Arthritis Wisdom

Wishes for a wonderful day are coming your way from Arthritis Wisdom!   Whether you are spending it alone, which I have done in the past due to work schedules, or with a crowd, I send you heartwarming thoughts of gratitude and thankfulness for our many blessings!  I am especially thankful for you, my fellow RA (rheumatoid arthritis) friends sharing our unique journey.  Thank you to Renata for the tip she shared in the comments of my previous post!  The tip was to decorate and prepare the table a few days in advance so it can be enjoyed longer!  I followed through with the excellent suggestion.  It was a delight to savor the decorated table as I had my coffee this morning.  That was just before gearing up to prepare the dinner!  Happy Thanksgiving! xoo**Cathy**

I absolutely love this festive time of year.  Time spent with my family gets me excited and this is when it happens!  Since my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) diagnosis, I have worked hard to fashion my days to be able to enjoy what I value and just let go of what may impede that from happening.  I’ve been deliberate trying this or that to find what works and what doesn’t.  When I find something that works, I note it for future reference!  Living successfully with an autoimmune disease is a process, and preparing Thanksgiving dinner is an example of this process!  It didn’t take long for me to recognize stress, even “good stress” could cause me to have an arthritic flare.  What I mean by “good stress” is the fun anticipation, positive plans and activity that ends up too much for my body to handle.  I’ve learned planning and simplification have enabled me to thoroughly enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.  Here is tip number one.  Managing the turkey itself.  I order a large fresh bird from the local grocer and pick it up Thanksgiving morning.  It’s the most efficient way to handle the turkey.  If my hands aren’t working so well, a family member can pick it up.  I can then go straight to prepping it for the oven.  Tip number two is sticking with my traditional menu.  I loved experimenting with new recipes in the past, but what started out fun caused the stress level to rise!  I’ve decided I can do without that!  The third tip is to prepare enough of each dish to enjoy 2 days.  My family loves the leftovers and that gives me some time to rest with the holiday atmosphere still fully charged!  I’d  love to hear your tips for a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!  I get such great suggestions and ideas from my RA friends.  I wish you an enjoyable, yet dialed back time preparing for your holiday! *Cathy*