STAYFOCUSED - a reply to your post on Green9378's thread

stickywicket

Hello Stayfocused. I wanted to answer your post on Green9378’s thread but didn’t want to hijack his so I’ve started this new one. I don’t think we’ve ‘met’ before now. You say it’s a while since you were on here but I see that, according to your joining date, you are new so I presume it’s a very long time ago and you’ve now joined afresh. Am I right?

You certainly sound to have been through the arthritic mill and I do believe you when you say you are ‘lost, scared, in severe pain but mainly angry’. This disease can be very scarey and certainly very painful and, when we feel we aren’t being taken seriously, it can make us feel very angry. That frustration and stress can, in turn, exacerbate the arthritis and we have a vicious circle. However, please don’t feel ‘lost’, Stayfocused, because we are all here to offer what help we can.

I am not a doctor but, from my own experience of RA, it seems to me that you are on the right meds for one of the auto-immune varieties of arthritis. I, too, take meth and folic acid and others are on sulphasalazine.

You must have had a horrendous year, feeling your consultant was ignoring you while you were in such pain. My guess – and please bear in mind this is only a guess – is that, although, if he’d been more sympathetic, he might have prescribed stronger painkillers, the damage to your hips and back would still have happened. When we have had inflammatory arthritis for several years, osteo tends to set in too and the only treatments for that are paindullers and surgery. (I know. I’ve got the proverbial T-shirt.)

It is possible that, by adopting an attitude of ignoring it and carrying on, you made your arthritis worse. It is also possible that, if you had taken things easy as friends recommended, you would have made it worse. There is an extremely difficult balance to be achieved and we all walk the tightrope. Don’t blame yourself. You did what you thought best at the time. No-one can do more.

I hope things will get better for you. I’m glad you’ve found us – again? Do stick around.

Stayfocused

Hello,

It has been a couple of years since I've been on here, I've since changed my email address and surname and long since forgotten those details, so I thought it best to start afresh.

I'm doing good today, as I hope you are too? A bit of niggling pain but Arthur doesn't like to be forgotten and so a presence is always felt

I'm due to see another rheumatology consultant on the 15/3/12 as I moved house a year ago and commuting to see my previous consultant (and the fact I feel I've been ignored) was too much discomfort sometimes. I also want a second opinion as I've lost faith in my other consultant. So I guess we'll just wait and see.

I have slowed down now and I've altered my diet so we'll see how this affects things. Hopefully things will improve.

Thank you for your kind reply and hope to speak again.

Tammy

Colin1

Well Done Sticky for spotting this
By the way you cant take much notice of the dates i have been here 4 years but had to re register when they changed the forum but the dates list some people as being here in the 70s i think.

You had a bad time of it Tammy yes i had a bad GP and Rheumy My Gp never told me i had RA and PA and some years later waiting for an an op the anethassist asked me for a list of my meds and when i said i had none he thought it was a joke. Anyway Its good to hear your doing ok today and lets hope it stays that way and lets hope your share of stressful problems are over, its bad enough coping with the disease let along what you have been going through.
Colin

frogmorton

Hi Tammy

good to see you and glad you are back on board

What was your old username l wonder....l might remember you as may a few who have been around a while.

Love

Toni xx

stickywicket

I hope things go well for you on 15th, Stayfocused. Let's know how you get on.

Stayfocused

Hi Frogmorton,
My surname now is Cooke, it was Peers from 2006-2009.
Sorry for delay in reply, hope your well.

X