Raptor-Baby

Tomorrow OZL will be 8 weeks old! And so far the extra prednisone actually seems to be helping. My hands and feet are still giving me trouble, but not too much trouble  - so we're hanging in there with the breastfeeding for now. And my baby boy is fat and happy! Well, always fat. Mostly happy. ~:o)

And, for your listening entertainment, I present to you this: the sounds my child makes while totally asleep. It's like I gave birth to a raptor-baby or something...

Seven Weeks

I have to admit that I am sort of reluctant to write this post. I really don't want to discourage anyone out there with RA from following their dream to become a mother. But, personally, on my own journey I have been desperate to find honest stories about the realities of birth and motherhood with RA. I wanted to know what to expect so that I could prepare myself. But I found very few real stories, and so it has been scary to approach this post-birth period with almost no idea what to expect. So I'm sharing my story in the hopes that it will help - and hopefully, in the end, encourage - other women with RA who want to become mothers.

Today is OZL's seven week birthday. And, unfortunately, it's official: my RA is getting worse.

My feet (toes, ankles) and hands (fingers, thumbs, wrists) hurt a little bit more every day. The pain in my hands is particularly problematic - it's getting harder (and more painful) to pick up OZL, to wash pump parts, to carry the car seat, to snap those tiny snaps that are all over everything he wears...

I have to admit that it is really frustrating to have the RA return at what is already a really stressful and exhausting time. And I'm not superwoman - sometimes I have to sit down and cry about how unfair the whole situation seems. But, for the most part, I am trying to keep my spirits up and do the best I can to stay active and enjoy my time with OZL. This morning we even took a little hike (the picture on this post!)

Even though I'm hurting, I'm not quite ready to give up on breastfeeding just yet. So I emailed my rheumatologist, and with the blessing of my pediatrician we decided that it is time to increase my dosage of prednisone. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how I feel about prednisone - I hate the stuff. And I am bummed to have to take it because it will make it much harder for me to lose the baby weight (and will actually probably make me gain more). But, besides handfuls of advil, it is pretty much the only option I have for medication that is safe while breastfeeding. So I really hope it helps.

For now I still plan to fight to continue breastfeeding, but I'm also trying to come to terms with the need to stop, because the end is in sight at this point. I keep repeating to myself, over and over again, a comment that one of my readers left on my last post:

To your son you are more important than your milk.

I know this is true. I really don't want to have to stop breastfeeding before either of us is emotionally ready to do so, but if the RA keeps getting worse I really won't have a choice. I will have to go back on my meds in order to be the mother that I want to be. And, as I keep telling myself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Six Weeks Later

I know, I know...long time no blog! But around here we've been really busy! We've been nursing. And changing diapers. And nursing again. And bouncing and rocking and swinging. And nursing some more. And taking a bath in the sink. And pumping breast milk. And nursing still more in the middle of the night (seriously - this kid is hungry!) And when I've had a little bit of time to spare I've mostly used it for laundry or showering or feeding myself and APL or, occasionally, sleeping!! So though I've been thinking about all the things I might like to say in a blog post for a while now, it has been quite hard to find the time to actually sit down and type it. In fact, it's taken me two separate days to finish this post!

OZL is now six weeks old and he's doing really great. He is growing so very fast! He was 6 pounds 5 ounces when we left the hospital and today he weighed in at 10 pounds 15 ounces! He still eats, on average, every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. Occasionally we'll get a 4 hours stretch, and that is always nice. We once got a 5 hours stretch two nights in a row and APL and I thought we were in heaven! So much uninterrupted sleep for us! Because, if you haven't guessed, OZL's schedule has made it quite difficult for me and APL to get sufficient sleep. And sometimes that can be really hard. I mean, I'm obviously no stranger to fatigue, but sleep deprivation like this is a whole other kind of tired entirely. Sometimes I get exhausted to the point where I am no longer even coherent and I just sit down and start crying. Some nights are much harder than others (which makes some days a lot harder than others) but we're hanging in there and doing the very best we can.

Since we know how important it is for me to stay as healthy as possible right now (after all, I'm the milk factory!) APL has been working hard to make sure I get as much sleep as I can. He'll take the baby in the evenings so I can go to bed earlier. He'll stay up with me in the middle of the night if I need help. He'll give OZL a bottle of pumped breast milk in the mornings so I can have slightly more uninterrupted sleep. So APL has been super amazing - such a wonderful dad and husband. We are also extremely lucky to have my mom staying with us right now. She has been a totally invaluable source of support - especially in the food department, since she cooks an amazing meal almost every night (when, let's not lie, APL and I undoubtedly would have been too exhausted and just made a frozen pizza).

