This weird body

I got completely crazy last night and drank TWO gin and tonics. I was celebrating a successful forensics work day, drinking a toast (2 toasts!) to the alumni who came back to critique the hard, amazing work the team is doing.

I love gin. I keep the good stuff in my fridge so it's always ready to go. The weird thing is, I often talk about having a cocktail, but don't actually drink that often. I think my last cocktail was maybe April? And since I have a re-arranged digestive tract, alcohol affects me in an odd way. Two sips of a G&T and I'm pretty buzzed. But 20-30 minutes after finishing my cocktail and I'm completely sober again. Weird body.

What's also weird? I never know which joints in my body are going to rebel. I'm on Humira for psoriatic arthritis, but also have regular run-of-the-mill Osteo-arthritis. The Humira prevents the joints affected by PA from getting worse, and controls a lot of the pain. Unfortunately, some joints are so far gone, they still hurt a lot. And changes in the weather make my OA go crazy. This morning I can barely move my right shoulder and my toes don't want to bend.

I have to make wardrobe decisions based on what joints are working and which ones are being assholes. Last Thursday, I had a great outfit picked out for teaching. I had to change outfits because my toes wouldn't bend to fit into the heels that completed the look. Ridiculous? Perhaps. But sometimes outfits don't work without a sassy pair of heels.

Another weird wardrobe conundrum? If I'm having neck issues (I have severe degeneration in my neck, and sometimes it doesn't want to turn, which is a pain in the ass. Er, neck.) I have to avoid anything that puts weight on my neck. That means avoiding anything that pulls my neck forward, like a collared shirt or a necklace of any kind. Sometimes I'll wear a necklace to work, only to take it off after a couple of hour because it's pull on my neck adds to the irritation and pain.

And don't even get me started on rings. I love rings. Love Love Love rings. My favorite ring is one my mum gave me several years ago for Christmas. It's her class ring. It is beautiful, intricate, classic and I seriously treasure it. But I'm lucky if I can wear it once or twice a week. PA makes joints swell - and my PA is the worst in my fingers, toes and spine. So one day, I'll wear a ring and the next day I can't get it past the first knuckle because of joint swelling.

The best exercise I've found for this weird wonky-jointed body is water aerobics. And I think I'm finally getting into a pattern of going. I even got some fancy new hydro-sport trainers.

The great thing about water aerobics is that I get a great workout, which I feel in my muscles the next day. But it doesn't add to my joint pain, which is AWESOME! Sometimes, if I'm have a bad hand day, I can't hold onto the kickboards, but the instructor is great and works with my limitations. It's a relief to know I can strengthen my body without irritating the joints.

So, there you have it. That's my rant/whine on this weird body.