It's been bothering me for years

paddythepalm
paddythepalm Member Posts: 2
edited 22. Nov 2018, 13:17 in Say Hello Archive
Hello everybody. I have been very active during my life, but I have now slowed down at 70 years old. Too dramatically, really. A rugby accident when I was 16 years old in 1966, landed me in Hospital, where I was told that my cartilage was twisted in my knee and they operated on me and took out my cartilage, so for 54 years, I have been bone on bone and in constant pain. This didn't really hold me back, but I put more pressure on my other knee and that developed real pain. This led to deterioration and I has a partial joint replacement operation which has been fairly successful. Before the op., i could walk only 50 yards. Now I can do a mile or more. I know that I need a second op. on the other knee, but I am well behind on the waiting list. My neck, back, shoulders and the bases of my thumbs all ache. They all started around 2 or 3 weeks ago. What is the best action fr me? i have been on a diet and lost 14 kilos (30lbs), so we can't blame weight. Paddy.

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Paddythepalm
    Welcome to the forums sorry you are going through a tough time at the moment. The forum is full of lovely understanding and encouraging people who will understand what you are going through, everyone has some form of Arthritis that post on the forums.
    So just choose a forum and get started Living with Arthritis and Chit Chat being the most popular.
    All the best Christine
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello and welcome from me too.

    You seem to have made the very best of a bad job given that this all stemmed from a rugby accident when you were 16. I'm glad to hear you've had one partial replacement and I hope you're not waiting too long for your other surgery. However, I see you're being realistic about it. Which is good as, over the winter, orthopaedic lists get longer due to people slipping on ice etc. I'm not saying this to put you off. I'm in a similar boat. I need an ancient hip replacement to be fixed and was referred as 'urgent' by my local hospital (as they can't do replacements of replacements) but I'm still on a waiting list of 32 – 34 weeks. Fun innit :roll:

    I'm sure the other joints will have come to the party because of the awkward way you'll be walking to try to spare the leg that's hurting. What's your best action? For me the answer is always exercises. The less I feel like doing them the more they help. Exercises keeps our muscles strong, and strong muscles support the joints better which leads to less pain and slower deterioration. You can find some here https://tinyurl.com/yd73jjvv Swimming and cycling are also good – basically anything that doesn't stress the joints. There's lots of goof information here, too.https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/living-with-arthritis Good luck and please ask away if you have questions.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's lovely to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. I am 59 and began my first arthritis in 1997 when I was 37 then OA resulted which was diagnosed in 2011. Some joints have one, some the other and others both. I used to enjoy cycling, dancing and walking but they are all long gone as my body has become more and more decrepit. :lol: Now I try to enjoy other things when the disease allows.

    Of the two I find the OA much easier to deal with as it is more straightforward in what it does and how it does it. I know it will be tougher in cold and damp weather, if I eat too many acidic foods and over-do things; at least I can control the latter two. I keep pain relief to a minimum because the feedback is useful, it helps me to pace myself.

    I hope you find the forum to be of interest and rest assured we all get it because we've all got it. I wish you well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben