Last week I bought a watch.
A standard, cheap, supermarket watch.
But to me it's more than just a watch.
10 years ago, both my PoTS and my hypermobility symptoms were out of control, and a year or so using crutches, and then becoming a wheelchair user had messed up my wrists even more.
I couldn't wear a watch. The weight of it could make my wrist bones slip out enough to HURT, even the lightest watches caused problems. I also had to take it off with frustrating regularity so I could brace my wrist. I even tried wearing a watch around my wheelchair frame for a while. In the end I stopped wearing watches. For years.
Last week I bought a watch.
A standard, cheap, supermarket watch.
And I can wear it. All day.
And not only does it tell me the time, it also tells me "You have made progress. Well done."
The years of being careful about the angle of my wrist when I lift things, the physio - starting with tiny little controlled movements and building from there, the accepting help when I can tell my wrists have done enough for one day. It helped. It worked.
Now every time I check my watch, I am reminded of my progress.