After a long day of dancing I love to relax and soak my muscles in a bath so I attempt to get into the bath with my suit on. It is so uncomfortable and painful and once I get into the bath I find it difficult to find comfort in any position. All I can think about is how I am going to get out in a less painful way! There is no water in my bath as I am wearing the suit, so I don’t have the hazard of slipping to think about which of course someone with arthritis would have to be so careful about. Getting out I am relying on my arm muscles to push myself up and I find myself reaching for a handle to steady myself. If I was on my own I would feel really scared doing this and actually, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable bathing on my own. What a really distressing thought.

I have danced in high heels since I was 12 and I’m used to putting them on in a hurry in between dances. But not today. I’m struggling to bend down to fasten them up and have to ask for help, which makes me feel really dependent and helpless. It’s really starting to hit home how having arthritis can affect your everyday routine and how frustrating it must be.

Dancing for me is like riding a bicycle and using the arms and legs to their full extension is normal in my every day exercise regime. I put on the Jive thinking that surely I will be able to dance in time to the music. I was wrong, I don’t feel as stable as normal and I am much slower as everything pulls in opposite directions. I actually give up doing the moves to music in the end in order to try to do the moves properly. Normally, I would easily carry on dancing for hours but today is just too painful. I have heard of dance students who carry on dancing even with arthritis as apparently keeping the joints moving is good for them, I commend them, that’s very courageous.

Sammy Margo, my Physiotherapist came in to my studio to take me through the recommended exercises for people with osteoarthritis. Apparently strengthening exercises can help to reduce joint stiffness, improve pain levels and also improve energy levels as well as helping you feel more confident and positive.

This is something I take for granted everyday as it’s a big part of my job. I’m used to putting my own make-up on and often have to get ready quickly. I have never thought putting on make-up as a fiddly job, but with the gloves and the pain in my hands it’s so frustrating. I am so surprised about how I’m reacting to this experience and I feel guilty getting frustrated, knowing that so many people in the UK live with arthritis every day. While doing my make-up, I’m finding myself subconsciously moving into different positions, like resting my arm on the table to put my mascara on, just to ease the pain. Applying my make-up took much longer to do than normal and I definitely needed a lot of patience with the eyeliner in particular as it was so difficult to get right. I feel completely drained and all I have done so far is make breakfast and put on my make-up.

As I’m cutting up my fruit I feel like I’m fumbling and I have to go very slowly, as the spikes in my gloves are digging into my skin….it’s hurting and I really don’t feel like carrying on. The spikey painful feeling simulates the pressure on finger joints if you have arthritis. Dealing with this every day would be exhausting and really quite upsetting too.

I’m told by GP Rosemary Leonard that it’s really important to eat the right foods when you have arthritis, this prevents aggravating the condition but also helps manage pain. I made a fruit salad including berries, which contain certain antioxidants that ‘may help to reduce inflammation’ and apples, which contain magnesium which ‘may help to decrease the pain and stiffness in joints and muscles.’

I thought I would be restricted, but not as restricted as this. It’s really quite claustrophobic feeling this way. Wearing the gloves is immediately uncomfortable and painful, but I’m still determined that the suit is not going to slow me down or stop me from doing my daily chores.