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 :P). 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
Pingback: year in review « lipstick, perfume and too many pills