So I suppose I ought to get to the point that everybody who reads this blog is probably wondering about: my RA. I guess I have to report that there's good news and there's not so good news on this front.

The good news is that, with the exception of the extreme exhaustion cryierd kind of days, which still happen every once in a while, I have actually been feeling pretty good lately. My incision has completely healed and doesn't hurt at all anymore. And I have a decent amount of energy, especially considering how little sleep I have been getting. I just had my six week checkup this morning and I've been cleared to exercise - and I'm happy to find that I'm actually excited to get moving!

Then there's the not so good news. It hasn't really reached the point of being bad news, per se, but there's certainly nothing good about it. I am definately starting to experience some joint pain. It started in my left toes maybe three or four weeks after the birth. It isn't a huge amount of pain in my toes - mostly it's just annoying - but it has been a little bit unnerving because that is where my RA originally started. And then, just in the past week or so, I have started experiencing pain in my hands. I've been waking up with sore and slightly swollen finger joints, and I've had to break out the wrist guard for my right wrist. To be fair, I have been doing a lot with my hands/wrist lately - lifting and carrying the baby, moving the heavy car seat in and out of the car, changing diapers, washing bottles and pump parts, snapping tiny snaps on clothing. But, unfortunately, I don't think this really explains away all the pain I've been having in my hands. So, while I'm really trying to stay positive that my RA symptoms will remain minor for the foreseeable future, I can't help but wonder how quickly the rest of my joints might follow. And the whole thing is worrisome because I really, really want to breastfeed as long as possible - and I won't be able to anymore if I have to go back on my RA meds.

Looking for guidance or support on this issue is almost entirely unproductive. Mostly you end up with extremely vague statements about the potential for a post-birth flare (i.e. not at all useful!) Like this gem from WebMD: "Women with RA tend to flare within months after giving birth." Or this study, which says women frequently experience "disease exacerbation after delivery." They don't say when to expect it or how bad it will be. Or what the hell you ought to do about it!! I know that is because everyone's RA is different, so there's really no way to tell what will happen to any particular person, but I can't even seem to find much anecdotal evidence of individual stories. And, though I'm honestly trying not to think too much about it, sometimes I can't help wondering how much longer I have before my body turns on me again. The uncertainty can be pretty frustrating.

In the meantime, I'm trying my best to enjoy the more or less pain-free time that I have been granted. And I am pumping. As much as I can. I'm trying to get as much breast milk stored in my freezer as possible. That way, if my RA flares and I end up with no choice but to go back on my meds, I will know that I have done everything in my power to give OZL as much breast milk as I can possibly provide, so that he gets the most healthy start he possibly can. And I'm still hoping/wishing/praying that I won't have to deal with that issue any time soon.

4th Year With RA

It is extremely hard to believe, but it's already time for my fourth yearly update on this blog. Four years ago, I was a grad/law student living with my boyfriend. Today I have a law degree, a masters in environmental policy, a husband, and a son.

And, yes, I also have RA.

Don't get me wrong - RA has played a huge role in the last four years of my life. But, at the same time, it is somehow less important than it was four years ago. I find that I don't focus on it as much as I used to. And though it has sometimes made things more difficult (often a lot more difficult), I haven't let it stop me from achieving any of my goals.

Our first year of marriage has been a busy one, starting with our amazing honeymoon in Spain. Unfortunately, as soon as we got home my fellowship lost its funding, and I've found myself working from home (on a book and some contract legal work) ever since.

We have really enjoyed being involved with the Arthritis Foundation this year. I especially loved going to JA Camp last summer - and I'm honestly a little bit bummed that OZL will still be too small for me to participate this year. Last summer APL and I both volunteered at JA Family Day (which hopefully we will still be able to do this year) and I became a member of the JA Workgroup. We also attended Advocacy Training and I signed up to be an Arthritis Ambassador. I represented the Arthritis Foundation at the Massage Envy Fundraiser on World Arthritis Day and Team Z raised over $2,000 at the Jingle Bell Walk. Unfortunately, I had to miss the 2012 Advocacy Summit in Washington DC because I was too pregnant, but I really hope I will be able to go next year. I also did some other RA advocacy work online this year for WEGO Health and CreakyJoints.

