Bored out of my tree, can't use my hands properly, what can I do ?

[Toddy]

I have a flare up of the RA in my wrists and hands.
I can't grip anything properly. I can't prep veggies, can't beat or whisk, can't rub in, or knead dough.
I have no 'pinch' hold at all...my main thumb joints are incredibly painful.
I can't sew, knit, crochet, I can't use tools, I can't carry or lift anything properly. I can't change gears without pain.
I can't press things hard, and popping pills out of tinfoil is an unbelievable spike of agony.
I can't tie, knot, weave, knit, twist, or work buttons....I manage eight finger typing, sort of....and I am likely to be like this for several weeks until the whole thing settles down and heals.

I am bored, bored, beyond bored
YouTube is an exercise in frustration..........so much total mince with a few nuggets of really good stuff; tv all day would drive me nuts and though I'm sleeping masses, the usual response to this kind of thing, it's summer and I usually only need maybe at most five hours a night.

In the scheme of things my aches are small change, there are so many people so very much worse off than I'll ever be, but right now, I'm not a happy lady

Useful suggestions of something interesting to do would be appreciated

cheers,
M

[outdoorpaddy]

Settle into a comfy seat with some of tolkien's works to get through, I find that it passes the time very well. I hope you're feeling better soon.

paddy

[Gailainne]

Sorry to hear about your hands Mary, sounds like you may have to catch up on your reading?, do you have a Kindle? it might be easier on your wrists and fingers.

Stephen

[British Red]

Ahh internet research...I need to know If I can succesfully vernify sugar beet in Lincolnshire.....no? Ahh well.

I might suggest Audible.co.uk. Saves my sanity - talking books (full length) read by great actors. Fiction, non fiction, biography, all sorts. When I'm sick in bed I can lie back, close my eyes, and have Stephen Fry read to me. Bliss!

Or come down here and sit in a teak steamer chair whilst I do the gardening - and tell me when I've missed a weed . Elderflower cordial time soon!

H

[Ivan...]

Hi Mary, sorry you are feeling a bit peed off and bored , great minds think alike ! Luckily mine is just boredom , i just posted some nonesense about 5 mins before you , i am lucky i don't have a RA problem , i presume you are having whatever necessary treatment prescribed . It sounds more the frustration than anything else , my ex wife is an expert at Torbay Hospital , i could ask if there is anything she suggests to relieve the pain and mobility in your joints if you like ?

Hopefully typing is not too painful , so while a bit of time on the good old forum , talking rubbish with fools like me !

Ivan...

[Hoodoo]

Sounds like a real bummer. I can sympathize because I've been battling hip-leg-foot problems for the past year. Sucks. The only drugs I have been taking are the occasional NSAID and vitamin D3 which may or may not be good for inflammation. I dunno.

For the boredom, you might try an ebook or two. Probably easier to mouse through the pages than hold a book open and turn the pages. If you can hold some binos, this is a good time of year for backyard birding eh?

[ged]

I have a flare up of the RA in my wrists and hands. ... popping pills out of tinfoil is an unbelievable spike of agony. ...

It never ceases to amaze me that they still put RA and similar pain relief meds in that kind of packaging. Crass stupidity. Use a small blade to cut the foil?

Useful suggestions of something interesting to do would be appreciated ...

How about getting a Kindle? I confess they're not my cuppa tea but SWMBO has one and she loves it. She seems to have most of Project Gutenberg on there now and she sits with it for hours on end.

Keeps her quiet, anyway.

Best wishes on a speedy end to the bout.

[decorum]

I think (Can't be sure / could be wrong) the are computer programs available which translates speech into the written word ~ they take some setting up but, iirc, son #01 and / or #02 are quite good with computers.

