# osteoarthritis



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I know Ive been less than positive 

And I’ve struggled with stiff painful limbs 

With constant flare ups

And loss of balance 

And I’m so afraid of falling , because I can’t get up again 

Without a great deal of assistance

And I’ve experienced depression as I’ve watched my life as I knew it slipping away 

But that is arthritis 

A gradual and in my case not so gradual loss of mobility 

And I’ve bought a three wheeled cycle 

And I confess I haven’t used it yet 

But I will

Because exercise is key

Not to much , just the right amount 

And that is the problem 

Too much and you are done for

Too little and you are done for 

And the GPS aren’t that much help

Especially if you can’t take anti inflammatory Drugs 

Sandra


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

When my Arthritis plays up, I just have a glass or two of Châteauneuf du Pape, this seems to help me quite a bit.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well it helps me too

But mine plays up daily 

And I so look forward to 5 o’clock 

Sandrs


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Once that pond is cured n sorted, take the MH for a trip n get on that bike!!! I can't believe you've had it so long n haven't tried it!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I know Jean

But I am shocked by my immobility 

Shocked that I am so afraid to fall 

Saddened by my stiffness that makes getting up and down stairs a chore , and walking difficult 

That makes me afraid to go outdoors because of my lack of balance 

It was never me 

Once upon a time 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

but Viv is coming

She will sort me out

One hell of a lady 

And as young Albert says 

When 

I need her to make me a curry

Sorry Viv, not great she’s coming 

But great she makes a fabulous curry

Sandra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Chris let his arthritic knees get so bad that he could only walk a few paces with the aid of a stick. He then had to wait and wait for the replacement op.

GP's are "General" Practioners. You need to see "specialists" in pain management. They will be able to find something that you can take. Now wouldn't that be wonderful? Surely worth the effort of a few phone calls?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

pat I have an appointment to see the GP , a double one, as we are now strictly allowed only 10 minutes 

I was referred back to the GP by the hospital clinic to refer me to the pain clinic 

Which he never did 

It just seems strange that consultants can’t refer 

So you end up going in circles 

Alberts consultant wrote to the GP that he was low in Vit D as most cancer patients are a

The GPs comment , well you can buy Vit D 

Which I do , but levels should be monitored 

I shall request once again that he refer me to the pain clinic 

And that he takes as serious the fact that my arthritis is spreading rapidly to include most joints 

Just my elbows seem free of it now

And I shouldn’t have risked saying that 

And arthritis has mood changing effects , depression at life changing events 

I often feel depressed and worried about my future , with frequent flare ups which can last for weeks 

And pain relief would help 

I just need to know what is safe to take because paracetamol doesn’t do it 

And maybe because I feel depressed I have little faith in the GP, he makes me feel that it’s what I should expect at my age 

But I’m 75 not 85 , and a few years ago I felt fine 

I’ve bought the tricycle , I know I need exercise but I need somewhere that I can practise 

That I can get to 

I imagine it will take some time to adapt to a tricycle safely after a two wheeler 

And I don’t sit all day doing nothing, unless a flare up of knees or feet makes it impossible to walk

I keep going around the familiarity of my house 

And we will go away somewhere where I can practise 

I’ve downloaded a great book on cycling routes for three wheelers in the Peak District 

Sandra


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

25 lines of drivel, me me me.

Don't you think that you should write one line and apologise to Jan? She won't see it herself but I will pass it on for you.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Lines of drivel to you , life changing events to me , and I never expect anyone can change it 

Actually I don't think I need to apologise Drew

Neither would I ever apologise to you either 

You felt you had the right to be offensive, to highlight in red 

And I like red 

Jan has the right to make her choice , which is absolutely fine by me 

And I have the right to mine 

She maybe your hero 

She’s not mine 

But we’ve interacted and I’m happy that we are no longer friends 

Because of course we never really were it seems 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

And tomorrow my kids will come to share a meal with this vile person 

Really nice kids 

Really nice son / daughter in laws , 6 of them

Modern kids and those they married , accustomed to the ways of this world 

Grandkids 

Who know me well 

Why would I need to apologise ?

To you 

Who only thinks you know what I think ?

Sandra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Not sure what that is all about?

GP's are so busy that a referal to a pain clinic might get missed so do follow up if you haven't heard anything.

You might want to mention that you have "flare ups" as they can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis as you probably already know.

When our mobility is reduced we do get anxious. It is all about our innate Fight/Flight response to danger. If we don't feel able to flee from danger whether real or perceived it is very worrying. This means our body is flooded with cortisol and it can take days for it to leave us. Then it gets triggered again


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its no fun when your joints go and your basically crippled so you have my sympathy on that one. It is also depressing and yes it can make people a bit grumpy and cantankerous. I think if you are able bodied its impossible to imagine what its like to not be able to do bugger all without being in agony or just unable to even walk. Its bound to pish you off a bit and maybe say things you ought not to to your friends and family. Trust me, I know what that is like. Not taking sides here but maybe those that have had a bit of a spat in the last few days need to take a breath and consider we are a small community of friends on here and think about the others point of view a bit. 