Because some RA drugs take many months to leave your system, I started weaning off my RA medications well before our wedding so that we could safely try to conceive a baby after we got married. Dealing with untreated RA while trying to get pregnant was no easy task. In particular I dealt with a lot of hip pain, which made the process extremely uncomfortable and frustrating. I searched for positive, hopeful, and uplifting advice to help me along but, unfortunately, found very little. So I honestly shared my own story in the hopes that others in my situation can learn from it in the future.

If the process of getting pregnant with RA was a little bit complicated, so was being pregnant with RA. In addition to ordinary morning sickness and regular pregnancy complications (placenta previa and preeclampsia) my RA also presented some unique issues. I had trouble with my SI joints and continued issues with my hips during the first trimester, which resulted in the need for physical therapy. I did end up experiencing some remission during my second trimester, but my RA flared pretty badly during the third trimester. I was extremely stiff in the mornings and had pain in my hands, continued issues with my hips, and trouble with my knees. The RA flare was particularly difficult to deal with when I got put on strict bed rest as a result of preeclampsia.

But it was all worth it when our beautiful son, OZL, was born on May 30th. I fall more in love with him every day and I can't wait to keep watching him grow (only don't grow too fast!!) I still worry about the inevitable post-birth flare - which could realistically be coming any day now - but I know that with support from APL we will find a way to get through it. 

All in all, it has been a pretty amazing year.

Introducing OZL!!

APL and I are both extremely excited to announce the birth of our son, OZL, who is one week old today! OZL was born last Wednesday, May 30th. He weighed 6lb 14oz and is 20.5 inches long. Because he was breech (meaning his butt was pointing at the birth canal rather than his head) I needed to have a c-section. The surgery went really well and he and I are both doing great. 

So far (knock on all the wood ever!!!) my joints are all behaving. I think it must be some kind of birth-induced remission, because my joints are doing markedly better than they were last week when I was on bed rest, even though I am still pretty immobile. (Though I am also still taking a maintenance dose of prednisone, which probably helps.) That's not to say I am currently pain free - my incision hurts, my nipples hurt from adjusting to breastfeeding, and my back and shoulders are sore from figuring out the best ways to hold him - but I don't have any complaints about my joints right now. And that is awesome. 

I've got zero idea how long this relief from joint pain will actually last, so I've already started pumping to build up a supply of breastmilk in our freezer. That way, if/when I reach the point where I need to stop breastfeeding and re-start my RA meds, we'll hopefully have a supply of breastmilk so we can extend the health benefits to OZL a bit longer. In the meantime, I'm super grateful not to have to deal with joint pain on top of everything else right now. 

And I have fallen completely in love with my little boy. Everything I went through to get pregnant and everything I dealt with during my pregnancy has been 100% totally worth it.

Happy Anniversary APL!

One year ago today, we kissed in the rain under an oak tree, ate bbq and cherry cheesecake, and danced in a barn with all of our friends and family. In just two days we'll welcome our baby boy into the world. What a crazy first year it has been! Happy First Anniversary, APL!!

Bed Rest

If you're having a busy day at work or a rough day at school, I'm sure bed rest must sound pretty awesome. You probably imagine luxuriating in bed all day, eating bon-bons, watching movies, having people bring you food or give you a foot massage. But let me assure you of this: bed rest is really not very much fun. Especially with arthritis.

I have been laying in bed, getting up only to use the bathroom, since I got checked into the hospital on Friday afternoon. So it has only been a few days but all the immobility has already been totally killer on my joints. They pretty much all hurt - which obviously doesn't make laying around all the time very easy or very fun. And, since my OBs want me to primarily lay on my side to increase bloodflow and reduce my blood pressure, my hips are objecting loudly and constantly. Yesterday afternoon I had to resort to some vicodin just to keep laying in the bed. 

Luckily, APL is taking extremely good care of me. He set up my computer next to the guest bed with a trillion movies and TV shows. He also got permission to work half days from home, so he brings me lunch and makes me dinner every day, and having him home limits my need to go up and down the stairs. River is also being extremely good company. She seems to know something is wrong and spends a lot of time laying on the bed with me. She cheers me up immensely. Our friends are also helping out - one brought us a pot roast for dinner on Monday, another took River on a hike yesterday, a third is texting me daily from California to make sure I'm hanging in there. We're very lucky to have such a good support system. 

