had a horrid day

emmaadams

good morning/evening all i've had a real bad day today my legs just quit today they refused to co-operate. first off it rained all day today and its been very clammy so i had a bad start to the day as my knees flared up before i even got out the house, but i had to go do the shopping. my right knee locked then my left one decided to go on the fritz all whilst i was in town sorting bills and sorting out the food shop i couldn't move at all i was stood in the middle of town bawling my eyes out in agony being held up by my crutches and my mum . the painkillers that i'm on have not helped in the slightest bit today not one bit , i rang the DR and they cant get me in until next week at the earliest . the hubby had to carry me in the house from getting home from town . i feel absolutely useless i cant walk with out help , get dressed or even go to the toilet without having to have some one escort me and help me do these every day jobs .... i hope tomorrow is a better day

stickywicket

That was, indeed, a horrid day. I hope you managed to get some sleep at the end of it.We all cope better with everything after a good night's sleep.

If all of this has come on quickly it will have taken you by surprise but there are lots of steps you can take to make life easier while you wait for your MRI or the results if you've already had it. (Have you heard anything yet?)

Firstly, most shopping can be done online now, especially the weekly supermarket one. Bills can also be paid online. Look at online disability shops for gadgets to help you get dressed independently and buy clothes that make this easier. Try to re-arrange - correction, get someone to re-arrange - your furniture to make walking easier. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Get up a rota of jobs for everyone in the household to do. Even young children can do their bit if supervised. Leave what doesn't need doing. (It's amazing what doesn't really need doing.) Your first priority is to get a bit better so that you can do the basics eg dressing and toileting yourself. The more non-essential tasks you do the longer this will take.

Even when things feel a bit better don't assume they are. Stay within your limits for now and don't go shopping. I wish you a quiet, easier weekend.

dreamdaisy

Living with arthritis is far from easy and it can really sideswipe us from time-to-time. Constant pain is draining and you've learned a useful lesson in that pain relief is not all it's cracked up to be. The 'relief' is temporary and pitifully small in quality, that's why we use the term pain dullers on here because that is what they do, they dull the sharper edges. One way to tackle this is to take the minimum of your pain relief twice a day, that way things are not able to build to such a pitch that nothing helps.

Another way to help matters is to address what you do and how you do it. I now have around forty affected joints but I have learned various strategies over my years to help me cope with the ordinary day-to-day demands of life.

Cleaning? A little and often rather than a big splurge (and I have some help for the bigger chores which I can no longer manage such as oven and bath cleaning). I have no shame in asking for help when out and about, people are usually very kind and willing.

Ironing? Has to be done but now I do it frequently and only iron my things if necessary ('im indoors requires smart shirts for work, the bane of my life). When I broke my upper left humerus internet supermarket shopping came to the rescue and I have no idea why I didn't do that long before, it taught me that being independent was a huge waste of precious energy, caused too much pain, wiped me out for no real purpose. Now I can go shopping for the lighter things and let those who can deal with the heavier stuff.

Cooking: I do a little then rest a little, I begin the food prep. hours before the meal so it's not all one long burst of standing. I can't stand still for long, I do many things seated and have, over the years, replaced all the household kit with lighter, more ergonomic items.

If the crutches are not providing enough support for the longer trips out then it may be time to investigate getting a rollator: I bought my first one a few years ago now and found it made life in the great outdoors much easier, mine has four wheels and a seat. I can now rest whenever I need which means I can go further for longer. I can also load it with fun shopping.

I am fortunate in that I am nineteen years in, used to pain, don't have children and now live in a house where using the stairs is not required. Your situation is far different to mine but I hope my thoughts might prompt some ideas about how you can make changes to help you. We all have the rough days, it's learning to spot, make the most of and appreciate the better ones which is the real challenge. I hope you have a better weekend and can rest up as much as possible. DD

emmaadams

Thank you both very much for your ideas on how to manage day to day things .. i will be doing the shopping online from now on i'm even ringing to have my pain dullers delivered so i don't have to go fetch them( dunno why i didn't think of that in the first place ) i woke up this morning to find the pain has eased off a bit oh and so has the rain lol this weather is maddening ... im trying to rearrange my clothes as i'm finding it hard to get most of them on or off .

as for my MRI i've not heard anything yet about when ill be having it. or what is going on . everytime i ask my GP about the arthritis he just changes the subject and its beginning to get on my nerves now .. it feels like they are ignoring me and if it wasn't for my physio i wouldn't even know officially if there was any there ( pain wise i've know for a good few years ) However i do have an appointment with the medical orthopedic consultant but that is not for several weeks now ( 3rd September ) i have tried to get it moved closer but unfortunately that is the earliest he can see me .

My physio has now told me that there is nothing more she can do to help me and to carry on with the exercises that she has given me .

i am going to spend this weekend chilling out and not doing much ...

thanks xx Emma x

hileena111

Hi Emma
I cant add anymore to the advice you have already got.
Glad it has helped you.....we all need help and the other thing is we need to learn to ask for help....not an easy thing to do {I find} but necessary
Good luck with your appointment when it comes and do browse through all the disability equipment online to see if there is anything that might help then ask your occupational therapist.
You can self refer to an occupational therapist so rather than buying things she might have some things and if not at least some ideas

Love
Hileena

emmaadams

i never thought of doing that . i have just had a shower fitted yesterday so i should be able to do that myself as its hard to get in and out of the bath .. i hate asking for help... im usually a very independant person and even asking my mum to help sometimes is upsetting as she taught me to be responsible for myself and to not depend on others. im the one who is usually helping others , so asking for help is hard but i am beginning to understand that i do have limitations ..

this forum has helped me loads in the last few weeks that i have been a member. it is great to talk to people who are going through/ understand what its like ..

i am currently led in bed with my legs up as i just got back in from going out for dinner to a relatives house , i went out in my comfy clothes and slippers ..

stickywicket

Think of these things as aids to independent living rather than as things you are dependent on. I wouldn't have any aids at first until I realised that that attitude meant that, logically, I should get rid of my washing machine, vac and food mixer.

Yes do ask for a visit by an Occupational Therapist through your local government's Adult Social Care Dept. You might have to wait a few weeks but they are very good at assessing needs and will usually provide small items free of charge.