Have you taken up any new hobbies or activities since being diagnosed with AxSpa?
Being diagnosed with AxSpa can bring some major lifestyle changes. Many have to give up hobbies and activities important to them as they can no longer participate due to pain. On the flip side, many have found new hobbies and activities that they enjoy and work with their limitations.
Have you found any new hobbies since being diagnosed with AxSpa? Maybe your hobby can inspire another community member, so share below!
Read about finding a new hobby that works with your limitations here: axialspondyloarthritis.net/living/finding-hobby
Because the thoracic part of my spine is fused, I have had to change my hobbies from crocheting/knitting and working on a table loom to jewelry making. That means I can stop at any time - I don't have to finish a row! For me that is very important since it seems that I don't get a warning before my back says "Stop!" Also I get to match the jewelry to the person,
this is such great hobbies. I love jewelry and find this is so amazing to be able to make someone else feel amazing in their new pieces.
Nicky (Team Member)
two years after being diagnosed with AS, I wrote my autobiography. My hope was that it would give my children courage when facing adversity. To my surprise, it sold well and many readers found threads of hope in it.
Two years later, my eyes were impacted by AS. I could no longer write but started painting. In three years I did 82 paintings, some of which were in galleries. After those years, I no longer had the strength to paint with acrylics, so now I do charcoal sketches. Much easier on my back and arms!
Having a hobby is a wonderful way to take our minds away from the pain. I hope you're able to enjoy reading as long as possible!I used to sew everything. Had my fingers in every craft you could imagine. Cake Decorating, painting you name it I did it for others and for myself. Reading has been my go to. I think I read over 800 books during lockdown. Now having eye problems that Drs. don't feel they can get my eyes to work together well enough to read as much as I like. I come home from the grocers with wrong items (I don't have money to waste). My brothers all want to know why I'm not making and selling things. I'm lucky I can take out the garbage. They really don't get it. I believe they think if they actually help me to get rid of things they would be enabling 'this Thing I Think I Have'. 🙁 They have to have recognized that after living in this apt. for the past six years that the Younger Me would know ever single person here - I don't know anyone. I just keep to myself. I'm so tired of letting people down. They remember the old Lee and want her back. - So do I, it just doesn't work that way. I may need some serious therapy to accept my New Life. My hands hurt so bad I can hardly hold a book. I don't understand computers or all these new electronics. I haven't lived with anyone in 20 years to observe how they are used so I really don't understand them. I can't depend on me anymore to make an apt. It's a lonely and very judgmental world out there - Even Drs.
Your husband sounds like an immense help to you,
. My husband is always at my side encouraging, aiding, and supporting me when I need it as well. I am blessed. I truly feel for those who have no family or friends that can help. Resources such as the one you recommended are so very important in these instances and provide so much support. Community support programs for chronic diseases offer numerous benefits to individuals facing these health challenges. To name a few: increased emotional support; providing practical advice and strategies they have found effective in managing their condition; and connecting participants with valuable resources, such as healthcare professionals, organizations, websites, and literature, providing a comprehensive approach to managing their condition. Hoping you are healing well and managing your pain sufficiently. Best regards, Rebecca (community moderator) I am so gratified that you found this useful. I'm certain that if I didn't have my husband, I wouldn't hesitate to use this organization. What a gift!
Another new hobby that I recently took up was learning Italian. I like this one because not only does the hyperfocus and memorization help me when I’m feeling cognitively burned out, it’s a good distraction for pain times. And it makes me feel like I’m accomplishing some thing and moving towards some thing in the future, even if my body sometimes feels stuck.