If that's feasible, you could 'speakwrite' some stories ~ which would, at least, keep your mind active



If all else fails, you could always tread grapes (You know me, I've got to make at least one daft suggestion )

[bilmo-p5]

You could browse a few blogs; there's a blog out there with something fo everybody. Here's a few for starters...

http://www.shorpy.com/

http://teddytourteas.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.laboiteverte.fr/

http://www.neatorama.com/

http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/bifurcated/rivets/92

http://arbroath.blogspot.co.uk/

http://misscellania.blogspot.co.uk/

[Toddy]

Thank you

Ach, I'm just out of sorts with this damned disease.
I'll cheer up again.

Yep, they package pills in the plastic bubble packs, totally impossible for anyone with arthritis in the hands to manage. If asked the pharmacist will dispense them in a screw top tub...........with safety features.........what part of, "I can't manage to open things." does not compute with these people ?

I have a Sony Reader and HWMBLT has downloaded a stack of new books for me, but I can't hold it and it needs propped up to see it. After an hour or so I'm climbing out of my chair needing to go and do something, any thing

British Red, thank you kindly but if you were gardening there's no way I could sit on my backside and just watch......just soooo not me.
I had a look, and all things considered I reckon you'd have a fair chance at success with sugar beet on your land....clearest site I've found is
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sugarbeet.html
It doesn't like soggy, and so long as you get enough moisture for it to germinate and set properly, it should do well.
Useful plants
Have you thought of keeping a couple of nanny goats? Have them AI and you could have milk for good cheese and they'd be constant living composters Besides, goat meat is a much under-rated meal, especially if not taken from old animals.

Thanks for the links Ian I'll have a looksee

Y'know Phil, treading grapes sounds like fun Mess incarnate

atb,
M

[decorum]

... popping pills out of tinfoil is an unbelievable spike of agony.

Rosie says to ask your pharmacist about whether it would be possible to have your meds put into something more suitable ~ local to me those with restrictive conditions can ask for their meds to be transferred to something that they can open more easily. You never know, they might be able to offer some aid or suggestions .

[Toddy]

HWMBLT popped the sheets and I've got them in a wee easy open tub.
Thinking on it though; I'm one of the lucky ones, my joints settle down and I'll heal; heaven help those whose hands are totally and permanently incapacitated.

Tried to have braised tofu for lunch..........ring pulls are out too and I don't even want to contemplate the pain of trying to use a can opener.


HWMBLT says I've to go online shopping for all the stuff to redo the bathroom From shower to wall and ceiling panels.
That'll keep me out of mischief for a wee while

M

[southey]

Just to chuckle at

[southey]

And maybe,

[JohnC]

Sorry to hear you're in pain like that, its no fun being restricted...

[TurboGirl]

Can you drive (or get driven) to local elderly folks who'd just love a chat and a freindly face to go through their photo albums with? It'd brighten their day and get you outta the house and feeling good! Or a flick through old patterns etc, or a resort of materials for projects on a promise to yourself for when you're better?

Sympathies to you, though, I can imagine wall-crawling without fingers being a thankless task

[RonW]

That's a real bummer, Toddy!
get well soon.
And while you're at it..... you could send me those hoods patterns, if they're done...

[luckylee]

ahh mary have only just noticed this, hope you are ok sweet, and i hope that you are not in to much pain.
there is a link on here about axes that has just killed about 45 minutes fo me and really enjoyed watching it i will see if i can find it again for you.

[luckylee]

ahh mary have only just noticed this, hope you are ok sweet, and i hope that you are not in to much pain.
there is a link on here about axes that has just killed about 45 minutes fo me and really enjoyed watching it i will see if i can find it again for you.

here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCYAk...ature=youtu.be
enjoy

[British Red]

British Red, thank you kindly but if you were gardening there's no way I could sit on my backside and just watch......just soooo not me.
I had a look, and all things considered I reckon you'd have a fair chance at success with sugar beet on your land....clearest site I've found is
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sugarbeet.html
It doesn't like soggy, and so long as you get enough moisture for it to germinate and set properly, it should do well.
Useful plants
Have you thought of keeping a couple of nanny goats? Have them AI and you could have milk for good cheese and they'd be constant living composters Besides, goat meat is a much under-rated meal, especially if not taken from old animals.