It still isn't easy. My body hurts a great deal and today I feel like I'm having trouble being entertained by anything, even though I have a million options. I'm really hoping to make it another week on bed rest to give our little guy a bit more time to cook. While of course I want what is best for my baby that is also an overwhelming thought because the joint pain and stiffness seems to increase daily. It's hard to lay around and rest when it hurts to lay there.

But I'm trying to take it a day at a time - an hour at a time if necessary. And, luckily for me, APL will be home soon. And that always makes me feel better.

Mild Preeclampsia

TMI Warning: This post contains details about pregnancy that you may consider to be too much information. Don't say I didn't warn you!

After a week on prednisone, I had an appointment on Friday morning to see my rheumatologist. I like my rheumatologist, but honestly? This appointment wasn't the greatest. I told him I thought the prednisone was helping somewhat, but I was surprised by how much pain I was still experiencing. He examined my joints and seemed a lot more concerned with the pain in my hands, saying that the pain in my knees and hips was likely to decrease when the baby was born (and I weigh less; hence less pressure on those joints). And that's good, but I told him that I was quite concerned about how my hips would fare during labor. In response to that he basically said that he thought labor pains would overshadow any joint pain - which, of course, was not particularly reassuring. 

He did say that if I got an epidural he didn't think there would be much chance of damaging my joints during labor, so that is good. We also talked about options for meds after the birth while breastfeeding, but it turns out there aren't significantly more options than I have right now. So it was a little disappointing to think about dealing with this joint pain and a newborn. But he did say that he thought there was a good possibility that I would get a couple of weeks of relief from pain after the birth, maybe as much as 2 or 4 months, so that would be good.  

But the worst part of the appointment was the routine blood pressure they took at the beginning. It was high. My rheumatologist didn't seem too concerned about it - he said we would keep an eye on it - but I decided to call my OB and see if they thought I should be concerned. My OB decided to have me come in and get checked out that afternoon. And when I got checked out, I ended up getting checked in to labor and delivery. 

They put monitors on my belly for the baby and took my blood pressure every 10 minutes for several hours. They initiated yet another 24 hour jug-o-pee test. They drew some blood. They were trying to determine if the spike in my blood pressure came from the prednisone and/or if it was being caused by my pregnancy. In the end, they kept me overnight and through the entire next day to continue monitoring me.

Apparently, just having an autoimmune condition puts you at a higher risk of developing preeclampsia. Though the prednisone might also be contributing to the spike in my blood pressure, the 24 hour urine test confirmed that the level of protein in my urine is increasing. That means that my liver and kidneys are not working as well as they should. So I've been diagnosed with mild preeclampsia, which means that it might not be safe for me or the baby if I stay pregnant much longer.

Since I am not quite at 37 weeks yet (which is full term) I was sent home on strict bed rest to try to give our little guy a bit longer to cook before he is delivered. I have to lay on my side at all times - which increases blood flow and significantly improves my blood pressure. I am only allowed to get up to pee. 

All this immobility and limited positions to lay in has not been easy on my joints so far. But I'm just trying to take it one day at a time (or sometimes one hour at a time) because I know that the longer I am able to stay pregnant the better it will be for our son.

Pregnancy & Prednisone

I've been putting off writing this post for days. I have to admit that I am feeling a little bit reluctant about being my usual honest self here, because I really don't want to scare or discourage anyone out there with RA who might be considering getting pregnant. 

But, ultimately, I decided that one of the things that scared me the most when I was considering getting pregnant was that there was just so little real information out there about pregnancy and RA. Sure you can find lots of articles with vague medical information - "many women with RA experience remission when pregnant" - but what does that even mean?!? How many? How much remission? What if I am not one of the "many"? Then what?!?! When I was planning to get pregnant I desperately wanted to find just a few personal stories about what being pregnant with RA is really like, so that I could have some idea - any idea - about what I realistically might be facing.

So, with the disclaimer that everyone's RA is different and there seem to be no hard and fast rules about RA and pregnancy (plus the always obvious talk to your own health care providers to figure out what is best for you), let me share with you what I am currently up against:

It's week 34 of my pregnancy - six weeks to go - and I have really been struggling.

