Hi Newbie here.

kellerman

Hi, Long story sorry. On December 6th 10 I fell on the ice. Was on my way to Dr for a blood test, cancer CA125 I have this done every 3 months.Must of gone down really heavy as I couldn't speak it took my breath away.Told GP. "she said oh not another one" and I came home.
Took a couple of paracetamol but had to keep taking them as pain was driving me to distraction.
In April I'm afraid I got a bit annoyed with GP and told her to listen until I had finished. Told her I would not keep just taking painkillers and wanted to know what was wrong.
She sent me for x ray,mri scan on thoratic part of my back and a bone density scan of hips.
It was a fractured vertabrae. Should be ok now but I have terrible pain in lower back, hip,groin,down my right thigh and in my foot.
22 week waitng list to se pysio and she has put on pysio form OA and osteoporosis. She has never examined me.
I had to push to see a consultant as I can't walk without bad pain and I am dragging my right leg.
I got my appointment today for the end of October.I just want to know what this is.
Is this normal that just lookng at you a Dr knows the problem. Surely not.
I am so fed up as I am nervous of going out on my own and am in pain even going to supermarket with hubby for 10 minues.
Lower back and knees stiffen up if I sit for more than 10 minutes.
Before all this happened I was a lively 63year old who had beaten cancer twice.rather have chemo than this.
Sorry for the moan I know you all have your own problems.Thanks for reading all this if you have!!!!

valval

hi welcome what a terrible time you have had it was not good they way you were treated but with a bit of luck things will improve for you from here on in good luck val

mig

Welcome to the forum,we all need to have a rant and a moan now and again ,this is the place to do it.you must be a fighter to have beaten cancer twice,dont give up the fight it might take time as it has for a lot of us and we are all here for you.i have only been on here about 2 months i have moaned with the best of them theres always someone to listern.Thinking of you hugs and good vibes.Mig

hileena111

Hi,
Welcome to the forum......What a time you have had over the past months.
A lot of people {including me with my previous GP} on here complain about finding it difficult to get their GP's to pay any attention to them. My previous one was like that as well.
Thats a long wait for a physio although different areas have different waiting times. I was diagnosed with OA after saying i wanted to be referred to someone {GP wouldnt take the pain I had seriously} so he referred me to the hospital and i had an x ray and I was diagnosed with OA in my hips and lower spine.....where OA is concerned that is usually it....you are sent back to your GP with this diagnosis and he puts you on painkillers or anti inflammatories.....the next time I had a go at him was when I had been on paracetamol for years and I said it wasnt doing any good and I wanted to see a rheumatologist or whoever....he said "a rheumatologist would be no good for you you've got OA" so I said well a consultnt that can help me.....sent to an orthopaedic surgeon who did an x ray and I made my way back to his office {remember I had been on paracetamol for years} he said....you need 2 new hips!!!! :shock: Wht a shock. So yes you need an x ray or something similar to diagnose it.....as for your osteoporosis.....are you on tablets of that? Alendronic Acid? or similar. Sorry this is a bit of a ramble hope you can make it out
Love
Hilena

dreamdaisy

If you have a fractured vertebrae then no wonder stuff hurts. OA can result after an accident and I would classify a nasty fall in that group. I cannot type too much more, I have had a rocky day myself what with one thing and another, but I am sure you have found the right place for info and support. There is a grand group of people on here, believe you me. Take care, I wish you well, and I will try to do a better answer soon. DD

kellerman

Hi again,
Thanks for all the support. I am usually a very positive person but I just had to have a rant,seemed to help.
Yes I was given Alendronic acid. Made me really sick ad feeling cold all the time. Was changed to Risedronate daily. Just the same thing really so I am only taking vit d as I get plenty of calcium in my diet.
I have been lurking on this board for about a week and everyone seems so friendly so I just thought why not join.Was watching Dirty Dancing this afternoon hense the name.
Thanks again. Love to all May

weejean

Hi May

What an awful time you are having. I joined this forum a few weeks ago and it has been a tower of strength to me. Feel free to have a good rant as often as you like and although I probably wont be able to help, I will certainly listen (is listen the right word, am not sure as I am reading it but that sounds wrong as well ??) and offer my support. Hope you get things sorted out soon and you get some treatment started. Thinking of you and sending you hugs xx

hileena111

Hi Again,
I totally agree with you about the Alendronic and I'm sure DD that has answered you as well will totally agree Vile stuff.

