By WAYNE JOSEPH
Tribune-Herald correspondent
If anyone out there suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, you know how painful it is in your joints.
Jodi Kunimoto is one such person. Diagnosed at age 27, she’s lived with the disease for almost two decades.
“I never expected to have to deal with a chronic pain ailment up until the diagnoses,” Kunimoto said. “I led a pretty active life, and I was a leisure jogger and took aerobics classes three to four times per week before the onset of the disease.”
She had to make adjustments to her workout routine to deal with the pain.
“It was difficult to exercise, for the pain and stiffness was unbearable at times,” Kunimoto said. “It felt like I had it in all my joints of my body. Especially my knees, elbows, wrists, neck, shoulders; even the joints in my jaw would hurt.”
Kunimoto went through mood swings, and that’s not the only unwanted side effect that started to appear.
“I also had mild depression due to the physical limitations that I had experienced at the time,” she said. “I had also put on some weight because the steroids doctors prescribed to control the inflammation.”
Kunimoto found that even getting out of bed in the morning was difficult, and she struggled with her normal exercise routine.
“I felt fatigued all day, and after work I’d need to sleep I felt so tired,” Kunimoto said.
Although Kunimoto never participated in youth sports, she was active with the Honolulu-based YMCA as a youth leader.
“(That’s) where body, mind and spiritual development were emphasized,” she said.
Kunimoto works at the University of Hawaii at Hilo as an academic and career advisor.
“I would not consider my job stressful,” she said. “But the balance of working full time and caregiving roles can be stressful at times.”
Kunimoto’s brother died last November of brain cancer, adding to her responsibilities.
“When that happened, my 84-year-old mother who was living with him had to uproot herself from Honolulu to come to live in Hilo,” Kunimoto said.
That meant she has to balance her daily life even more.
“It has been an adjustment for my daughter, spouse and my mom,” Kunimoto said. “Balance of marriage, care for myself and full-time work can take its toll.”
Through it all, exercise has become a stress-breaker for Kunimoto.
“As a mom and caregiver I also give myself permission to take care of myself,” Kunimoto said. “During my early morning walk with my shelties, I am spending time with my dogs, exercising them and me at the same time.”
After Kunimoto sees the family off for the day, she starts her morning at the swimming pool.
“I head to either (UHH) pool for lap swimming or the YWCA pool for water aerobics,” she said. “If I head to (UHH) pool, I may also fit in a little bit of light strength training before diving in, just so I can upkeep/build the muscle around my joints.”
Kunimoto remains active rain or shine, and she credits a little help from above.
“The weather in Hilo isn’t a barrier to my daily walks outside,” she said. “My family is consistently amazed how I avoid the heavy dose of rain on my walks and bike rides.”
She tells them that God knows she needs the walks and holds the rain off until she is done.
“Actually though, I think I’ve learned like any other Hilo person to read the sky and estimate how much time we have until it may rain,” she said. “And when you’re not sure about it, don’t all of us Hilo people carry umbrellas?”
Kunimoto is careful and limits what she eats, though her yo-yo affair with dieting makes it easier to maintain than lose weight.
“I eat what I like but have learned to put a limit on the amount I take in,” Kunimoto said. “I watch that the scale doesn’t go over the limit of no return for me.”
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissue. It’s cause is unknown and it is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body’s mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
“I got to the stage where I finally accepted my fate,” she said. “The disease will not go away and I have to make a choice. I have to get a handle on it and manage it. This takes time and conscious effort, but I’ll get there.”
Kunimoto is making the most of what she has and looks on the positive side while exercising and maintaining a healthy diet.
“Having to face RA like any other chronic illness is probably one of the greatest lessons we will have in life,” Kunimoto said. “It has taught me not to take your good health for granted. So take care of yourself, listen to your body, be patient with yourself and others. Slow down if you need to and don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Another lesson that Kunimoto has learned is empathy for others.
“I can relate to those going through a similar process of their own physical, psychological, and spiritual challenges in life,” she said.
And someday should you happen to see someone facing his own challenges in life, remember to smile, say “woof” and never shy away from “’’Running with the ‘’Big Dog.”
Email the Big Dog at waiaeabigdog@aol.com
