How I Manage Daily Activities With RA
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I woke up out of bed, put my feet on the floor, and collapsed. Couldn't stand. Couldn't put any weight on my right knee. And my parents were convinced that I did something, that maybe I bumped it. Or I injured it somehow.
And I didn't. And it seems shocking that it can happen that quickly. But it can being an entrepreneur is not easy. It's exciting. Every day is different. And I think having arthritis and managing all my daily activities and all my different ventures is a challenge.
I have my own makeup line. And I started it in 1999. So it is something that I am devoted to through it and throughout. And it is not an easy job because I have a lot of gear that weighs three times as much as I do.
And I don't have a lot of strength to handle my gear. So everything has wheels, everything. And everything is separated. So I don't have one bag that's heavier than the other so that in the event I do have to tackle stairs, I can do it step by step.
I'm on set for up to sometimes 16 hours a day. And those are long production days. And they're back to back because we want to get that show on the road, right?
So in order to keep me functional, I sit a lot. Now, I'll stand a lot too. So I'll have really awesome shoes that I will switch out every single day that has insoles. I make sure that I'm not wearing the same pair of shoes every day because it just doesn't work. I need to rotate them. So that's really important.
Low shoes, of course, is super helpful. I'll wear support socks. That's really helpful too. It is important to work efficiently. Even the smallest things every day that I do throughout the day to help me become more productive the next day is important. So I take those steps to prepare myself beforehand.
So, for instance, before I wake up every morning, I have a heating blanket next to my bed. And I crank up that blanket. And then I'll just have my elbow, especially my back-- and I'll warm up those muscles before I even get out of bed. It is so much easier to get out of bed.
I'll put water with my anti-inflammatory medication on my nightstand the night before. So that way, it's right there. It gets to work while I'm on the heating pad. And within 20 minutes, I'm able to get out of bed. I'm able to start my morning routine.
I love to steam my clothes instead of ironing them. Steaming is the way to go. I love to precut ingredients ahead of time or buy pre-cut ingredients or have my husband do it for me.
Asking for help is essential. And that is the key to a really good daily routine. A smooth one is asking others for help.
I love what I do. I love just bringing life to talent in front of the camera. And for me, it's one of those professions that it is hard on your body. You have so much going on day and night, depending if you're working hard nights. But I absolutely love what I do. And I'm want to keep doing it for quite some time.
MEREDITH BOYD
I was diagnosed when I was 15 years old with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is called JRA. And it was a shock to myself and to my family. I woke up out of bed, put my feet on the floor, and collapsed. Couldn't stand. Couldn't put any weight on my right knee. And my parents were convinced that I did something, that maybe I bumped it. Or I injured it somehow.
And I didn't. And it seems shocking that it can happen that quickly. But it can being an entrepreneur is not easy. It's exciting. Every day is different. And I think having arthritis and managing all my daily activities and all my different ventures is a challenge.
I have my own makeup line. And I started it in 1999. So it is something that I am devoted to through it and throughout. And it is not an easy job because I have a lot of gear that weighs three times as much as I do.
And I don't have a lot of strength to handle my gear. So everything has wheels, everything. And everything is separated. So I don't have one bag that's heavier than the other so that in the event I do have to tackle stairs, I can do it step by step.
I'm on set for up to sometimes 16 hours a day. And those are long production days. And they're back to back because we want to get that show on the road, right?
So in order to keep me functional, I sit a lot. Now, I'll stand a lot too. So I'll have really awesome shoes that I will switch out every single day that has insoles. I make sure that I'm not wearing the same pair of shoes every day because it just doesn't work. I need to rotate them. So that's really important.
Low shoes, of course, is super helpful. I'll wear support socks. That's really helpful too. It is important to work efficiently. Even the smallest things every day that I do throughout the day to help me become more productive the next day is important. So I take those steps to prepare myself beforehand.
So, for instance, before I wake up every morning, I have a heating blanket next to my bed. And I crank up that blanket. And then I'll just have my elbow, especially my back-- and I'll warm up those muscles before I even get out of bed. It is so much easier to get out of bed.
I'll put water with my anti-inflammatory medication on my nightstand the night before. So that way, it's right there. It gets to work while I'm on the heating pad. And within 20 minutes, I'm able to get out of bed. I'm able to start my morning routine.
I love to steam my clothes instead of ironing them. Steaming is the way to go. I love to precut ingredients ahead of time or buy pre-cut ingredients or have my husband do it for me.
Asking for help is essential. And that is the key to a really good daily routine. A smooth one is asking others for help.
I love what I do. I love just bringing life to talent in front of the camera. And for me, it's one of those professions that it is hard on your body. You have so much going on day and night, depending if you're working hard nights. But I absolutely love what I do. And I'm want to keep doing it for quite some time.
