Several years ago, my daughter and daughter-in-law had babies within a few months of each other. At the time, I crocheted only. Oh sure, my mother had tried to teach me knitting too, but it never “clicked” with me, and I became a crocheter.  My sister was the knitter.

I was non-stop crocheting in anticipation of my grandchildren’s births. We knew that one would be a boy and the other a girl. I was having a glorious time with pink and blue, yellow and baby green yarns. 

A couple of weeks after my granddaughter’s birth, I woke up one morning, and thought, “Hmm…I must have slept on my hand.”  The wrist, especially, was very sore, but my whole hand hurt.  This was in Israel. When I returned to my home in the US a couple of weeks later, I saw my physician. She ordered blood tests. 

The news came back. I had rheumatoid arthritis. Some people just say “arthritis” without distinguishing between osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OA is a wear-and-tear condition where the joint breaks down over time.  It’s like a mechanical breakdown of your car. Often, damaged joints can be replaced, such as in hip replacements.  RA, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease.  The patient’s immune system attacks one’s own body parts, especially joints, as if they were bacteria or a virus. It’s like the whole car is on fire. Treatment includes many approaches, such as multiple medications and appropriate rest and activities. 

When I was first diagnosed in February, 2006, my rheumatologist said: no going to work, limited use of the telephone, no computer use until the swelling, pain and inflammation were under control.  It would take months. At the time of my diagnosis, I was very ill, in debilitating pain and on the verge of being depressed.

When I saw my rheumatologist the following week, I asked, “Can I crochet?” She answered, “No.”

“But it will help me cope. Emotionally, I need to crochet,” I pleaded.

 “Can you knit instead?” she asked.

“SURE,” I said.

“Not yet,” she said. “You still have to wait until the RA is under control. “

The next several months were not easy. I went into my yarn room. (Yes, my yarn ROOM. My husband has learned to live with it.) I touched the yarns. I cried. When I was able to use the computer, I logged onto yarn and pattern websites.  When I was able to hold books, I looked through them. I enjoyed all the magazines I had, and ones my husband bought me. He assured me that, not only would I knit, but I would crochet again. Needlecraft friends called and supported me through my withdrawal from crochet (not to mention support for living with a chronic, painful disease).

As soon as my rheumatologist approved it, I called Jackie, a local knitting teacher, and enrolled in her beginning knitting class.  

I started class in April of 2006. Wow. Talk about relief. Knitting felt great. You have to relax.  You find your own rhythm. Lose the tension.  After one hour of knitting, Jackie had everyone in class, stop, and stretch our fingers, hands and wrists. She said that she had taught many women with arthritis, and knitting was one of the best things I could do to maintain strength and flexibility in my hands.  My occupational therapist agrees that I can continue to knit, and crochet with modification. 

By the way, this story is not medical advice. If you have pain in your hands and/or wrists, or have been diagnosed with a form of arthritis, you should talk with a health care provider. This is my personal story.  If you have RA or OA, I’d happy to be part of your support system, to help you through if you’re having a difficult time. 

Kol tuv,

Ellen