The vast majority of the past few weeks I have been in a great deal of pain, extremely achy, highly fatigued, and seriously uncomfortable. Most days I find myself on the couch by mid-afternoon, with an ice pack on each hip, hoping for just a little numbness and relief. My hands are so stiff and sore when I wake up in the morning I feel like it's a wonder if I can make myself a cup of tea. I'm exhausted and having trouble sleeping. I take my tylenol and pretend that it's vicodin, hoping to trick my brain into feeling better.

Despite the mounting evidence over the past few weeks, I've been in a little bit of denial about the return of my RA symptoms. Some part of me kept stubbornly insisting that these issues could just as easily be caused by third trimester pregnancy as by RA. There's a huge belly and a lot of extra weight on those hips - no wonder they hurt! I have another pregnant friend who is dealing with swelling in her hands - maybe that's all it is! And all pregnant women are exhausted and have trouble sleeping! Just hang in there!

But then last week my prenatal massage therapist commented on the heat radiating out of my hips. Then my pilates instructor commented on how hot my hands were and pointed out that my shoulder was behaving just like it does during a flare. Then, despite keeping my exercise routine extremely low impact, I suddenly started experiencing some unexpected - yet highly familiar - pain in my knee that sent me searching for my knee brace. Within a day or two I started noticing increased pain in both of my knees whenever I stood or walked for longer than a few minutes.

With the number of affected joints adding up, it seemed more and more difficult to say that this pain was pregnancy-related (rather than-arthritis related.) So I brought it up with my OB on Monday - and she agreed.  While pregnant women often experience hip pain, she told me, the hand pain and the knee pain clearly suggested arthritis. And despite everything I have been doing to try to manage the pain (physical therapy, pilates, water aerobics, prenatal massage, heat, cold, rest, relaxation, de-stressing...) the pain was only getting worse. My OB's concern only increased when I told her about the difficulty I had practicing birth positions. She thought it was time to start taking some prednisone. 

As anyone who has read this blog in the past knows, I sincerely dislike prednisone. Ok, let's not lie: I pretty much hate the stuff. I hate that it works so well but comes with such nasty side effects (at least that's how it seems to work for me). I hate the way it makes me look and feel. I hate how hard it is to wean off of once you have been on it for an extended period of time. (And I hate how I feel like just a tiny bit of a failure for having to resort to prednisone when I really don't want to...even though I know that is absurd.)

Unfortunately, even putting aside my personal feelings about prednisone, the decision to start taking it while pregnant is just not quite as simple as I wish it was. It does come with a price. First, prednisone (or any steroid) can mess with your adrenal gland, and if your adrenal gland isn't working properly it can inhibit labor. So being on prednisone now will require me to have an IV dose of some other drug (can't remember the name...placenta brain!) during labor to make sure my adrenal gland is functioning well enough to get me through labor. This is obviously not the end of the world. It's not like I'm a stranger to IVs, and it sounds like I'll only need one dose - so I won't necessarily be tethered to an IV the whole time.

The other issue is the side effects. We know that in the past prednisone has seemed to mess with my blood pressure. And, since my favorite jug-o-pee test did come back a little bit high, I am still at risk for developing preeclampsia. This would obviously not be safe for me or the baby. So we'll have to keep an extra close eye on my blood pressure while I am taking the prednisone to make sure everything progresses safely. 

But, despite all of this, I am also reasonable enough to recognize that prednisone is pretty much my only option right now. It will help control my RA symptoms while also being safe for the baby. It will make the remainder of this pregnancy more bearable. It will reduce the joint pain which will help me get through labor. And feeling better right now and having a less painful and productive labor is better for me and the baby. 

So, my love-hate relationship with prednisone continues. And, honestly? After just one dose yesterday I swear I am already feeling better today. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Trudeau's Stress Less Kitchen Tools

DISCLAIMER: I received these product samples unsolicited and for free - and promised to review them completely honestly without receiving compensation. For details, please see my Product Review Policy.

Trudeau's Stress Less Salt & Pepper Mills

The salt and pepper mills are both large and easy to grip. The fact that they are quite large might be considered a con - they do take up a lot of space - but they are not unattractive and I think they would look fine on the table. To operate, you simply hold the slightly padded black knob and turn the handle - clockwise gets you a fine grind and counter-clockwise gets you a coarser grind. Both the gear in the center and the handle itself rotate. For me, the handle on the salt mill was a little tight (i.e. slightly more difficult to turn than the pepper mill) but that may be something that would loosen up with use. One other negative might be that as I moved them around from counter to table and back, they did sometimes leave a little salt and/or pepper residue on the surface where they were sitting. But overall I would say these are useful and probably easier to use than salt or pepper grinders that require a smaller, tighter grip. 

