ON MY OWN ?

jellyfeet

Hi everyone, Iam a newbe to this site but i have found it very interesting. Iam 55 and have just been told i have OA. The first doctor i saw about my painful hands told me it was OA and that there was not much you can do about it and that you just have to learn to live with it. After a month or so i thought this cant be right and went back to the surgery and saw another doctor who sent me to the hospital where i saw a lovely lady doctor who xrayed my hands and explained what 0A was, but she just gave me a leaflet and said she would not be seeing me again unless it got worse and my doctor referred me back to her. So i am pretty much left to my own devices as to what to do next. I thought i would have had more help from the NHS.but i wont let it get me down i intend to enjoy life as best i can.

woodbon

Hello, Glad you've joined us - you are not alone! Has your GP given you any pain killers or suggested braces? Also a lot of people are in this position and have to go and discuss things with their doctors. He should be able to offer you physio for exercises to help. I think that you may need to discuss the meaning of what you have a bit more with a medic, so go back and see your GP! I think we all have had to see our doctors quite a bit to understand things and when things change. Hope all goes well for you, Love Sue

valval

hi look at the exercises on here for your hands, they do help have oa in hands and much stronger now so do them little and often do u get pain they can give u pain killers if things get bad go back there is lots they can do but will wait to see how u cope and how much pain relief u need there r splints u can get to give suport ect so all not lost keep head up

jellyfeet

woodbon wrote:

Hello, Glad you've joined us - you are not alone! Has your GP given you any pain killers or suggested braces? Also a lot of people are in this position and have to go and discuss things with their doctors. He should be able to offer you physio for exercises to help. I think that you may need to discuss the meaning of what you have a bit more with a medic, so go back and see your GP! I think we all have had to see our doctors quite a bit to understand things and when things change. Hope all goes well for you, Love Sue

HI, Thanks for replying. No i have not been given any painkillers he did not ask to see me again so i was not sure what i was supposed to do next. perhaps i should just take some ibuprofen when they are more painful than usual and see how it goes.

sharmaine

Hello

They have certainly left you on your own!!!! I have OA in knees, hands and shoulder. You should go back to your docs as your hands can get painful and stiff. I'm surprised they haven't prescribed you any meds.

Try and keep your hands mobile and warm especially in the winter months.

Take care.
Sharmaine

jellyfeet

HI VALVAL Thanks for replying i hope iam doing this right not to good on computor LOL; i try to exercise my fingers as much as possable and ive been told epsom salt baths 3 times a week are good so will give that a go along with the cider vineger/honey and black mollasses as a hot drink3 times a day you never know it may help.

jellyfeet

Hi Sharmaine so nice to talk to people who understand. I have been scouring the internet for information and some of the pictures leave me terrified of what the future could hold , so i think iam better off not doing that anymore and talk on here instead. sandy.

eckstardeluxe

You are not alone for starters and you have found this site which I'm sure you will find great comfort in as I have.

They told me nothing could be done except pain management. You can't just take their word for it, you have to get in there and fight. I cannot have surgery but have been to the Pain Clinic to have my medications and treatments overhauled, this has worked very well for me. This might be something you could bring up with your Dr.

Taking alot of meds and for probably the rest of your life is scary but it will give you the best chance you can have. Keeping active is important so your muscles keep working but you just learn your limits and pace yourself.

I hope you find some answers on here, take care

Eck

suzster

hi, i have ra not oa, but my hands are badly affected so i do understand how you are feeling.
my best advice now the colder weather will soon be here is to keep your hands warm especially when out and about, i found heated gloves a godsend last winter. but bathing your hands in a sink of warm water helps to!
sorry i can't offer much else but i agrea you need some pain help, you cannot just 'pyt up with it' please see your gp again and if need be ask for a 2nd or 3rd! opinion.
sue

jellyfeet

Hi eck im glad ive found this site, i can see now that iam not alone when i have you all to talk to. i did not know about a pain clinic but will ask next iam at the doctors. I survived a brain haemorraghe (i bet ive spelt that wrong ) three years ago and am on blood pressure tablets for life now so a few more wont hurt .LOL;

jellyfeet

HI SUZSTER i will be looking out for the gloves ,not had winter with it yet bet thats fun

valval

hi there a lot of help the hands will not get that bad that was before people got help do u get swelling in joints if so they can give u some thing for that

jellyfeet

Hi valval fingers feel slightly swollen and ive got nobbley bits on joints near fingertips and they ache more that are painful. sometimes i wake in night and find i have clenched my fists tightly.

elnafinn

Hi Sandy

Welcome to the site. You will not feel on your own anymore with all this, now that you have found us lot You do have to learn to live with it, BUT you can have steroid injections in your fingers/thumbs - this is no way a total cure but it does give you painfree time and the amount of time varies from person to person. As others have said it is good to keep the hands mobile so carry on as best as you can, doing what you usually do. The hands can feel worse after a night's rest which makes sense as they have been immobile. Soaking the hands in hot water helps.

I am surprised you were not offered any anti inflammatory pills or painkillers but you may have to ask for them, should the pain begin to affect your life in a big way. There are splints that can be made up by an Occupational Therapist (OT) for you to use either in the day or at night when asleep or both. I have never had splints. It is only my thumbs that are affected with OA........... at the moment and have been for a long time now.

Please try not to let it get you down. Obviously you will have your not so good days, but we bounce back and it is good to try to keep positive most of the time, if possible.

Call in here as often as you like, you will always get someone to chat to and try to help and if we cannot help we offer lots of sympathy. This is a great site and helps many to keep going and keep sane! I am on here far too much - it really can become quite addictive!

Have you had a blood test to rule out rheumatoid arthritis?

