Loving support

Lately, I have been struggling with more physical challenges. I am going to more specialists for answers. There is a question as to whether my additional symptoms are just advanced  RA or some other thing, like multiple sclerosis. It is not uncommon when you have one  autoimmune illness to get another auto immune illness.

Throughout this difficult time, I have gotten support from some of my ride-or-die friends, as well as my beloved sisters. This has meant the world to me. Through regular check-ins, I inform as well as metaphorically cry on shoulders. It is hard for me to let others see me so down, but they have shown that they can hold it safely. I am so lucky.

Of course, conversation and hugs offer the most emotional support. And I do not take for granted the physical labor TDH gives me when he fixes things, put things together, unload things and just helps me out in general. But, this month, I have also been blessed with unsolicited financial gifts to help me! 

I can no longer navigate my stairs without tremendous pain and I have gotten stranded twice on the staircase, unable to go up or down. That was the wake up call I needed to realize that the time had come for a chair stair lift. I bit the bullet financially, and ordered the lovely lady pictured here.

I told my girl friend CW about it and lo and behold, I opened an email telling me I had received a financial gift to be used toward the purchase of my chair. The memo in her Venmo transaction stated something to the effect of 'friends help friends'. My heart swelled. I  have to think of a name for my stair chair and I will keep CW in mind with the name I choose. I suspect some of you may know of whom I speak, so fun suggestions welcome.

Aside from stairs, I have also been having difficulty going places with my cane/walker for any sustained period of time.  I need to sit down fairly quickly due to pain and weakness.

So I have also been looking for travel wheelchairs that can load in and out of my car easily. With that I would be able to go out for strolls, walking along the boardwalk, visiting farmers markets, etc. 

I had been looking for cheap, used ones, but none of them were suitable. I went to a medical supply store and was comparing the different types of wheelchairs. I called my sister for advice on the two that I was considering, but was worried about the big expenditure, I really only intended her opinion on which one to get when all of the sudden my sweet sis M stated firmly "I will buy it. Get the nicer one."As it was so expensive, I was left speechless. I still get teary thinking of this generous gesture.

And for the cherry on top, this month, saw me getting a surprise gift in the mail.

Rheumatoid arthritis leaves me especially pained and stiff in the mornings. I rarely make morning plans with others because it takes a couple hours after waking for my hands to start working better. I often have difficulty using a standard coffee mug for my morning Java because my stiff, uncoordinated fingers cause me to spill things frequently. I have looked into kitchen aides for people with limited mobility. And they are horrible looking; someone can make a fortune if they produced trendy mobility aides. I have been resistant to get the institutional-looking double handled mugs that people with hand issues use. I do not want to feel I'm in an institution. And lo and behold, my dear DL searched and found a beautiful, handmade artisan double handed mug for me. I love drinking out of this every morning. It helps so much in a concrete way as well as in an emotional way.

In these trying times when I often find myself feeling low, I have to remember how loved I am and how special people in my life have made me feel. I am so grateful and love so much my dear friends and my sisters. Their generous and loving gifts for my physical comfort, help me live better with my autoimmune illness. My angels are at work all around me and some of them come in human form.