I Hiked Six Miles (and bought a cane)

By Debra Friday, July 31, 2009

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I have been a wimp this summer, barely willing to walk the dog once a day. Most of my problem is attitude. I had a beautiful remission last summer, walked off thirty pounds and felt great until cold weather brought back my pain and all the lost pounds returned (plus a few more). This summer nice weather didn't bring any relief, so I am mad at my body, my doctor, God. But I'm still trying to be a good mom and get my kids into our magnificent Utah mountains.

Last week I suggested one of our usual wimpy one-mile walks, but my fourteen-year-old, six foot tall Jim asked for a real hike, his shorter eleven-year old brother Lee didn't protest, and I couldn't say no. I chose Red Pine --a flower-lined trail to an alpine lake, but a steep and rocky three miles.

I prepared yesterday by sitting around watching TV. Today we packed lots of water, candy, cookies and sun screen. I put on my "buckle me up" bracelet for courage. We also brought my son's friend and my parents, who in their sixties can out-hike almost everyone.

The fast people cruised ahead. Lee and I walked slowly, but steadily together. Mom stayed with me in case I decided to die on the trail. The first two miles weren't bad. Lee happily explained every detail of his favorite video game while Mom and I enjoyed the scenery. By the last mile, Lee's legs hurt and my feet felt like hamburger. We limped from shady log to shady log, drank lots of water and ate sour gummy worms. Mom decided that we weren't going to make it to the lake and went on ahead.

I eventually found a huge wizard-style walking stick and used it to push myself the rest of the way there. We got to sit by the lake eating cookies for half an hour before the hike down.

Gravity, pride, and the walking stick got me down the hill. The only real trauma was when I reached the parking lot and glanced at my left wrist it seemed to be dripping blood. A frantic investigation showed that I had sweated heavily through my bracelet and the "blood" was only dissolved stain from the leather.

Now after being home for five hours and sleeping two of them, I can limp around the house in rubber shoes without too much pain. Conclusions? 1) I can and should push myself harder physically than I usually do. 2) A little more support sure helps me move through pain. So I ordered a very pretty cane to get me through the harder days of teaching this next school year.

Useful pain management device

Comments (14) | Add comment

Ish

8/ 1/09 10:20am

Hi!

Congratulations on the hike and the cane!!

I have to tell you, I almost spit coffee on the computer screen when you said your Mom stuck with you just in case you died on the trail!!! Cracked me up.

Here's hoping that you aren't swollen and ouchy today!

Ish

Tennisgram

8/ 4/09 7:56pm

how you feel. I have been feeling like "superwoman" because of the "prednisone cocktail", as my friends call it. I go and play doubles tennis for 2 hours or more, but know I should stop after 1 1/2 hrs. So, I push myself, my toes start "burning", and I am pretty much done for the day as far as anything else goes. R.A. is such a challenge; I'm finding that out! You have to pick and choose what you can do, depending on what energy level you need to maintain for the day. I teach P.E. (elementary), and I felt like I was 100 yrs. old this past winter/spring. I truly dread this coming year, so I think this is why I keep pushing myself now. I know the relatively smooth ride will resume to bumpy in a few months. I am actually fearful of school and the winter. Last year I could barely walk, sit on the toilet, get up in the morning, and felt like crap pretty much the whole day. I knew something was wrong, but my daughter kept calling me a hypochondriac. Finally......an answer. Sooooo, I know how you feel. Do you worry about how you will muster up enough energy for school???

Debra

8/ 4/09 10:39pm

      I've taught for 19 years, the last six of them with RA. Many times each year I think I can't do it any more, but I realize by the end of each summer that my world would be small and boring without school.
      The ideal would be to work part-time, but for insurance and retirement purposes, I need to hang in there full time at least another ten years. (I'm 40 now, so insurance will still be an issue when I've put in my 30 years.)
      In addition to sleeping away most of my after-school hours and a good chunk of each weekend, I have come up with a few things that help me cope. I teach English, so some of these won't apply as much to P.E.

1. Shoes: Half the time I don't wear the ones I come in with. Crocs are a fashion no no, but the best I've found so far. I'm looking for some respectable house shoes that would pass for real shoes if no one looks closely. I go barefoot during preparation time.

2. Furniture: My computer chair is high-backed and soft, almost an easy chair. I can sit there for paperwork. I also have a comfortable kitchen stool for perching in front of the class. I'm hoping the cane will help me move around and supervise better on the tough days. I've also requested a podium or music stand to hold books or notes when my hands aren't behaving.

