When reaching for a bottle of water, most people don't even give it a second thought about how they're going to open it.
Others, like Jennifer Gallo, might need a little help that day.
Jennifer was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 15 years ago after she couldn't raise her arm much past her shoulder and her hands were swollen, too.
When it didn't get better after a few days, she went to the doctor and that sent her on the path that led to the ultimate diagnosis several months later.
Jennifer and her husband Ron have been chosen as the honourees for the Walk to Fight Arthritis which will be held in Prince George on Sunday at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park. Registration starts at noon and the walk, which can be a one or five kilometre distance begins at 1 p.m.
More than 4.6 million Canadians live with arthritis each day and funds will be raised for research to find a cure during each walk that sees 30 Canadian communities participating. There are more than 650,000 people in B.C. living with arthritis, and there are more than 100 different forms of the disease including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus and scleroderma.
While Jennifer mostly feels the pain in her knees, hips, wrists and knuckles, she feels fortunate it's not worse.
"The medication that I'm on works really well for me," Jennifer said, who takes methotrexate.
The change in the seasons does affect Jennifer's arthritis and more so when it's damp, she added.
"She does struggle with things, though," said Ron.
"She does as well as she can but small lids like that one (pointing to the water bottle)...."
"I have trouble opening them," Jennifer finished the sentence.
Squeezing the lid to grip it and the pressure of twisting it off proves too much, especially for those first two fingers on her right hand that just don't bend any more. She can't give you a thumbs up with her right hand any more and some days are definitely better than others.
"I have days where I can't even hold onto my hair brush," Jennifer said. "Those are very frustrating days."
Ron said Jennifer works very hard to remain independent.
"I know she doesn't want to feel like she's a burden to anybody," he added. "But certainly I have to keep one eye out to make sure I'm available for her if things aren't going quite the way she wants them to go."
Sometimes cooking dinner can be stopped by one too many challenges but for Jennifer this isn't a very visible disease.
"Most people won't notice it with her," Ron said. "And that's because she does so much to stay active and not let it affect her in a negative way."
Jennifer said because she doesn't feel like her arthritis has stopped a lot for her, she just tries to find ways to make it work.
"I just figure it out," Jennifer said. "If I have to use my other hand, if I have to stop what I'm doing for a while, then that's what I have to do. I don't like asking for help."
Ron said that sometimes he just forgets to make concessions for Jennifer and he'll crank on the lid to a jar and not even consider that Jennifer might need to open it after him.
"But I'll hear about it later," Ron said and joined Jennifer as she laughed about it.
"If she gets it in her head that she can do it, then she'll find a way of doing it until she fails. Even little things like going for a hike and if there's a big hill and I suggest an alternative route, she'll want to try that hill and if she can't finish the hill then she can't finish the hill but she's not going to give up without trying."
Jennifer said it's easy to sit back and say she hurts today and not do anything.
"But if you don't remain moving it's worse," Jennifer said. "Honestly, truthfully, it is worse if you don't move. You have to incorporate some movement and try and stay active as best you can."
Jennifer would like people to know that there are many different types of arthritis.
"Some forms of arthritis are debilitating and even fatal so a proper diagnosis is important," Jennifer said.
"And most people would never be able to tell if another person has arthritis because it's sometimes hard to tell, but if you do know someone with arthritis please be patient."
During the opening ceremonies of the walk in Prince George, the community will be introduced to a new specialist, Dr. Greg Marcotte, who will soon be returning to Prince George, where he was born and raised, to open his practice as a rheumotologist.
Marcotte graduated from UNBC's medical program in 2012, completed his internal medicine training at UBC and is in his last month of rheumatology sub-specialty training in Vancouver.
The Walk to Fight Arthritis in Prince George will be held in conjunction with Art & Wellness in the Park that goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring music, art, culture and recreation.
For more information email [email protected] or to donate to the cause visit www.walktofightarthritis.ca.
