My RA Does Not Like to Drive

I don’t know about yours, but my RA is very picky.  It has strong preferences of things that it likes (baths, ice cream, steamy massages) and definite dislikes.  One of those dislikes used to be riding the subway.  It made sense - the constant standing aggravated my toes, knees and hips, while holding onto poles put strain on my fingers, wrists and shoulders. I was always on the prowl for a seat, but even if I scored one, there was always the constant threat of someone else’s foot coming down on my own if the train came to a lurching halt, which it often did.

Because the grass is always greener, traveling by car seemed like it would be luxurious in comparison- getting to sit in a comfy, upholstered seat = no strain, no stress. Turns out, my RA doesn’t like driving either, or at least, it doesn’t like driving long distances, (which is unfortunately, because I do). I found this out in no uncertain terms when I drove home to see my family the other weekend. Sure, at first, everything felt all cushy and cozy.  But after about 20 minutes, my arms started to get grumpy about having to be out in front of me the whole time.  When I tried to let them hang off the steering wheel, my wrists got unhappy about the pull being put on them from the weight of my arms. And then there were my hips - particularly my right one since I use that foot to push the pedals. After about 30 minutes, both hips started to get that awful, chewy, creaky feeling like they are made out of rusted, old metal pipes.  From there it went from bad to worse as my toes decided they don’t like the constant pressure of the pedal, my knees began to ache, and my neck tensed up from holding my arms out in front of me. Suddenly, the idea of standing up on a subway, all stretched out with my arms above me didn't sound so bad.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised seeing as how sitting down for any length of time always stirs things up. Luckily, it’s easy enough to pull over to a gas station and get out and stretch- so what if I look a little strange doing my Jane Fonda in the middle of parking lot?  Good thing, too, since tomorrow I’ll be doing it all over again for Thanksgiving!

Comments

[Kelly Young]

Haha. My RA hates to drive. Spent this whole day in the car. It takes a few minutes to "unfold" at each stop so I can get out of the car. Haha. Then there is my hands and wrists and elbows. Yikes. Painful, so I drive w/Advil as my co-pilot. ;D

[Sara]

wise!  I think my bottle of advil will be coming along for the ride tomorrow.  Happy thanksgiving, Kelly!

[jodi]

oh no! who would have thought that you would be wishing for the subway? man, now i am kind of dreading the 12 hour car ride i have ahead of me next month. (thankfully, my husband will do most of the driving.)

hope you have a happy thanksgiving!

[Sara]

yikes, 12 hours!!  Youll get through it, though.  Have a happy thanksgiving!

[millicent]

Stop as often as you need to, have chocolate on hand, & use cruise control.

[Anj]

For the past three years one of my goals has been to live where I don't need a car. This week, it finally dawned on me that my RA makes it really hard to enjoy driving. Your post made me laugh and it was great confirmation. Sorry you have the driving problems too though.

[RA Guy]

Have a safe (and as pain-free as possible) drive. Hope that you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!

[Sara]

M-all good suggestions, particularly the chocolate :)

[Sara]

Hi Anj,
Luckily, I dont have to drive everyday, but it was an interesting discovery for me, too.

[Sara]

Thank, RA Guy!  I hope you have a great holiday weekend as well down south.

[Michelle]

I use one of those heated car seat massagers. Makes my long drives better. Have a great Thanksgiving.

[Sara]

Michelle- will have to check that out! Thanks for the tip, and happy thanksgiving!

[Britta]

My Lyme arthritis hates driving too! And all my non-arthritic friends don't get it at all.

[Sara]

just got back from driving back home today and am completely sacked energy-wise, too. blah.

[Laura]

I just found your blog and wanted to thank you for sharing with us. I was dx with RA 4 weeks ago and have had symptoms since 2005. I have spent the last three years driving back and forth from TN to MO twice a month for family reasons (450 miles each way). To this day I don't think my family truly knows how painful that was for me. While I hate that any of us have to suffer from RA, I am so glad to have found a post and people who understand how hard something like driving is on us. I look forward to reading more from you! Thank you again!

[Laura M]

First, I just found this blog, and love it.

Second, I had the exact same problem. My Honda Accord was miserable to drive in after a mere 30 minute ride. I switched to a larger car (the honda crv) where my joints were less squished and my back had more support….Victory! It’s a pain free car for me! (Ok…in full disclosure, I took a 15 hour drive that did NOT suite my fancy, but I’m good to go for a solid 4!)