Diagnosis and Why I Surf

To most people, the idea of an "old lady" surfing is not right, not normal.

"You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Are you sure this is healthy?"

"Wouldn't resting be better for you?"

I hear these questions all the time - mostly from family and friends. I know they mean well! But thankfully I have a doctor (the one who referred me to my current rheumatologist) who really understands.

Being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was one of the strangest moments of my life. For almost five years before diagnosis, I had such odd types of pain. Some days I felt fine, some days my ankles were stiff, and some days my knees hurt so bad that it took a while to get out of bed. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I got X-rays done that showed nothing. Physically, everything else was healthy. For the most part, I was okay, so I just convinced myself that this was just a part of getting old.

Then, the pain became more frequent. I felt so stiff but so sore and tender. It really is such a tough feeling to explain. I almost don't want to use the word 'pain' as much as I want to use 'discomfort.'

I finally gave in and went back to the doctor. At this point I didn't care if something was wrong with me - I wasn't happy and needed to fix that. The doctor suggested it could be RA and sent me to get bloodwork done to a) rule anything else out and b) test my rheumatoid factor. It came back 130!! I was told anything over 14 is considered high, so there you have it! The source of all my discomfort, all my sleepless nights, all my pain. I was almost relieved. Almost!

Then, I started seeing a rheumatologist. We discussed the type of pain I was in. I decided that, for the most part, I was still sorta okay and could carry out daily tasks. Some days, though, I still felt pretty useless! I decided to alter a few things in my life that could possibly help me... I quit smoking! I modified my diet to get rid of added sugar and (most) alcohol. And I started surfing! My rheumatologist recommended light exercise that would put minimal stress on my joints. He said water sports were best.

Why surfing? Well, I have three daughters, the oldest of which was absolutely obsessed with surfing culture when she was younger. I got her a board one year for Christmas and she only used it a few times, but she really loved it. Any of her favorite TV shows and movies were surfing-related. So in a way she has inspired me to do the same, to motivate and to help myself. Now when I get on my board, not only am I focused on bettering my health, but I also can't help but think of my daughter.

I looked into local companies that specialize in private, beginner 1-on-1 surf lessons. I wanted to make it obvious that, at my age, I am not looking to become an expert surfer, I hope that was obvious... I just want to have fun and be mindful of my health at the same time.

So I consulted with my doctor before I began anything. I guess some people could consider it a "drastic lifestyle change"! To my surprise he was all for it. But he advised me to be careful, to stop the second I felt any pain, or if I feel especially uncomfortable the day after. Surfing or not, he advised me to write my symptoms daily, even if I didn't have any.

This was the beginning of my journey!