My supportive, long-suffering and kind wife (Sue) read the previous posts and commented that readers might get the wrong idea about the state of affairs with my osteoarthritis.  She could be right.  My purpose in communicating is to give you hope, but not false hope, so I shall attempt to clarify.

When it comes to osteoarthritis, there are discomfort and recovery periods associated with chopping wood, paddling a raft, standing for hours, hiking, exercising and almost anything else involving physical activity.  Discomfort includes difficulty moving, disrupted sleep, grumpiness, et cetera.  Recovery periods vary.  Recovery from standing for hours while directing traffic at the Hood to Coast exchange took at least 4 days and was extended by other exertions.  Discomfort from exercising is usually minimal with little or no recovery period.

Before Dr. Carlson of OHSU and Aaron Saari, PT of Beyond the Clinic, I would not have attempted most of the activities listed above.  Now I do not worry about discomfort harming my body, or over-extending myself when Sue says, “honey, wouldn’t it be fun to…”

-Rich Kennedy, Author of “Osteoarthritis:  Just Another Challenge Blog”

If you suffer from osteoarthritis and want to consult with Rich on how he manages osteoarthritis, contact him via phone at 503-515-3502 or email at rich.kennedy1945@gmail.com.