Yet another rainy day! I can’t remember the last whole day of sun. Normally, I don’t mind a rainy day or two. I love the way it smells after a good downpour. My problem is this: my arthritis pain is killing me.

This is beyond the usual mild achiness I may feel day to day. This is out and out pain. Pain in my knees and hips. My doctor says that there no real evidence that weather can effect my pain. I remind him that pain is subjective. It doesn’t matter if science supports it. I KNOW that my joints ache more when it is rainy. Or cold, for that matter.

Because I don’t like to take many medications, I usually just tolerate the normal daily arthritis pain. But, on days like today, I find myself taking my pain relievers on schedule because I need them. I toss and turn at night (slowly) because it is hard to get comfortable. In the mornings, I dread getting out of bed. Getting around first thing in the morning is awful. I shuffle my way to a hot shower. I stretch and bend in the shower to help “loosen” my joints. On stormy days, like today, I take something like ibuprofen early in the day. So, for the last week, or so, my best friends have been ibuprofen, a hot shower and a nice heating pad. Without them, I wouldn’t, or couldn’t, get out of bed.