My "dry rot" has spread - again

GraceB

Well, I knew it would happen at some stage. It was inevitable given my family osteoarthritis history and the fact we know it's genetic in my family. :roll:

Before Tuesday I had OA in my right knee (partly replaced & now showing first signs of failing); my left knee (replaced in Jan 2017 but has left me with restricted movement); my lumbar spine (L4-L6) with facet joint damage and partial prolapse L5-L6; my cervical spine (C5-C2) with partial prolapse at C5-C4 and narrowed spinal cord gap; left shoulder; left thumb; left hip.

From the time I saw my GP Tuesday morning I can now add left hand and wrist to the roll call of disintegrating joints that I now possess thanks to OA. :roll:

GP recommended I purchased a hand splint to use on the really bad days (got that); some fingerless gloves to wear indoors in the winter (still hunting for them); full gloves outside in the winter and increase my meds as needed. She also told me that my meds will increase year-on-year now (just what I needed to hear - not!) and I'll eventually need all my meds tweaking to keep up with the pain. She also said my job (admin based) won't help my hand, but as I can't do anything else I'll carry on for as long as I can.

And what am I doing now you ask? I'm plodding on as usual. I'll continue doing what I can when I can. I'll take the meds as I need to, use the splint as needed and wear the fingerless gloves (once I can find them - most have fully enclosed thumbs and I can't do my job with that version).

I think I've read on here that some have used hot wax baths for hand OA. If so, can anyone say if they actually work? Thanks.

GraceB

Numptydumpty

I'm really sorry to hear this Grace (((())))
Yes you'll plod on as usual, because that's what we all do, because we don't really have a choice.
As for the wax baths, I love mine. It's so comforting and warm (I've always found heat helps with my RA). It gives some relief for a short time, which is always nice, but it doesn't last for long unfortunately. Then you get the great pleasure of peeling the wax off, or perhaps that's just me and afterwards my skin is incredibly soft and smooth. I use mine for my feet too, you just have to hope the doorbell doesn't go while your waxed up! Anyhow I would recommend you try one. I got mine fairly cheaply from eBay.
Numpty

dreamdaisy

It does this and a blasted nuisance it is too. We cannot stop the joint degeneration and progression, we're all doing it albeit it at different speeds. I hope you find some comfort in the gloves and wax, we can only do what we can do. DD

BettyMac

Hi GraceB
Sorry to hear of your “dry rot”.

Have you managed to track down those fingerless gloves?
I had a look on the website named after the longest river - and there are a few options there, some of which are reasonably priced.
Some are knitted. Others are insulated and there are some fleece type ones too.

If you can wait until the New Year, I could knit you some.

dreamdaisy

Fingerless gloves are easy enough to make it you already have old woollen gloves: boil wash them to cause shrinkage then cut off the fingers at the first knuckle from the fingertips. They shouldn't fray or become unravelled. DD

stickywicket

Welcome to Plodders United, Grace

Wax baths? I've had them. They're soothing but, like everything else, not very long lasting. But sometimes every bit helps.

As for the gloves - to tide you over until you can get some fingerless ones, why not just cut the fingers off an old pair?

crinkly1

Hello Grace.

I'm sorry that the OA goalposts have moved for you yet again!

I also have widespread OA and find wax bath, wrist splints. fingerless gloves very helpful at different times. I'm now retired but particularly benefited from waxing my hands at the end of a long working day then getting into bed with them feeling warm and soothed.

If you search for 'fingerless compression gloves' online you should come up with several options that leave the thumb open - I just checked so hope one of the available varieties is what you are looking for.

As others have said there are few answers but many questions and I do hope you find ways of working around your most recent 'challenges'.

Crinkly1

GraceB

Thanks to all of you for your very kind responses.

I've located some fingerless gloves today. :P Mind you, I was beginning to despair of finding them on the high street. However, persistence won out in the end!

It's cold again today so naturally everything (including my hand is aching) but heat certainly helps.

I'll investigate the wax baths in the New Year.

GraceB

stickywicket

I wish you a Happy Christmas with the gloves, Grace, and a Happy New Year with the wax bath

Airwave!

Re:gloves, use fleece ones, they'rd only £1 in cheap shpp, just cut fingertips off they don't fray. I used a doldrring iron ro make large holes in the end ss well.

You can get lined fingerless gloves on fleabay for a couple of squid.

jennand

I find that fingerless gloves are quite restricting. Firstly, the compression ones are so difficult to get on and off that I end up hurting my hands. Because I am on DMARDS & biologics I am a constant hand washer so wearing gloves became a bit of a problem. I tried every kind before I finally gave up ( even the ones with magnets in them- what we do to try to reduce the pain!).
Has your GP investigated whether there is an element of RA in your hands? A simple blood test should determine this.
Good luck with the wax.

GraceB

Thanks for the kind replies.
I think I've started a new trend in the office. My admin colleagues all like the look of my gloves (and have tried them - I should have charged by the minute; I'd have made a fortune! ).

I have to say however that the gloves are helping to keep my hands warm. I will though look in the cheapie shops for the cheap fleece style ones and get the scissors going. Mind you, I looked in 2 cheapie shops here but to no avail. I have a pair of black cheap fleece gloves in the car, but I need to keep those in there.

I had blood tests earlier this year to check for RA and gout which were negative. My GP won't repeat those for a while yet but if my hand keeps flaring I will ask again, no harm in having a full blood work-up done after all.

Wax bath will have to wait until the New Year due to something called a budget!

Thanks again; your support means a lot to me.

GraceB

dreamdaisy

As I am sure you are aware from your reading on here, Grace, a blood test that is sero-negative is meaningless when it comes to auto-immune arthritis. I have one of those kinds, it took nine years to correctly identify it, after all with around 300 types of auto-immune inflammatory conditions one blood test is is indicative of very little. I sincerely hope it isn't part of the problem, OA is much more straightforward to understand and manage. DD

GraceB

DD, thank you for your very salient words. Next time I see my GP I will ask for another full blood screen to be done.

My fingerless gloves are doing the trick nicely at work and I'm using the splint when needed.

GraceB