I'm not sure why I'm writing about a flare-up like it's a set amount of time when it feels like I'm constantly in one at the moment. If you have any type of arthritis, you’ve probably lived through a flare up. But for people that don't know what a 'flare-up' is It's basically when you start to the feel the symptoms of your arthritis and the amount of time that those symptoms last, this could be anywhere from days to weeks or months. For me, my knee and hands start to swell up become stiff and I get really tired, my whole body feels like it doesn't want to function it also feels like i've gained 3 stone!.
How long it last depends on a vast amount of factors. A lot of mine can be to do with how stressed I am, sometimes tiredness but usually its how much i've used either my knee or my hand. Sometimes there is no reason whatsoever and they can be hard to deal with. If I've walked too much then I know I'm going to suffer but when I'm resting and my knee suddenly doubles in size it is hard to cope with.
I've have been experiencing flare-ups since I was 10, then they would only last a few days at a time and would occur maybe 3/4 times a year. They became more frequent when I was around 14 to 6/7 time a year. My knee would just give way like it had been taken from under me. Since 2016 it has been much more frequent and the lines are blurring between flare-ups. It is very difficult to describe but my knee will either swell bent, so I am unable to straighten it or straight so I am unable to bend it. Not being able to bend it is more common. My hand on the other hand just won't bend my fingers are swollen straight and that's it. No matter how hard I try they will not bend.
Sarah & Chester x
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