Love
Hileena

kellerman

Hi,
I worked for the NHS for 29 years. 13 years ago our pysio told me I would need a hip replacement but I was too young!!
I thought she was joking as there was nothing wrong with me.
Maybe she picked up something then. I don't know and this is a real problem with me. I want to know and then I'll be able to get myself sorted out.
hileena111 I noticed you live in the North east, me too.
I asked my GP if I could try Strontium ranelate but apparently no doctor in my PCT will prescribe it as it is too expensive.
I emailed the PCT and asked them which part of the country I should move to to get it.No answer yet.!!!
Oh it's great to be able to talk to people that understand and listen.
THANKS THANKS THANKS.
May

frogmorton

Hi May

Good to meet you

I fractured a bit on one of my vertebrae too....they only found it when l lost my entire leg (went totally numb) l had such pain!!! So if it's the same as me l think you are suffering so much. I also had two discs herniated at the time.

I had an MRI and surgery 4 months later. I wonder if you could ask either to be referred or maybe for an MRI....if your finances are ok then maybe you could pay for your MRI. It could look at your back and hips as the symptoms for that are not dissimilar.

I hope you are getting some decent pain relief?

Love

Toni xx

kellerman

Hi Toni,
Nice to meet you too.
I had an xray and mri but just on Thoratic (upper back) and bone density on hips.
I did ask why they didn't do a full mri, answer was we already know you have a fractured vertabrae.
I wasn't happy when I had to take early retirement from NHS because of the cancer but now when I see the waste from the outside so to speak I'm speechless.
I am not one for taking tablets but I am having to get used to it.
I take co-codamol for pain, thyroxine which I have taken for 12 years and I bought some vit D supposed to help bones. Thats it.
I could probably do with something to give me a mood lift but don't want to go there.
Coming on this forum has helped. I am now going to take my dogs 2 bichons for a hobble up the road, after which I will have to take another painkiller.
Thank goodness they are little dogs and don't pull.
I will definately be back if only for a moan
May

dreamdaisy

I am not sure why you say that you need some help with a mood lift but 'don't want to go there.' Go where? We all have to take meds we would rather not (and for those with an immune-based problem the meds can be pretty dire) so it seems foolhardy to stop oneself from taking something that actually helps. I have been on Citalopram for three months now, I shall be on them for a little longer and then off I will come, for they have done their job. The shock of discovering that my PA had been joined by knee-destroying OA was too much last April, so it seemed a reasonable course of action. We have enough with which to contend without trying to cope with the blues too.

Anti Ds are not shameful. They are practical - and as far as I am concerned - the most beneficial meds I take. That honour used to be given to the oral steroids but as I am now devoting a year to getting off those little babies the Citalopram wins! Truth be told I was hoping to be off it by now but the new pain levels caused by the OA and a recent bad fall have stymied that. They are helping me to cope and that is important. DD

hileena111

hileena111 I noticed you live in the North east, me too.


Hi, Wherabouts are you....I'm just over the border...in Northumberland but closer to Tyne and Wear really

Hileena

kellerman

Oh DD I hope I haven't upset anybody. In 1985 I lost my Gran and my dad in one week. I am the eldest of 10 so mum was in a terrible state and it seemed as if everything was on my shoulders.
In the end I ended up taking 2 lots of tablets.
I was like a zombie for about 4 months.My children were young at the time and my husband had to take time off work as I just couldn't do anything. I'm frightened of them.
Just thought though that if I thought I needed something the anti d are completely different than they used to be, but while I think I am coping ok without anything at the moment,never say never. The ones I was given you could get hooked on them.I'm pleased they are helping you. I have read quite a few of your posts and you have been through a lot.


hileena111 I live on Teesside in a small village on the coast so south to you.

