You can't die from laughter...

Well folks it's been about six months. You know what that means? My hip joints (mainly the right one if we are keeping track) decide to go on strike and wage a full blown assault. No, it's not nice and no it's not pretty, but alas, it happens about every six months. I don't know why and I don't know the cause. All I can do is pull out the metal crutches I bought at a Walgreens last year and hobble from room to room and chair to bed. WOW, aren't you so envious? NOT!

The funny thing is that you would think that after having Rheumatoid Arthritis for over three years now and having hip issues consistently every six months, I would get used to it.

How exactly does one get used to the chronic pain and the inability to get up and hobble to the toilet when needed?

I am thinking this must be a rhetorical question because there could not possibly be a rational or even reasonable answer. I guess I was wrong.

Although I blog here and share random parts of my life with the world, I also am an avid reader of other's blogs on the Internet. You would be surprised of how many people have blogs who are suffering with pain and/or living and dealing with chronic pain. It is insane! And these are the few who are actually blogging about it. Statistically speaking, there has to be a large number of people out there who are also living with chronic pain and NOT writing about it for all the world to read.

As I was reading these blogs, I am finding a common theme: we are all in pain, we all are talking about it, and we are all TRYING to have a sense of humor about it.

Humor. Ahh....that must be the answer. How does humor play it's role? Let me explain in a short allegory.

Once upon a time in the land of Pain, lived a beautiful young princess who was struck down by a wicked and mean old witch who placed an evil spell upon her. She made sure that for the rest of the princess's life, she would forever be in pain, her joints would swell, she would have to quit her job, she would lose many friends, be kicked out of her castle only forced to move into her parent's castle, and be impoverished like the beggars on the street. (Isn't this a great beginning of a story??)

Every day the princess lived with debilitating pain: pain in her feet and ankles, pain in her shoulders, pain in her hips, pain everywhere. Some days were better than others but for the most part she was stuck. With the pain. But not only did she have that, but also she was always tired a little bitchy and felt like she always had the flu. Day in and day out, this noble princess suffered.

Okay, I will stop there. A little far fetched for a fairytale, you say? Well THAT my friends is my life. At first, it was upsetting. No, let's be honest. IT SUCKED!! But after a while...a LONG while, I began to laugh about it. I mean, what else could I do?

Laughter is the only thing that has gotten me this far into this disease. Without my sense of humor, I would not be where I am today. I would not be able to force myself out of bed in the mornings or grind my teeth as I force myself to walk to the back of the Target store to find the laundry detergent. Hell, without my sense of humor I wouldn't be able to live this life day in and day out. No one could.

There are many things that would not be possible without my sense of humor and the sense of humor of those around me. The things that I find really funny are the little trite "words of wisdom" that people so freely give when you are sick. For instance, some of my favorites are:

"God only gives you what you can handle."
or
"That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger!"

Classic little insights that many people feel necessary to share that are supposed to be helpful. You know what I find helpful? Quotes and advice that I can actually work with and depend on. Something that I can hold on to when I am trying to get out of bed in the morning or waiting for the next pain pill to kick in.

One of my favorites is a quote from Bill Cosby. He said, "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

For my sake Mr. Huxtable, I hope you are right!

Wishing you all good health and HUMOR!!