We are working our way up to livestock Mary..I want everything else done first. Bees first, then chickens, then weaner pigs. After that, if I can negotiate for a few more acres, I fancy Dexter cows....great wee things - bidable, not escape artists, more than a gallon of milk a day, good for meat...size of a great dane!

You could always inventory my herbs if bored....I'e got a lot of horehound I'm trying this year...I want to make old fashined cough drops with the sugar beet

You are welcome for a visit and a potter anytime if wall climbing....I can easy drive up and get you

Red

[British Red]

Can you drive (or get driven) to local elderly folks who'd just love a chat and a freindly face to go through their photo albums with?

Trouble with that plan is Toddy is the local elderly!

(duck and cover)

[Toddy]

That's a real bummer, Toddy!
get well soon.
And while you're at it..... you could send me those hoods patterns, if they're done...

Funny you should say that, because I was speaking to Dougster earlier on and I made hats from fleece and used his youngsters for the trials; it came to mind then that I could put those patterns in with the hoods ones I've sort of got together for you.
Let this settle down and I'll finish it all and package it up

atb,
M

[Toddy]

Trouble with that plan is Toddy is the local elderly!

(duck and cover)

That whizzing sound is a skelp flying your way
My nearly 90 year old Uncle came to visit me this morning, on his new muckle great mobility scooter thing that'll do a 30 mile round trip, so he can get himself into Glasgow and back 14" wheels so he'll never get stuck again
The elderlies round here only sit still long enough to eat dinner
He and his pals have the local police heart roasted.
Folks park half on the pavement round at the local call centre, and the scooter brigade can't get by. So they just go on the road.....and the police stop them and tell them off. So the old folks phone the police now when they can't get by, and since, technically, these are disability scooters (aye, right, they cannae see well enough to drive any more so they just buy these things instead) and their owners are then elderly, infirm and in distress (uhuh, they can't get by and are they vexed) the police *have* to attend..........and one of the scooter owners is Granny to a sergeant......so now we have a rash of double yellow lines appearing all over the place.
Moral of tale; don't cheese off the grannies and grandpas on mobscoots
I keep waiting on the police coming to my door to complain about what he's up to now Can you see the trouble he can get into in town ???
Son1 just thinks it's awesome that he's got at least 70 more years to get up to mischief if his great uncles are anything to go by

atb,M

[decorum]

Moral of tale; don't cheese off the grannies and grandpas on mobscoots

[John Fenna]

That sounds both painful and boring Mary!
I hope you are better soon - there is nothing worse than boredom --- except pain!

[Mesquite]

- there is nothing worse than boredom --- except pain!

I dunno about that...

I'd sooner take the pain and boredom than some of Decorum's 'jokes'...

[drewdunnrespect]

hope your feeling better soon and mary your more than welcome to ring me for a natter if you want to and also if you want i could always drive to yours and come and see you tomorrow once i have had some kip cos on nights tonight
or do as many of the other suggestions suggest.

hope you arnt bored for to long and that the pain goes as quick as it came

drew

[Imagedude]

Can you go for a walk or do some foraging?

[John Fenna]

I dunno about that...

I'd sooner take the pain and boredom than some of Decorum's 'jokes'...

A very good point......

[Toddy]

....is it just me ? or does HM the Q come across as a Granny not to be messed with ? even if she does smile lots ?
I saw her when I was a very little girl in the 60's and we had a very pretty Queen

Thank you all kindly, your good wishes are much appreciated I'll be fine, just frustrated and a bit irritated just now.

BR....I've gathered some of the bulbils from the wild three cornered leek (sounds vaguely Harry Potterish that, doesn't it ? ) and I've got them in some damp compost. If they show signs of life, I'll post them down.
I need to clear out my own herb drawers, but it'll wait until I don't need help to unscrew the big storejars. Be interested to hear how you get on with the horehound....somewhere I have a recipe for pastilles made using slippery elm and horehound and molasses.
atb
,
M