May

barbara12

Hi May
And a very warm welcome from me, it took me 3 years to get an MRI on my back...why we have to battle with our GPs is beyond me...I am a big believer in we know our own body's.
I am so sorry you have been suffering like this, you go back and make yourself heard...this is one thing I have learned off hear and that is to make list and make sure my GP listens.
And we are always here to listen, getting it off your chest can be a big help.
You take care...and I do wish you well with everything..

constable

Hi there

And a big Welcome fro me. You'll find this forum has everything, from wonderful people to good advice, to having a good laugh, and of course if you want to off-load.

You've come to the right place.


Karen xx

kellerman

Hi Barbara, Nice to meet you. I have no faith in my Gp and intend to change.
When I got cancer 1st time I was told I had a water infection. Frightening isn't it. I do have a fantastic oncologist. Hope the osteo one is as good.
I will have to ask around about decent GP's.Been with this lot all my life.
Definately budgets. One of our GP's dosen't know what a prescription is.
Hubby got really bad chest infection last year,he never goes to docs normally but was really bad. Given a prescrition for antibiotics but told not to get them unless he REALLY had to.
I had no trouble getting a mri. 3 years, dreadful.
The caring proffesion doesn't care anymore.I also believe it's a postcode lottery.
This forum is great, nobody minds when you moan.
Love and hugs
May

bubbadog

Hi May, I was shocked after reading your post. Glad you got your Dr to listen to you. I'm lucky I have an excellent GP. But that's the thing you need is an understanding GP who will listen to you and who will interact with you. I'm sorry your still suffering and hope you will get the answers you need to go forward with your life. Your always aloud to rant on this site and we will all listen and support you. Welcome to the site. Amanda/bubbadog

hileena111

Hi,
My best move was changing my GP....from one who looked at you, diagnosed {unless you really pushed to be referred} and scribbled a prescription, usually for trammies that I cant take to a GP who constantly sends me for tests......one extreme to the other but I would rather have her.....she is great and she is fast.

Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

Morning kellerman, I hope you are as OK as you can be. The world of anti Ds has moved on quite considerably in the past twenty years or so. Go and see your doctor and ask about what could possibly help: a diagnosis of arthritis IS a big deal, it DOES cause a huge amount of turmoil, it DOES impact on the whole family and it's worth getting all the medical support you can. There is not a great deal of treatment for OA (dullers and anti-inflammatories) buy ye gods the ba***rd stuff hurts: the OA pain is quite different to the PA pain. DD

kellerman

Hello Daisy, Not too good this morning. Would have tried to get appointment to see Doc but I have an appointment with my oncologist this afternoon.
I'm going to have a moan at him. He is very good at what he does but maybe,just maybe he can help in some way.
He'll think it odd because he always says to me "I know your fine" which is what I normally am.
Went swimming on Saturday,felt good but yesterday couldn't keep my eyes open.
Now suddenly this morning I couldn't pick the kettle up because of pain in my right hand. Never had this before.
Your right of course I do need a pick me up. Not literately but I know I'm getting down.
Thanks for helping May

dreamdaisy

Quite a few of the professionals with whom we come into contact think we are fine - our public masks work well, sometimes too well. My GP was almost relieved when I asked for the Citalopram - 'about time too' were her words. They began to work very quickly indeed, and they have undoubtedly helped me through the past couple of months. We have a deal to manage when we have this rubbish disease, tiredness is a huge factor for many of us and we have to learn how to better manage our depleting physical resources. It's a tightrope along which we all walk. Good luck for this afternoon, I hope it all goes well for you. DD