Sandra your probably like me, need to loose a bit (Well a lot in my case) of weight and probably lay of the booze. I lost over a stone this year but Ive slipped back into old habits and I bet Ive put it back on again and as a result I not only have Arthritis to contend with but constantly reoccurring gout. Im determined to conquer it though as the prospect of not being able to do anything or even get away and enjoy the summer is indeed depressing considering how active I used to be and I think it sounds like that is what your also feeling. There is a lot we can do to help ourselves but Im not preaching, Jeesaz I know how hard that one is. Much easier to wallow in self pity eat a pie and hammer a bottle or two of red. No good falling out with your pals though as you need them! Maybe we all need to cut each other a bit of slack and move on.

I hope things improve for you.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Being deaf can get you like that Baz. No one can understand what you constantly struggle with until they also lose hearing. So deaf people often get labeled as grumpy. 

Ray.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

raynipper said:


> Being deaf can get you like that Baz. No one can understand what you constantly struggle with until they also lose hearing. So deaf people often get labeled as grumpy.


 Also being labelled as rude, disinterested and even stupid - I have profound hearing loss in one ear and moderate to severe in the other. I wear in-ear hearing aids which are great except when there's background noise - a restaurant with bad acoustics is a disaster!

And I have osteoarthritis in my left knee - was going to have a knee replacement two years ago but decided to try to "manage" it for as long as possible. Plus I dehydrated whilst in Barcelona this week and drank too much beer and now have gout in one of my big toes - Colchicine is kicking in so should be OK by tonight.

So it's remarkable that I'm not more grumpy than I am!!


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

Now I understand how being in pain can make people grumpy...................I know only too well....................and I accept posters being grumpy.

BUT I cannot find slack for those who (perhaps unintentionally) somehow try to offload their ills and pain on to others, be they Muslim,migrants,the EU,political elite, etc

Like "if only.........blah blah blah MY world would be better"............................personally I blame God for everything.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Bouncing bunny 

Is this not a leap into fantasy too far ?

Get lost, please pretty please 

When did I ever offload my pain onto others 

I’m sure Muslims , migrants would feel the pain of osteoarthritis 

But the E U ?

And do you blame God for everything?

Because I think I’ve been very sure I don’t 

Against opposition 

You haven’t noticed ?

Aldra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You all 
think I’m too sad?

You accept a challenge ?

Naw my joints hurt

My life is no longer the life that was

I struggle to walk , to sleep

And that pleases you ?

Because you have decided I wish it on others
I’m in the wrong forum

Sandra


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Thought you'd gone very quiet there Sandra! Hopefully things are a bit better n we can reboot - apparently that's the solution to everything!!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

No I haven’t gone quiet Jean 

although many wish I would 

But hey there is always the ignore button

A lovely button
You can view without anyone knowing 

Now that’s power 

I think

Sandra


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I thought if you ignored then you _couldn't_ view?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You can reverse it anytime you like Jean

I think 

Of course I’d never give anyone the satisfaction of ignoring them 

You can ignore posts even if you read them , you just don’ t respond 

Now isn’t that a strange concept in 2019 ?

You can read and ignore and you don’t need to let others know that you are ignoring anyone 

Unless of course..........

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You are right Barry, no good falling out with friends

But there are friends and there are acquaintances

The secret is knowing the difference :wink2:

As I suffer from calcium crystal disease, which includes acute crystal arthritis and acute calcific tendinitis I know exactly how painful your gout flare ups are

Apparently changes in cartilage due osteoarthritis encourage the calcium crystal to form in the joints 

I was hoping that fasting would have reversed it somewhat but unfortunately it didn’t 

Sandra


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## CoverMajere (May 15, 2019)

Have the same problem, what to do with it - who knows? My bike is standing for about a month already because of it :serious:


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Pain I suppose reading about the pain of others is somewhat of a misery loves company or a relief to know that one is not alone. I have suffered from arthritis in an ankle from an old injury for 30 years or so ago. Then a few years ago stenosis in the spine started up causing finally my legs to get more or less paralyzed after walking around a bit. That also came with lots of back pain. But the good news was that the leg numbness covered up the ankle pain. 7 weeks ago I had a laminectomy so now I can use my legs again, but I have lots of back and side pain that varies from time to time. I am hoping it will get better with time. And the ankle pain is back. I have nothing but sympathy for those of you who suffer with constant pain. it really does tend to take the life out of us. 

