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I did something I was afraid I would no longer be able to do today. The last time I went, it caused so much pain that it’s been two-and-a-half years since I tried it.
Ice skating.
As a child, my parents would have to pull me off the rink to get me to stop. I could skate forwards and backwards, execute skate-over-skate turns and loved being the end of the whip. I loved the schink-schink of freshly sharpened skates on smooth ice, having to skate fast enough to keep warm on outdoor rinks and getting hot cocoa afterward. I loved going to Play It Again Sports each year to pick out new skates. I loved everything about ice skating.
Last time I went (before today), I was hoping to recapture those same feelings, to feel like a kid again, if only for a few moments.
But it was not to be.
It was excruciatingly painful, and after just a few minutes, I was done with skating, though I fought through it as best I could for awhile, trying to allow those who were with me to enjoy themselves.
Today, skating still hurt, but instead of being frustrated that I couldn’t skate for hours on end as I could when I was six or eight, I tried accepting my limitations, resting when my feet hurt and skating when they didn’t. And while I’m nowhere near as graceful or steady on skates as I once was, I can still glide across the ice. I can still enjoy skating.
So, that’s one thing I got to take back from this psoriatic arthritis. And it felt pretty awesome.
That must have felt amazing, even if it wasn’t perfect.
It was great!
This made me smile. It’s these little victories that keeps us going. I’m so glad you found me on Twitter! Hugs and love to you.
@elizawhat
+hugs+ Me too!
Congratulations! I have never been a skater (bad knees and ankles, even when I was young) but I understand the joy of returning to something you love, even if it’s with new limitations. Yay!
Yeah, it’s about learning to be happy with what I can do, instead of being sad about what I can’t do.
Awww, reading this reminded me of our ice skating excursion in college (where a certain Professor went careening into a wall
). Good times. Glad you wrre able to have fun with it again!
Hehehe. That. Was. Awesome.
just wanted to say i like your blog.
My daughter is a 21 year old college student, synchronized figure skater and skating coach. She was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis two years ago. It is being controlled very well with medication. She hasn’t missed a beat so far. Keep skating; it is such an enjoyable sport. Best wishes to you in getting your PSA under control
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