Advice column RABlog week 2016
Today I chose the Wildcard #1 of the 2016 RABlog week which is:
Advice column – What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten, or advice you can give about how to live well with chronic disease and pain
The best advice I have ever gotten about RA did not come from any medical professional or person involved in my treatment. In fact it was not even an adult. The best advice came from my grandson Ben. His advice is so good, I think it might need to be placed in a frame and hung on my wall. It is universal in nature and so clear that it cuts through all the medical jargon, all the television ads and it trumps every doctor I have ever seen.
The five great words
His advice is five words. “Let’s play hide and seek”. Nothing I know beats listening to Ben laugh when he knows I am looking for him and I call out where is Ben? I usually tap on the wall as I do this so he knows if I am near or far from his hiding place. He laughs a deep mischievous laugh that little boys laugh as suspense and anticipation builds. It is the best sound I hear.
So you must be asking how this advice is the best medical advice I have ever received. The reason is that these words give me hope and motivation. They help me find purpose to keep trying and keep pushing. I am amazed at the restorative power of playing a game with my grandchildren or hugging one of them. It simply brings me new energy.
Hope
To me it is about feeling hope. I do not believe I will ever be cured of RA or Diabetes. I do believe that these children will someday be free of experiencing the painful difficulty of either of these issues. My job is to bridge the gap.
I cannot do it alone however. I can only do it with help from scientists, engineers, people who participate in trials and yes even marketing professionals. But the most important people who will help this come about are the little ones who I love so much. Because they give me inspiration to keep pushing my ball and the ball of the community forward.
We need everyone, but I need my family the most. So when Ben yells “we are coming in hot” as he shoots the Rubber band rocket it is a true inspiration. So is Madison’s advice to play the game of Life or Graham’s advice to get an ice cream. Because when I get this sort of advice nothing is really better than that.
A few weeks ago Ben came over for an afternoon visit. The first things he said as he walked in the door was can we play hide and seek? I did not feel like it at all. It is after all a pretty boring game in our house with only four places to hide. But I agreed and as we played and I found him in all four of those places over and over. Something sort of clicked and I did not feel so stiff and painful. I was glad I took Ben’s advice.
So if I were to meet a person recently diagnosed with RA, my advice would be to find your inspiration make sure it is unshakable and hold on to it. Having RA is a rough road, so hold on to why you are walking the road because you will need it. I have three people who inspire me every day, because when on this road you can never have enough to keep going. Now let’s play hide and seek.
Take away for October 1, 2916
- Have hope
- We are coming in hot
May my inner child, never grow up! I love this, more than I can say.
So is mine !!! I like laughing, a lot. Mostly I like laughing at myself.
I love this! Family and friends make all the difference in the world. My two babies, who are 7 & 8 yo, make me laugh, smile, and feel happy when I don’t think it is possible. They also definitely keep me moving.
Our little ones are now in their 30’s but we get a second round with our grandchildren. You cannot beat the grandchildren for pure fun. The best days are ahead.
I loved this! It’s the first time I have checked in at the Blog. I am still seeking guidance for the Diabetes that has been added on to my RA dx. Most of the time I am ignoring that I am sick.
I am so glad you enjoyed the blog. I loved preparing it. I also hope you get the opportunity to check out other blogs from this prompt. We would love to have you join us next year for RABlog week, it will start the last week in Septemeber 2017.
I’m not a complainer. I try to go thru my days with an upbeat attitude and a smile. Lately it has been harder with my RA in a full flare. But never too much hurt to miss a chance to stay with the grandchildren while their parents get some time alone. Tonite was good for some great laughs which eased my pain. Thanks!
Thank you for the very kind comment. I love laughing about as much as any human can explain. For me when I laugh I just feel better. When I do it with my grandchildren, well one can never beat that. I hope the flare subsides sooner than later. Also look forward to the next visit. I know I am scoping out new hiding places for hide and seek. (not that I have found any).