I hung a new show at my gallery yesterday. This is the first one I've done since last year, before this RA started heating up. I've got these great pro-panels, which are light weight, about 3x6 and easily attached to each other with velcro straps. I couldn't even clasp them in my hands to carry them, I had to clamp them between my arm and body, my hand weakness has gotten so bad.
The show is fabric art, and there are quilts, a VERY HEAVY rug, some felted pieces, and collages. First I had to move shelves full of pottery and glass out of the way so I could put the temporary panels in place. All in all four hours of walking back and forth and lifting my arms to place the artwork.
Foolishly I didn't take an extra pain pill and my arm woke me up at 5 AM with pain, and I never did go back to sleep. I need to be pro-active with the pain medication. Arm and shoulder, hands, and my feet! Ouch. This on top of the gardening I did last week when we got a nice day has put me in a flare for sure.
It's great to have this board to complain to, I don't want to wear out my friends or my poor husband. It bothers him to hear about pain he can't change, and he will say "You are getting older you know" if I comment on the sudden weakness RA has brought. I don't know why he thinks that's reassuring! Old age is irreversible! At least RA has some treatments! He's been great but this is all new, and sometimes I just need to tell someone how much I pity my poor self.
There, maybe that will hold me for a week or two. And as long as I'm bitching, I don't like getting up in the dark, so there.
Wow no wonder you are hurting, i only washed and hung curtains and I was grumpy from pain all day yesterday. How wonderful to have a gallery though. I love art and often paint ( not very good but I enjoy it) I love batik and still do that for family pieces. My hands also stop me from holding brushes and gripping things, i have taken to using my mouth..I might even try painting by mouth to see the results. Art has been a passion since I was a child and I bought a piece at an auction many years ago in Africa, the artist is a Dr Barbara Tyrell who went on to specialize in african dress http://campbell.ukzn.ac.za/?q=node/55 I have been in touch with her this year and shes a magnificent 97 years old, still has all her faculties and is still very much the artist. I sent her a photo of my painting and i recieved a certificate of authenticity from her. It was painted in 1942 and is of a mountain range in southern africa...
It is hard not to over due and push through on things that need to be done or things we are passionate about. I am glad you were able to get the job done but SORRY you have paid the price. I have been pushing myself to get ready to go on vacation. I know, I know...to bad for me, huh?...hard to feel sorry for even myself, but I figure anyone with RA understands even the things we look forward to can sometimes cause us additional stress and pain just getting through them. I hope you recover soon. I leave Friday and can not wait. I wish I wasn't so OCD about every detail about the trip. sigh..
Wow, I wish I could have seen your fabric show. I haven't been to a Quilt Show for a long time... it's just too hard in past couple years. Maybe I'll invite my mom to go to a show in Sept at a big nursery that is rather garden- like with winding paths and beautiful old big oak trees. They hang quilts on rods from the trees and all over the place amongst the flowers. The show is appropriately called "Quilting in the Garden".
The show will be up all the month of March. I wouldn't go through all that for a short time period. The quilts are small ones, not bed sized, thank goodness. The quilting in the garden show sounds wonderful, CathyMarie. I remember you posting about your battles as you try to quilt, that's partly why I wrote about this. I will take some photos of the work and see if I can figure out how to post them on this forum.