Originally Posted by
ChloeRose63 
I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Very painful and my hands get extremenly stiff. It also causes fatigue and depression. My pain killer was beer in the summer wine during the holiday months of winter. Learning that I did nothing about trying to fix the problem only free myself from the pain of one disease to lead to another. Now I am fighting 2 battles. Got to forgive myself...still working on that.
I know the most beautiful woman that suffers from this awful horribly painful decease. she has had ever joint in her body replaced at least once and has just gone through her 4th hip surgery only to have something happen to it in physical therepy 6 months latter.
her husband left her about 20 years ago (he couldn't take how it was horribly disfiguring her), she has never had any children, no siblings and both her parents are now dead.
She has to get up at 5am every morning to go to the YMCA for 1-2 hours swimming time.. Swimming although painful is the only way she can exercise enough to get her joints a little more flexible so that she can make it through the day with out a wheelchair. She has done this for the 30 years I've known her...
I try to remember her perseverance and dedication to living a life well led when I'm crying over the spilt milk of changes in my life that I don't want to accept!! She is the most joyful happy woman I know... Her house is always filled with people and love. She's a server, if there is someone in need she is there... consequently many woman call her mother and many more call her friend...
I hate the changes that life has dealt me.. I didn't sign up for this.. I want the life I planned!! I believe that we each have obstacles we have to get through in our life.. We can either except them and grow through them or we can fight them. Our fighting wont change that we have them.. it wont conquer them. all it will do is tire us out, take our will to live away from us...
I want to live a purposeful life of joy... that's my goal... Its not easy to come by but I'm not going to fight the change anymore, I'm going to fight for joy...