As I settle in to write today’s post I wonder how long it will take me today. My hands are swollen and hurt pretty badly so I guess you could say I have my topic for today.
The fingers are not moving very well and whether I move them or not there is terrible pain. I forgot to take my rings off….again. So it feels like the circulation is being cut off from my fingers around the rings. Apparently I am a slow learner because after all these years I tend to leave the rings on. Unfortunately this is not my first rodeo. My fingernails are bluish purple – Hello Raynaud’s. Would be a pretty color if they were on some artwork. Maybe I need to figure out how to make artwork out of these. LOL. I needed a laugh there
Ah, what did I do to create these swollen hands
Often when I awaken like this I think about what I ate and drank the night before. No, it is not due to either of those. I am very careful about what I eat, I did not go out to eat so cross contamination would not be the culprit this time. Did I do too much at work? No, it actually was a slow day for me. Perhaps, I did too much around the house? That is not true either, I did not clean the bathrooms or scrub the floors. Did I exercise too hard? No, I did a gentle yoga practice. Very rarely one of these has contributed to the painful, swollen hands, but it has happened. Oh yes I know, it is from the auto-immune diseases letting me know they are still here and today I will need to be patient and deal with them.
It is days like this that I try to find patience. I dig deep and think of all the positive people and things in my life and I remind myself to pace myself. I am sure many of you have had these same symptoms. They are not new but very annoying. It makes it difficult to get anything done. You really think about how lucky you are to have hands. They are involved in so many tasks that we take for granted. Think about all the things we do with our hands. The list is endless.
Consequently, we use them when talking, well I know I do; we use them to cook, clean, put on our make-up, write, pick up things and children. We use them to drive, shop, move items and so much more. I do love them, just not as much when they are swollen and painful.
Tips for Helping the Pain
To help bring down the swelling I soak them in Epson Salt baths a few times a day with some Lavender. Oh, this feels amazing. I cannot say enough about that. The warmth of the water, the salt helping to heal. Oh so good. I try not to use them too much but do some gentle stretching of the fingers and wrists. In addition, I stretch out my shoulders as sometimes a nerve is pinched and adding to the problem.
I will pace myself the rest of the day and I am sure at least some of the swelling will subside. How about you? I would love to hear about what you do to help with the pain and swelling of your hands. Do you do any of the above? I look forward to you sharing what tips you have to offer.
