Saying hello

Smudge1102

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.

dreamdaisy

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! DD

frogmorton

Hi Smudge

Sorry l am late to welcome you :oops: BUT l am very pleased to meet you I think I have already seen you on LWA forum.

Love

Toni xxx