Look forward to hearing more from you,

Luv
Elna x

jellyfeet

Hi Elna thanks for replying ,you are right iam amazed that you have all taken the time to talk to me, and iam not alone anymore. I have had a blood test but not had results back yet. I want to wait as long as i can realy before i start taking painkillers. I am a school cleaner so my hands gets quite a lot of exercise so i guess thats a good thing ?.

skezier

Hi Jellyfeet,

I love that name by the way I personally think you should go back to the gp's and see a different doctor and tell them that you are having pain and it is waking you up and ask them to help you. If they wont then can you change gp's? I only say this cus I have such bad doctors and know how alone it makes you feel which when you know its hurting and your worried is a terrible thing for them to do.

Thankfully I got used to being alone in it outside of the 6 monthly visits to see the Rumo, who is really good and see's me as a human being. I do remember though how bad I felt when my doctors weren't interested. A big (( )) for you and this lot here will ensure your never alone. Take care Cris

jellyfeet

HI SKEZIER thanks for being there and for the (()) . its still early days for me so will see how doctors improve . its nice to know i have you all to talk to if i have a bad day or perhaps a laugh with when i have good days which at the moment i have more of thankfully. I wont give in without a fight. lifes to short, after my SAH i make the most of every day

elnafinn

Dear Sandy

I can understand you do not wish to start on the painkillers now. You will know when the time is right for you in the future sometime if the pain becomes unbearable. But it is good to know that is an option as are the steroid injections.

It is good to hear that you have had a blood test.

I have done lots of cleaning in my time in offices/office blocks and people's homes especially when my children were young as it all fitted in well with looking after them and so know that the hands do get a lot of exercise and it is hard work. My knees suffered too - I have had one replaced! I have kept on a couple of these jobs - the best paid ones

Luv
Elna x

jellyfeet

Dear Elna, yes it is hard work but its in a lovely little infant school and you know i actually love doing it, even though it means getting up every morning at 4.20am it gives me pleasure seeing it look nice and tidy. my friend and i work together and we put a radio on at each end of the school and listen to music while we work ,we also have a laugh it makes me forget for a while the ache i get when first getting up. wont give it up unless i get desperate


luv sandy

eckstardeluxe

jellyfeet wrote:

Dear Elna, yes it is hard work but its in a lovely little infant school and you know i actually love doing it, even though it means getting up every morning at 4.20am it gives me pleasure seeing it look nice and tidy. my friend and i work together and we put a radio on at each end of the school and listen to music while we work ,we also have a laugh it makes me forget for a while the ache i get when first getting up. wont give it up unless i get desperate


luv sandy

Sandy, you are like me, I get so much satisfaction from my job, I just can't consider stopping. Plus I'm only 33 and have a good employer, what if I stopped then found it difficult to get back with a good employer again? I am completely exhausted and only work 3 days 6 hours each day, by the third it's like I've worked at 60 hour week but I won't give it up for the world. I get so much social interaction too, if at home I'd be sat feeling sorry for myself and would get depressed. I'm glad you are finding some helpful responses, this site completely transformed my outlook on things when I was at a very, very low ebb.

jellyfeet

Dear Eck I know what you mean, but we are so lucky to enjoy our work. I hope we can both carry on as long as possable. and i wish you well for the future :P i will let you know if my epsom salt baths work.

Luv Sandy

woodbon

Hi I do hope you go back, theirs so many things that can be done to help and explain to you. Doctors, I think they expect us to mind read sometimes! Take care, Love Sue

joyful164

Hello jellyfeet.
I have been reading all about your painful hands. . Ask to see another dr. Get referred to an occupational therapist and rheumatologist. Now, I'm sure everyone on this forum is fed up with me going on about TENs Machines, I bought two recently and they are good. Lloyds Chemist on the net have good offers. Took awhile to get use to them but I swear by them now.
I also bought a paraffin wax bath to help myself. I got use to using one at the OTs so decided to get one. I went onto Amazon and looked on their health products section. I paid £39 for it. You have about 3 lots of wax initially and it lasts a long time. It comes with the plastic bags to put your hands in and then, just wrap a large towell round your hand. Brilliant if you get one, do follow instructions carefully.
Another useful thing you can do to help are the microwaveable wheat bags. You can get those on Amazon too. If you take it to bed and rest your hands on them, you'll be amazed how more relaxed you will feel.

I get a prescription from GP for Movelat Gel. Helps up to medium pain with me.

Do hope you get some satisfaction soon from your gp and hope the above will help you

all the best
joy

elnafinn

Totally agree, Joy, the wheatbags heated in the microwave are wonderful wrapped around the hands. - I haven't rested my hands on them.

Take care
Elna x

joyful164

Hi Jellyfeet

I have been reading the posts with regards to your hands
Like Elna, I have splints to wear at night. I am waiting for nerve tests for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. You may have to check this condition out.

When you have a flare up with your hands, this iwhen they are excrutiating painful,, you have to be careful that you don't use them too much because you can cause more damage. I think this is what has happened to me.

Hope your results come soon and you can start sortingthings out like medications, injections and hopefully referral to an Occupational Therapist.

all the best
joy

breane

Hi,Welcome to the forum. I was very surprised to hear your GP hasn't given you some sort of pain relief or at least suggested you try over the counter pain killers.Perhaps he's waiting for the result of the blood test to come back before perscribing something.My GP told me to take Sopadol until my first bloods came back and that did work for a while.Alas,I think we all succumb to 'popping pills to give us the pain relief we need.I take Tramadol when the pain is bad and have been on Hydroxy for almost two months but it does ease the day to day pain and stiffness.I would certinally have another word with your GP. Good luck. Breane.x