pad and keyboard to support my wrists really make a difference.  All small steps, but they each help to avoid the problems I experienced in the past.