I have arthritis in my joints, but of more impact to me is Dupuytren's Disease and Leddarhose Disease, or palmar and plantar fibromatosis. It makes my hands and feet grow lumps and cords and eventual possible contracture to the palm. I suspect many people have had Dupuytrens in the past and thought it to be arthritis.
At the moment, I have no contracture, but both hands and feet are painful and sensitive to cold. Indeed, we upgraded to the Silver
Cloud from the
Uhaul VT in part with a thought to being snowbirds and getting my hands and feet out of the cold. It will also allow us to camp in campgrounds where restrictions prevented us from camping in the VT. These campgrounds tend to have more even surfaces, i.e. cement pads, that help my feet.
As for camping, I rely on Kevin. I doubt I could do it alone. It is painful to even drive, although I pad the steering wheel. It is even painful to grocery shop for camping. Any metal bars, like grocery store carts and metal bar door handles are a problem for me. There are days I can't walk and must use my disability scooter. Rough surfaces are a problem for me to walk on, and going uphill stretches the tendons in my feet too much, because the crap growing in my feet attaches to these tendons. I must pad the paddle to the canoe to use it with my hands, wear double gloves to golf, and we bought a Keurig for the camper to avoid heavy coffee pots. I wear gloves to do most anything that involves moving the camper, hooking up the camper, or carrying things into the camper.
All that being said, it has not greatly impacted the way we camp, because Kevin drove most of the time anyway, and our way of camping was to park and visit historic sites most of the time anyway. If it involves lots of walking, we bring out the scooter, and we will head for the disability ramps. Last spring, I remember taking a shortcut up the hill at Falling Waters. Mistake - hill was too steep and full of rocks. We don't do that again.
What breaks my heart is that it has curtailed our volunteering out on Pine Ridge reservation where we would take our
Uhaul with donations and then camp when we volunteered. The sensitivity of my feet and hands does not permit me to do the kind of work I used to, i.e. using a hammer, sander, hiking in the Badlands, etc. We are going out this summer again, but happily, the organization has scheduled our week of work for an advanced study into Lakota culture, so that I can participate. The organization is Re-Member, and when we went to their supper last
fall, they told me to come out anyway, that maybe I can help with delivering donations or something else that is easier on my hands and feet. So hopefully, I can do something like that instead of building.
Stupid genes. Comes from both sides of the family. No cure and no effective treatment yet.
CindyL
Bigfoot Silver Cloud
Howie - now sold
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