If I can give a few suggestions. Probably nothing new but maybe they bear repeating. Get a stationary bike or similar to use at home. Do some easy weight training to build back muscle. Swim, or just walk if you can, stretch. Take a class there are lots of them around for us older people. Push yourself to do the things you know you should do but don't, eat right lose weight. Extra weight puts more strain on the joints. Some things can't be fixed and we just have to suffer them. My back was a bit different, everyone told me so many things to try for my back problem. But is was a structural problem that no amount of stretching or exercise would fix. So the surgery was the only answer and it has worked so far. I told myself if I could walk again the pain would be bearable. I hope so. I do for the most part practice what I preach, I am the guy who got a second degree black belt in karate last November at the age of 75.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

jhelm said:


> I am the guy who got a second degree black belt in karate last November at the age of 75.


Wow, that is something to celebrate!!

Well done!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

CoverMajere said:


> Have the same problem, what to do with it - who knows? My bike is standing for about a month already because of it :serious:


Thank God

I really was beginning to think the pain I suffer was imaginary

And as one joints inflammation resides another flares up

So flare ups can can last weeks on end

I can't take anti drugs to reduce the stiffness and inflammation even the drug to shorten the length of flare ups

Because my kidney function is poor I can't take pain relief

So it's paracetamol or nothing

Which equate to exactly the same thing

Can you please tell them from me how bad the pain is

How I'm not exaggerating the affect it has my life

Especially if you are not allowed pain relief

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

And I have bought an electric tricycle 

Because I can no longer balance on a bike 

And I’m not sure yet that I can manage a trike

My hand joints are also affected so I will struggle on cambers to pull it back

But I spent the money to at least try 

All that money on an imaginary condition

One that many of you great people would deal with in your stride

And feel it’s fine to belittle me 

What a great forum this is

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Come on Sandra, when your in a hole, time to stop digging. Draw a line under it and build some bridges instead. As a long term friend of yours and many others on here including those you have beef with I want to say this publicly as awkward as it is. I know your suffering as are others on here but all this feuding (and that is what it feels like) is really making the forum unpleasant. You are not coming across well at all. If you want to let of steam go and spout off on the Brexit Facts thread.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I doubt there's anyone on the forum who thinks you're imagining your pain Sandra - the suggestions on here as to how you might perhaps manage it better (getting help in the house, accessing pain relief, getting a stationary bike) attest to a supportive reaction.

We all know it's difficult, and depressing, but as Barry says, the feuding and falling out isn't helping anyone and is making the whole forum a less pleasant place to be.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Time maybe try some cannabis, have read lots of folk use it as a last resort to ease their pains. 

Terry


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

dghr272 said:


> Time maybe try some cannabis, have read lots of folk use it as a last resort to ease their pains.
> 
> Terry


And there's an even better suggestion!

Tho, seriously, I don't think it's so easily got..... Is it?


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

jiwawa said:


> dghr272 said:
> 
> 
> > Time maybe try some cannabis, have read lots of folk use it as a last resort to ease their pains.
> ...


Oh Jean you really have led a sheltered life. :- D

Terry


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I have, haven't I?! When I get to the stage of needing it, I know where to come!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

jiwawa said:


> And there's an even better suggestion!
> 
> Tho, seriously, I don't think it's so easily got..... Is it?


If anyone gets some wacky baccy let me know as I would like some for my Arthritis. When I lived in town (Darlington) as a kid you could get hold of it dead easy in the cellar bars etc, we even smoked it in the pubs. I wouldnt know where to look now Im a proper Country Gentleman (some people slightly rephrase that  ).

last time I had some was when some twendy wendy farm girls brought some to a 70s party in the village hall about fifteen years ago. All the old duffers were trying it and dancing around the place like they were at Woodstock or something.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Amsterdam in the flower markets.

Ray.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

jiwawa said:


> I have, haven't I?! When I get to the stage of needing it, I know where to come!


I know a man who knows a man. :surprise:

Terry


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

YesBarry 
I think some very unpleasant things were said on here about me and my family recently

But it wont be happening again I can assure you all

Aldra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

You can get CBD oil fairly easily. It is supposed to help with pain and anxiety and insomnia. It is non hallucinogenic. I tried it for my insomnia but although I felt more relaxed I did not sleep any better 
Of course we need to remember that it is not known how well it goes with other medications.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Was it CBD oil folk were trying to get for their kids for seizures - there was a whole song n dance about it and it was very much kept under lock n key.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

jiwawa said:


> Was it CBD oil folk were trying to get for their kids for seizures - there was a whole song n dance about it and it was very much kept under lock n key.


High strength versions have recently been allowed in certain circumstances such as children with chronic epilepsy, but it's strictly controlled.
Parents trying to bring it in from abroad have it confiscated.

Terry


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