3. Let the students do the work. They love helping-passing things out, writing on the board, running errands, demonstrating skills. It's good teaching and energy conservation at the same time.

4. Days off. I use all my personal and sick days and then some. I saved up over 100 days from healthier years, so when I run through my annual 11, I can take a couple more. Sometimes I'm hurting too much to be kind to seventh graders and it's better to let someone else handle it. (Often I have substitutes who are elderly or disabled, which motivates me to hang in there.)

5. Drugs. I have a good rheumatologist and am on several scary meds that seem to help me stay upright. He's not offering narcotics yet, though every winter I wish he would.

The best thing about teaching is that when the kids are around, there is no time to think about myself. The little aches and pains that I notice in quiet moments get overlooked and I can work through all but the worst of it. The main challenge for me is positive energy. I've thought through teaching without functional hands or feet and I could do that, but if I get to the point that I can't love the kids, I'm going to have to find something else.

Tennisgram

8/ 5/09 6:34am

Thanks for responding. This will be my 34th year, and although apprehensive from this "thing", I so look forward to the classes of smiling faces. I also do "nannying" after school for a couple hours, although my "charges" are 11 and 13. That mostly consists of schlepping around to diiferent sport practices, etc. Even that gets tiring, but I love the 2 kids, and I need the extra income. I have a good relationship w/my primary care physician, and he will give me a prescript. for a narcotic now and then if I ask.

Do you find that this "thing" comes and goes w/out any rhyme or reason??? I am a newbie to this. I am also researching how significant stress relates to the initial onset of the disease. Any thoughts about that???

Debra

8/ 5/09 11:49am

My RA started when I ran a half marathon I wasn't in shape for and never recovered, so I'd buy into "significant stress." I can predict that bad weather or a push through a couple busy weeks will bring me down, but I have plenty of flares out of the blue as well.

Tennisgram

8/ 5/09 1:21pm

I hear you. I can really relate to what you've said. I played tennis this a.m. for 2 hrs., hoping to do some errands this aft. That's just not gonna happen today! The aches and fatique have set in for the rest of the day, I suppose. My internist told me that the worst thing I could do was to stop exercising. So, when school starts, although I am in an active teaching environment, I am going to have to pick and choose, just so I can stay somewhat limber. Sure is a "catch-22" thing, isn't it???

DanielleMarie

8/ 5/09 9:51pm

I am also a teacher..this will be my sixth year. I also throw on my crocs for occasional relief! I also find bringing flip flops to change into helps.

Are you still sleeping a lot? I sleep all the time...I am so fatigued and it's all I want to do, especially after being on my feet all day.

Debra

8/ 6/09 12:40am

I was a pretty enthusiastic napper pre-RA. Now a daily nap is a must, so on school days I sleep from the time I get home till time to make dinner.

DanielleMarie

8/ 6/09 1:07am

Debra is your medicine working? What are you on? Trust me, I like to nap...but I'm kinda sick of needing to nap!

Tennisgram

8/ 6/09 9:31am

I cannot teach w/crocs, as I forbid my students to wear them in the gym. So I wear keens which are extremely comfortable for me. As far as naps go, I sometimes feel I could nap, but sometimes also feel too "wired" to do so. Sometimes have trouble falling to sleep @ night. Weirdstuff, hey?

Debra

8/ 6/09 5:54pm

I'm on methotrexate and Enbrel. No miracles so far. My doctor is experimenting with dosage to see what can be done.

Country Girl

8/11/09 3:23pm

I'm so glad to see there's other tennis players with RA. I'm actually playing in a tournament this coming weekend (haven't played since March - when I started Enbrel). I normally play year round but took some time off to adjust to all the medications. I too am a doubles player (haven't played singles since jr. high back in the 80's).

Tennisgram

8/11/09 6:42pm

in general is something my internist told me to keep doing. Sometimes we play "Canadian Doubles", because 3 of us show up. But that doesn't stop me. The only thing that bothers me is how tired I am after exercising, and the fact that my weight will NOT budge. In fact, I think it is increasing! I don't get it! Prednisone maybe???

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

8/10/09 2:17pm

Fantastic post - "I prepared by watching TV" had me snorting tea all over my keyboard. Thanks for that!

And thanks for the reminder that sometimes, you can do things you think you can't.

I Hiked Six Miles (and bought a cane)

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