Today, I had jury duty. It went a little something like this:
1. Ask to park in the handicapped parking area, but am sent to the farthest spot away from the elevators because the juror parking lot is closed and they don’t have a handicapped spot in that section.
2. Am told that if I can work, I can’t be excused from jury duty for my autoimmune arthritis disease.
3. Sit for 3 hours on a pew like bench in a court room while the lawyers slowly cross off our names one by one. My back was killing me and the getting up to stretch was difficult because you never knew what the lawyers were going to do. Finally, I am not chosen because of my response regarding sexual assault.
4. Wait another 30 minutes until dismissed for lunch. Take a break for an hour to move my body and eat.
5. Made to wait another 2.5 hours even though I was not chosen.
6. At 4:30, we are told we are going back up because they couldn’t come up with a jury pool from the previous group.
7. Scramble to get in touch with someone to take care of my dog. Panic because I can’t take my medication without food and dinner is going to be a long time a way.
8. 5:00 marched back into the jury room (after standing in a hallway for 30 minutes) and told we are dismissed and encouraged to leave quickly before the judge changed his mind.
Now anyone who has ever had jury duty knows it is a lot of sitting around. Today, I had to sit around for 9 hours. Nine LONG hours of sitting in semi-comfortable chairs for 6 hours and a very uncomfortable courtroom bench for 3 hours. It makes sense that my back hurts a bit…..but my feet are KILLING me tonight. Seriously, when the dog ran her bell to let me know she wanted to go out, I almost cried because walking hurts a lot. While sitting for 9 hours (have I mentioned that yet?), my feet were hanging down, on the ground……swelling. I could literally feel it. After lunch, the jury room cleared out a lot. I was able to put my one leg up for a bit, but felt weird doing it because no one else had their feet up. I was embarrassed. I took some naproxen sodium to reduce swelling. Ate some pineapple for lunch and sucked up the pain. I know tomorrow is going to be rough one after a day like today. Seriously, how can be sedentary be so painful? Oh, I know YOU all get it…..I just wish the rest of the world did, too.
I came home, walked the dog, and have had my feet up ever since. I feel like I can’t win. If I sit too long, I hurt. If I stand too long, I hurt. If I lie down too long, I get stiff and I hurt. I totally have the song “My hip bone’s connected to my thigh bone” but in my version it’s my “Tail bone’s connected to my foot bones!” Because sitting all day has caused some serious foot pain! Well, at least I amuse myself. I also decided to at another item to my jury duty list from today…..
9. Asking my rheumatologist to give me a note next time. I can’t sit for that amount of time in uncomfortable chairs. I can’t get up suddenly and be expected to stand for long periods of time. My body feels like I was hit by a truck. My body just sucks. My joints are swollen, my back aches. I want to do my civic duty but it may have to wait until I retire and don’t have to worry about being able to walk the next day.
asmyjointsturn.com 
Kelly, you might ask the Rheummy to test for Ankylosing Spondylitis. If asked you this before please excuse my second suggestion. I know standing, walking and sitting are like hell to me. Like RA there is no single test but there is a test to rule it out. Might be worth thinking of.
I tell my docs I refuse to leave earth until I have 5 autoimmune diseases and I am sure thyroid is easy to get for a T1 person with diabetes. That puts me one away.
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They were saying axial spondlyoarthritis at one point. I have no idea. Don’t know if the treatment would change. They are thinking more of psoriatic arthritis now. It all just hurts. I did ask about ankylosing spondylitis a while ago.
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it is all tough as nails. Many blessings !!
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