Saying hello
Smudge1102
Member Posts: 5
Hello, I've just joined, I've posted on the living with it forum and just noticed this for newbies so here. Am
I've been putting up with OA for a while now, I had a fall about 10 years ago and badly broke my left ankle, after a while I started getting pain in the ankle and was told I had OA. About a year ago the pain started getting a lot worse and I was self referred to the Physio's. After a few visits I was referred to the hospital Physio who referred me to an ankle specialist at a local hospital. I was told that the ankle joint was badly worn and the options were an ankle fusion or put up with it, so just before Christmas I had the ankle fusion. It's still early days I know but I think things are slowly improving. I also now have OA in my hands and am living on paracetamol, codeine and ibuprofen for pain relief and antidepressants to try and help my bad sleeping. For reasons I won't go into I left my job as an accounts manager in October 2011 and got ESA for a while until I failed the medical, not unusual from what I've read! I haven't appealed because I only got £15 odd a week and didn't know how to appeal to win, seems the system works on a very black and white basis, it doesn't matter if you can only do something for a short while, you can do it so no points.
I am finding it hard to cope, I live on my own and am probably too stubborn and independent for my own good. I love working on my classic cars but am finding it hard going, I've given up working on computers because I find it too fiddly now.
Well that's me, saying hello to you all.
I've been putting up with OA for a while now, I had a fall about 10 years ago and badly broke my left ankle, after a while I started getting pain in the ankle and was told I had OA. About a year ago the pain started getting a lot worse and I was self referred to the Physio's. After a few visits I was referred to the hospital Physio who referred me to an ankle specialist at a local hospital. I was told that the ankle joint was badly worn and the options were an ankle fusion or put up with it, so just before Christmas I had the ankle fusion. It's still early days I know but I think things are slowly improving. I also now have OA in my hands and am living on paracetamol, codeine and ibuprofen for pain relief and antidepressants to try and help my bad sleeping. For reasons I won't go into I left my job as an accounts manager in October 2011 and got ESA for a while until I failed the medical, not unusual from what I've read! I haven't appealed because I only got £15 odd a week and didn't know how to appeal to win, seems the system works on a very black and white basis, it doesn't matter if you can only do something for a short while, you can do it so no points.
I am finding it hard to cope, I live on my own and am probably too stubborn and independent for my own good. I love working on my classic cars but am finding it hard going, I've given up working on computers because I find it too fiddly now.
Well that's me, saying hello to you all.
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Comments
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Hello Smudge, I replied to your other post on LWA but thought I'd look in on here too. I live in Ipswich, on the eastern side of the town and have done for a fair few years now. I like it here, it's a pleasant part of the world.
I have PsA (psoriatic arthritis), an auto-immune type and the damage that caused has led to OA in both knees and ankles. I have 38 affected joints in total and life can be rough at times. I was under the care of Mr Bowditch at Ipswich Hospital, in April 2011 I saw Mr the-name-escapes-me who told me I won't get new knees until I am 55 (I've just turned 53) so I face nother two years of crutches and a rollator.No matter, I can't change things so I just have to get on with it, yes? I am pleased to hear that your fusion is settling - one or two on here have had that done, or their joints have fused themselves, and they all appear to be getting on well.
I am still mananging to work but I use the term loosely: I am a self-employed tutor for dyslexics and as such I can tailor things to suit me. I am not dong very much at all now but I am determined to carry on for as long as I can. I am happily married and used to be stubborn about refusing help etc but I have learned over the years that I only hurt myself and that is a fairly pointless thing to do! I too am on anti-depressants (amongst other stuff) as the discovery that I had bone-on-bone in both knees was very demoralising (god knows why, I already had arthritis!) I hoped this would be a short-term thing but my rheumatology consultant wanted me to stay on them as apparently they help with pain - or maybe just help one cope with pain.
Right, I must go and get myself sorted out. I wish you well and I hope you are having a reasonable week-end. My afternoon is going to involve beer - hooray! DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0 -
Hi Smudge
Sorry l am late to welcome you :oops: BUT l am very pleased to meet youI think I have already seen you on LWA forum.
Love
Toni xxx0
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