What is your favorite hobby/activity or what was your favorite hobby/activity before A.S took it away from you?

I like to garden, play poker and cook. I used to be very athletic, but A.S has taken all of that away outside of watching on t.v. or local games. I was an all state athelete in high school. I played baseball, basketball and soccer.

Skiing!!!

last time i went skiing i think i was bedridden for days, havent hit the slopes in 4 years ><;

I still cycle often.. its rough but @least im in the caveman posture on the bike, and its low impact altho i have been almost hit by many cars cuz i cant look over my shoulder, just nose to the pavement and get the sweat on!
Funny thing is,, since AS emerged in my life, i love to sweat on my bike, its the rare times i feel normal.

I always liked to go on long bike rides,long walks with my dog,swimming,working on cars,fishing.Now i cant even ride a bike,long walks are down to around the block(if i make it that far).Cant crawl under a car or reach into the engine department.Can only kick around in water now,cant move body to swim.
I think i really miss long walks the most,and walking normal.
Life is still good,just have to be thankfull for what i am able to do.
All the best
John

hiking, but hope to be doing it again soon someday!

"What is your favorite hobby/activity or what was your favorite hobby/activity before A.S took it away from you?"

AS/autoimmune diseases, has taken away from me the ability to communicate/socialize with people. I use to like to do menza puzzles, now I finding myself negatively challenged when doing them.

Now I have a service dog, who helps me get out, and socialize. Life with AS/autoimmune diseases is not easy.

Hugs from Gerri
and kisses from Makaylah (my service dog)

Fun topic!!!

I used to exercise like crazy. Loved it. Used to make jewelry, but my wrists have been the first thing to fuse, making my hands weak and painful. I still make a little, 20 minutes at a time, until my hands cramp up. But yeah, the thing I miss most is just being able to do normal stuff with my kids like walk, jog, ride a bike, swim, pick them up, give tight hugs.





Thank you thank you John for your good attitude. I needed to hear that today!


I can relate to what you are saying about swimming. I don't drown, but I don't travel anywhere when I swim!! Why is that?? Can I just not move fast enough with my arms and legs??? lol. Tried to race my hubby in the pool. He took off and eventually I switched to walking my way to the end of the pool!! lol. I was going nowhere.

I can still wander about a golf course and still love it, although it ain't too pretty to watch, its fun and its social time spent with good friends and a laugh or two.

I loved baseball, even when AS fused my hips but left my spine mobile and my shoulder undamaged at that time I loved to throw a baseball or just hop in a batting cage. Would give a lot just ot stand on a pitcher's mound and throw a curve ball or two for laughs. I guess its not the ned of the world and at 40+ wouldn't be able to do it well anymore with or without AS just stinks that it was ripped away so young.

I played indoor soccer and got together with friends for impromptu (and planned) dodgeball games. I miss that.

But the biggest hobby I look forward to getting back is playing -- really playing -- with my 5 and 6 year old boys. I used to throw a mean spiral and always imagined teaching them that.

I live 5 blocks from the elementary school, but I can't rely on consistently being able to save gas and walk the kids to and from school. Each time I do it, I seem to pay. Tonight I have to get to the Jazz concert early so I don't have to sit on the bleachers in the gym. But early means more sitting or standing and waiting and that hurts, too.

I haven't skied in over 20 years and now that we live in the snow and my kids are being exposed to it, I can't take them or join them on field trips.

Micki, I would do anything to avoid sitting on bleachers. Can you take a cushion to sit on? Sometimes the last, topmost bleachers are up against the wall, so that you have something to lean back on. I will be thinking about you.

Freefall, golf, hockey, competetive shooting, drag racing, competitive amateur aerobatics...serious adrenaline junkie. Bass in barbershop quartet. Community theatre.

As long as I can sit I can still shoot.

Pesach shalom,

John

I use to play hockey and travel a lot.

I would like to have my energy levels back. Driving takes it out of me. I have to make it an real early night when I get together with friends or not go out at all. I have a hard time staying up past ten. I can't drive much more than hour or two or I will get real tired. I remember going to a wedding once back in 2002. I drove four hours to west virginia after working all day and I was fine. I would go see bands until 2 in the morning and not be tired at all. I usually have to be home by 9 or 10 if I am driving due to fatigue and that is on a saturday after sleeping in. I get tired around 8 during the week. I miss normal energy levels the most!

Craig

I think you caught me on a good day.I know why i cant swim,its because i cant move my arms hand over hand ....and kicking my feet to propell foward is minimal.I do feel down some days,but that is usually when i am in a lot of pain.My wife said this disease has taken my big white smile away from me.....she said she hasent seem me laugh like i used to ,or smile in years.
But im sure glad to have made you smile.....thats good enough for me

Did and still do a lot of craft work of any type. Modified it some (like knitting mostly small things with short double pointers, or using knitting belt) but still keep on doing it. Also jewellery and silversmithing - hammering metal could be a strain, but early on I learned good technique (from someone who had suffered badly with shoulder and arm pain themselves) so it doesn't stress my body. I also have a huge range of hammers so using the right one for the job, and letting the hammer do the work helps a lot.

The thing I really miss is just being able to take off for long walks whenever I felt like it - 15 miles was nothing to me at one stage (have several times done more than 40 miles in a day), and now I struggle to go 25 yards.

good to get to know you

i used to run, now i walk.

i used to bike, play tennis, and swim. i now bike and hope someday to get back to swimming. tennis won't happen, i'm just glad i can type and write again.

i used to garden extensively, now my husband does most of the gardening, and i maintain a small herb garden with his help. i love herbs: for cooking, for teas, to attract butterflies and bees.

i love to cook. even when my husband had to chop and peel all the fruits and veggies for a few years, i could still manage to do the rest. besides its nice cooking with my husband.

i love to read, i can still do that much of the time, so long as my wrists or upper back aren't too bad.

i sure wish i could travel, i got a taste of it when i was growing up. when i was a young poor student, i used to fantasize about traveling the world once i had a job and some money. i manage to do a little, but its a huge challenge. who knows, maybe someday i'll be able to go where ever i want? always good to hold onto a dream.

fortunately i can hang with my husband and bird no matter what.