"Quality of life"......a gift that just keeps on giving.

Thanks for starting this discussion Chris @artscaping. My quality of life gift to myself was for my eyes since I spend so much time at my computer. I upgraded my 27" display for a new HP 32" display to make it easier on my eyes. I pretty much stopped using my laptop after using the new display a couple of days. I also bought some neoprene stretchy toe warmers that I slip over my socks in the morning to help keep my toes warm since my feet are always cold.

Hoping for a pain free day for all of you.

@artscaping i gave myself 2 quality of life gifts! No Fitbit, though. One gift is to train myself into more positive thinking and it’s actually helping. I repeat a mantra the therapist taught me, when I go to bed and when I’m out walking. Course, it helps that our weather has been really, but cold. Went out this morning to bright sun, a clear blue sky and 30degrees. Gorgeous! And I bought myself two quilting books to help me get back to quilting! SO, I plan on a good year!

Well, Chris, I love your 'Quality of Life....'message. I also love the gifts you're giving yourself. Good for you! Question: tell me about the thumb surgery. I have extremely limited use of both now my thumbs. The right thumb has been useless for several years. The left thumb is just this year decided to give up! A hand specialist at Mayo discussed thumb joint replacement surgery re the right thumb. He said it's at least a 2 hour surgery, fairly difficult and requires a long recovery.
He completely took it off the table. So, I wear hard braces at night on both hands/wrists. They do help w/pain, but I am clostophobic, use a c-pap nightly with no mask!!!! but nasal pillow that's wonderful. However, to use that machine/head gear and wear hard braces on both hands is a bit much. So I rarely wear them as I must use the c-pap.
I don't think any truly elective surgery is a good idea for me at this time. But, I wonder if you're talking about something different? I'm getting along, have found different utensils/openers/holders, etc for my hands so I can get along. I can't pick up anything, open anything, any crafts is a ridiculous thought!
Just interested......Blessings, Chris. Elziabeth

Thanks for starting this discussion Chris @artscaping. My quality of life gift to myself was for my eyes since I spend so much time at my computer. I upgraded my 27" display for a new HP 32" display to make it easier on my eyes. I pretty much stopped using my laptop after using the new display a couple of days. I also bought some neoprene stretchy toe warmers that I slip over my socks in the morning to help keep my toes warm since my feet are always cold.

Hoping for a pain free day for all of you.

Elizabeth - I'm on the Chris team - arthritis has been attacking for years, diminishing the use of my hands. But I refuse to surrender - I have had surgery on both thumbs and one wrist, coming up on the other. Also numerous injections, lots of PT, hip replacements, knee surgery, bone spurs scraped...

I urge you to see if you are still a candidate for CMC joint surgery using either Chris' "anchovy" technique or my "tightrope" technique. I feel as if I've gotten my life back, even though not complete strength. My friend waited too long, and had to have full fusion to ease the pain.
As for the wrists, the same is true - 10 years ago, another friend my age & I were both suffering greatly - I chose to go through corrective surgery, which was disruptive, but gave me my hand back. She chose to wait, thinking that at 60 she was "too young" for arthritis, taped & splinted to get by - by the time she decided she couldn't stand the pain the bones ends were completely destroyed, she had to have the wrist/forearm fused...
Sue

How interesting. You want to know how to get out of the forums. You know how to post: I do not. I would love to learn how to do this. Perhaps this could be your farewell to the forum? Thanks for any help. Oh, I am a Luddite. @joybringer1

Good for you John @johnbishop. Sometimes I think we spend more time trying to convince ourselves that we don't need a new display because we don't feel our volunteer and personal work counts as worthy. I like that display. And I am sure that your feet like being warm. My feet are like liquid ice most of the time. About mid-morning, the "ice" starts to melt and run down or up my legs depending on whether I am sitting or lying down. Fuzzy socks don't help much. Where did you get your toe warmers?

Thanks for participating in our "quality of life" effort. It seems like many may have benefitted. Start working on your birthday now.
My best,
Chris

@artscaping, What a thoughtful discussion starter you posed with your Quality of Life Gifts, Chris! It has been both motivational and inspiring to read responses.

I can't remember how to access my "bookmarked" posts? .. nor if I mentioned earlier that one of the most personally helpful and appreciated gifts for me was the challenge @becsbuddy posted early in 2020 of the Let's Go Walking! Although I'd set the new 2020 personal challenge of walking 3x's/week before her post, the benefits of following and sharing on that thread bears repeating because there were days that would have made it so easy to overlook if not from Becky and others' active posts.

Becky, if ever a year called for practicing "more positive thinking" and mantras of encouragement, 2020 has to top the list. Thanks to you and also to the Gratitude, Journaling and other "self-help/expression" threads for providing opportunities to focus on meaningful ways we each can better manage these very uncertain times.

Have you started your new quilting project yet, Becky?

@ess77, Your post of how extremely limited your use is of both painful thumbs and also the help c-pap nasal pillow provides is truly both humbling and inspirational. Humbling because you just "stated the case" with not a whit of whining..which I would certainly feel justified in doing! and inspirational because of how you "get along" with the accomodations you've found and use to help.

With increasing arthritis? in my right thumb and hand, I've begun to more than ever appreciate all my thumbs facilitate and have so long taken for granted.

Big hugs to you, Elizabeth, for your positive, can do spirit and determination despite the huge obstacles you are confronting! Have you had to re-train yourself to keyboard as well as all the many other "work arounds" you use?

Elizabeth - I'm on the Chris team - arthritis has been attacking for years, diminishing the use of my hands. But I refuse to surrender - I have had surgery on both thumbs and one wrist, coming up on the other. Also numerous injections, lots of PT, hip replacements, knee surgery, bone spurs scraped...

I urge you to see if you are still a candidate for CMC joint surgery using either Chris' "anchovy" technique or my "tightrope" technique. I feel as if I've gotten my life back, even though not complete strength. My friend waited too long, and had to have full fusion to ease the pain.
As for the wrists, the same is true - 10 years ago, another friend my age & I were both suffering greatly - I chose to go through corrective surgery, which was disruptive, but gave me my hand back. She chose to wait, thinking that at 60 she was "too young" for arthritis, taped & splinted to get by - by the time she decided she couldn't stand the pain the bones ends were completely destroyed, she had to have the wrist/forearm fused...
Sue