Ups and Downs

YellowFish

Hi!

Things have been going OK but sometimes you just want to ask someone IS THIS NORMAL???

Usually my affected joints (hands, feet, wrists mainly) are worse in the morning - stiff and sore and my consultant says I have a 'mild' case of rheumatoid arthritis. (It doesn't always feel that mild to me, but I guess he sees people every day far worse off than me!)

It tends to improve during the day and then when I get home after work it seems to get bad again. Do other people find that? I teach little children and LOVE it -(but it's exhausting).

A couple of times things have got really bad - 2 weeks ago I had a particularly gruelling/physical day at work, and found the wrist supports were getting in the way and took them off at various points so I could do different tasks (like helping the children to write, writing on the board, marking in their books etc) and also the heating had broken so the place was freezing. It was a typical day - in school for 7.15am, teaching then planning with another teacher til 6pm. When I got home I was in agony in my right arm. The pain started in the middle knuckle on my right hand and seemed to go up my right arm like electric shocks through my wrist, elbow, shoulder and into my back. I was awake most of the night and codeine helped a bit but not enough to let me sleep. The next morning it was still bad and I was a mess - they sent me home from work. After about 24 hours it eased.

On Friday I walked the children to an old people's home where they sang for the old people and gave them mince pies - lovely! and then we walked back to school - between the walking and conducting I was on my feet for about an hour an a half. When I got back my feet were more sore than normal, and after an afternoon of teaching I was in agony - as soon as the children had gone I crumpled on a chair and cried. It was the same pattern - but in my right leg. The middle joint of the 'knuckle' of my toe seemed to be joined up by electric shock waves of pain to my ankle, knee and hip. I couldn't put weight on my leg but it was not as severe as when it happened in my arm and passed after 5 hours or so.

I am finding these episodes quite stressful - it is like an 'attack' of very intense pain that comes in waves (I suppose brought on by 'overdoing' it?). The unpredictability is stressful, and afterwards when it's eased I still feel anxious because of the memory of the pain.

Does this sound familiar to others?

Thanks (and merry christmas!).

valval

hi doing any thing different always causes pay back in this way it not often you get away with it is it doing with out splints was not the best idea in hind site but we can not always do what right can we. i can not help so will just leave (((hugs))) val

kellerman

Hi,
Sounds perfectly normal to me.This disease is unpredictable and I understand you feel...when is it going to hit me next.
You have a hard job....my daughter is a teacher.....and you are doing more with Christmas round the corner.
A good cry never hurts anyone....or even a scream.
Lack of sleep doesn't help either.

Maybe it would be a good idea to see your rheumy and explain how you feel....perhaps there are other meds that might help more.
I'm sorry I can't be much help.....try and rest as much as possible.
Do you have a TA you can deligate jobs to.
I am sending you (((((()))))) and hope you get something sorted soon. May

julie47

Hi yellowfish

That is exactly what ra is like. It would be a good idea to write things down and make an appointment again with your rhummy people. I think they should perhaps change your meds.

I hope you get help soon
Take care
Juliepf x

joanlawson

Hi Yellowfish

As a retired teacher, I know how exhausting school can be, especially at Christmas and with keeping young children busy all day.

If you have RA, it could be that you have had a flare-up of your symptoms, and working in a very cold school would have made matters worse. Like most teachers, you have no doubt pushed yourself to carry on despite the pain, and working in such a physically demanding job will put a lot of stress on your body without you realising it.

It's probably no use telling you to try to pace yourself a bit more, because that's practically impossible, and I think that most teachers put the children before themselves; but perhaps you should be more aware that overdoing things is likely to cause you to have a flare. Is your headteacher aware of your condition and how it is affecting you? He/she should take this into consideration, and support you in any way possible.

At least you've got some time off over Christmas, so you will hopefully have a well-earned rest and a chance to recharge your batteries. Put yourself FIRST for a change, and give yourself lots of pampering and TLC.

Happy Christmas
Joan

dreamdaisy

This sounds entirely normal - welcome to the exhausting world of being arthritic. With RA your joints and the surrounding tissue have inflammation where none is meant to be and using those joints can exacerbate those levels and cause greater discomfort. Anything that puts the joints under greater stress may well result in extra trouble, and that includes standing, walking, sitting, driving, commuting, shopping, working - in fact any 'normal' activity one cares to mention. As you are in teaching you can also factor in the extra end-of-term stress but, looking on the bright side, you will soon have at least two weeks off so hopefully some rest and recuperation can take place - ignore the fact that it's Christmas and concentrate on building those energy reserves for the onslaught of next term. I wish you well. DD

YellowFish

Thanks guys.

I recently changed practice and went to a new GP this morning. She was wonderful! Finally feel like someone understands, and is treating me as a whole person, not just looking at one bit like disease modifyers or pain relief. She has put me on stuff to protect my stomach and adcal to protect my bones from the steroids and some slow release ibuprofen - and suggested I should be signed off work for a week (but not taken her up on that - I've got one week to go and there's concerts - can't let the kids down!) She suggested I have steroid injections when I need them and told me to phone the rheumatology nurse for more support.

She truly was wonderful. I have felt like a weight has been lifted and I'm not just on my own anymore. She was kind but also knew what she was talking about - is there a Dr of the year award? This GP deserves it!

Today I am happy :-)

joanlawson

I'm glad to hear that you've found such a helpful doctor, and I hope that you will soon feel better on the new drugs etc.

Good luck with all the Christmas activities at school, and have a well-earned rest over the holiday.

Joan

skezier

Hi Yellowfish

oh good gp's are worth their weight in gold eh? glad you have found a good one at last.

i have oa and pa slogging it out in my wrists and elbows oh and shoulders and the wrists and elbows are quietly fusing them selves up..... the more they fuse the less they hurt of course so a bit of a plus side there....

i wonder is splints or wrists supports could help with some of the pain? might be worth trying though mine are also a recognition that they are fusing so might as well do it relatively straight but in them they hurt less....

i also used doubled over tubigrip and the cheep blue wrist supports you can get. it might not be practical but might be worth a try.

hope they will give you more support from the rumo dept and hey really hope they all enjoy their concerts this week Cris x

dibdab

Hi Yellowfish,

Sorry that you're suffering-I teach little ones too and am feeling for you. Share with your head about how it affects you-they have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for your condition-my head got me better chairs, wrist supports for the computer mouse and knows that sometimes I just have to give up and go home. Do take care of yourself,that longed for break is really close now and you need to be fit enough to enjoy it. I have found that TA's and students are really pleased to help with manual things that I struggle with in the classroom-but it was hard at first to swallow my pride and ask for help-now the children know that when I wear my splints I have "poorly bones" and they pick things up for me and even offer to do up my buttons on the coat when we go out to play-bless them, they make it worth the struggle.

Blessinsg

Deb xx x;)

valval

have a good day nearly the hols val

DebraKelly

I have RA and find I have good and bad days.

A lot of bad days at the moment, but its always worse in the winter.

I am usually stiff in the morning, but this wears off after half an hour or so.

Its a very unprediciable disease.

The best thing that I find its keeping moving, its usually when I stop for a period of time when I notice the pain.

Also, get yourself a decent pair of walking shoes with support in them, these really help me.