Delicate

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In high school, I had one teacher who moved in a remarkable way. For a while I couldn't figure out what it was that seemed so odd. Then, one day, as she opened a door, I realized it was something about how she moved her hands.

She did so delicately, as if they were made of glass.

It was fascinating to watch, her fingers ever so slightly splayed, arms lifting as if she had butterflies wings.

I can't recall a single thing she taught, but I remember her hands.

Over the past several months, years really, I've come to appreciate what might have made her move like that: arthritis.

While we were living in Colorado -- so, about four years ago -- I developed pain in the large knuckle of my pinkie fingers. It was in both hands, but worse on the right. Over the past few years, the pain has migrated to other joints and, this year, it seems to have made its home in my top knuckle of my index finger, though both hands are in varying degrees of pain almost constantly. Sometimes an ache, sometimes a sharp jab. I can't do up a button using my right index finger. [I secretly curse people with "strong" handshakes!]

In terms of pain management, I already take three Ibuprofen a day for bursitis. Heat is soothing and helps me exercise my joints, but cold (ice) is really the best thing for at least an hour of relief.

What's bugging me about all of this is that I am relatively young, I think. I mean, I always figured that this kind of achiness was something I might face in my sixties or eighties.

Any suggestions or tips?