Trudeau's Stress Less Pizza Cutter

This pizza cutter is bigger than most others I have seen, so it will certainly take up more storage space, but I have to agree that it is pretty easy to use. What makes it so easy is that it's not just a handle on a circular cutting wheel - there is actually extra space for your thumb and forefinger to grip. I think this makes it easier to use more downward pressure while at the same time spreading the impact out over more of your fingers. It's also pretty easy to clean, because you can hold the cutter upside down to pop the cutting wheel off and wash separately. Popping the cutting wheel back in after cleaning is a little bit more tricky, however, so be careful.

Trudeau's Stress Less Garlic Press

As a disclaimer, I have to say that I don't own a regular garlic press - so I haven't really got anything to compare this to. When dealing with garlic, I've found it to be much easier to simply buy a jar of pre-chopped garlic to keep in my fridge - still fresh but no chopping/pressing effort involved. But I did test out this garlic press and I will say that it is pretty easy to use. You put the garlic clove in the press chamber, put the press on a flat surface (which is a tiny bit tricky because the press will balance on two small, padded points), and then press the top handle downwards using your body weight to minimize the effort. The key here is that you have to follow the directions to actually make it easier - if you don't it still can take quite a bit of hand effort to press the garlic. I thought the best thing about this garlic press was that the press chamber swings open, which made it easy to clean.

Trudeau's Stress Less Cheese Grater

I had a little bit of trouble with this one. The spring-loaded door (where the un-grated cheese goes) was not that easy for me to open or hold open while I tried to put the cheese inside. Also, the compartment inside is not very big - which means the cheese will need to be cut into relatively small pieces to fit in there. However, once you get the cheese inside, the grater is easy to hold and operate - which you do by turning a crank handle similar to the ones on the salt and pepper mills. You can even reverse the product for right or left-handed use. But while the label says "grated cheese falls vertically with no wrist torsion" I did not really find that to be true. For me, the grated cheese stuck up inside the grating chamber and I had to knock the grater on the counter or stick my finger up there to get the cheese to fall. Perhaps this would not be a problem with a harder cheese, but on the softer cheddar that I used it was problematic to get the cheese to come out. Additionally, this product was very difficult for me to clean. I had to try to hold the spring-loaded door open while washing it and, in the end, I wasn't very successful in getting that compartment or the grating chamber clean. Unless the product comes apart (which I can't obviously see how to do) or can be put in the dishwasher (which it doesn't say on the label) I think cleaning this product will be problematic.

UPDATE: I put this in the dishwasher to see if it would get cleaner than I could do by hand. It didn't. I'm still not sure how to clean it.

Trudeau's Stress Less Can Opener

I have to admit that I totally failed in the use of this product. This may be user error on my part - perhaps I was doing it wrong - but I tried multiple times to follow the short directions on the label and I was simply unable to succeed in opening a can. The problem was that I could not get the can opener to properly latch on and puncture the can. The directions say "Open handles and align can opener on top of lid positioning the cutting mechanism along the side of the can. Close handles." There's even a little picture. But though I tried to replicate this several times, in the end I was totally unable to do so. I did apparently manage to cause a small invisible leak in the can (liquid came out when I held the can upside down) but I couldn't seem to puncture the can so that I could move on to step 2 of the directions and cut it open. So, though this may be user error on my part, I did not find this product at all easy to use.

UPDATE: Ok. I had APL try this can opener when he got home today and he totally did it on the first try. For one thing, this can opener cuts the can along the seal of the can, not through the lid - so it doesn't open exactly the same way as a regular hand-held can opener. This is actually a very nice feature, because it doesn't leave any sharp edges afterwards. Once I saw it was possible, I tried again - but I still had some trouble getting the can opener latched on properly (i.e. I still failed at step 1). But APL insists that it was really easy to do once you got it on there properly. Next time I need a can open, I think I'll try again - because APL also said it took a lot less strength and effort than a regular can opener. So, yeah, like I said: user error!!

ONE LAST UPDATE: I successfully managed to open a can of olives! And it was actually pretty easy. ~;o)