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Monday, June 11, 2012

Carrying My Girl

"I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either. " -Jack Benny

I am a mostly healthy person, with a few exceptions, but only one of those exceptions makes parenting difficult.  Arthritis and tendinitis mean that carrying my bigger-every-day girl is painful and sometimes debilitating.

Maeve, although small in the overall sense, is quite tall for her age, and not all that light, either.  She's always in the 99th percentile in both height and weight, but she's still only a two year old, and often needs the reassurance and safety that only carrying can give her.  Especially when she is shy or scared, she requires being held, sometimes for upwards of a half an hour, and by then my arms and wrists are giving out.

I was diagnosed with arthritis at sixteen years old, although I was told it's not rheumatoid, so things could definitely be worse.  Up until now, it hasn't bothered me hugely, except when I spent a lot of time in my college years doing some very amateur sign language.  When it's at its worst, I can't lift a pop can with one hand.  But a 33 pound girl is a lot more demanding than a can of soda.

I wear braces on both wrists, now, and take naproxen sodium pretty regularly.  But last night my finger joints were aching so much I decided I need to email my new doctor and see if I should be trying any other treatments for arthritis.  So we'll see if there's something else I can do. 
We are just discovering piggyback rides...

1 comment:

  1. Have you ever considered "babywearing" like with an Ergo, Boba or Becco carrier? You can wear a child up to 45-50 lbs depending on the model you get. They are very pricey, but for me it was worth it. You can front carry or back carry, and it leaves your hands free. I've never had back pain with it either, although my girl is slightly smaller than yours. Might be worth a try!

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