What to do now?

gillyb65

Hi. I'm a 54 year old female with a history of osteoarthritis in the family. I have suffered with knee pain for many years, but over the past three years it has got progressively worse. I have had steroid injections, used a variety of pain killers but am now walking with a limp and in constant pain using a stick.

In February last year I was referred to an interim organisation which assesses you before you see the orthopaedic consultant seeing a GP with an interest in orthopeadics. X-rays showed that the arthritis had become severe in my right knee and was also moderate in my left. This GP decided that as I was young it would be better to delay knee surgery as long as possible. I am overweight and he wanted me to continue with my exercising (at that time I was walking 50+miles a week with my dog) and also lose weight.

I lost weight and my BMI was around 30 but this has been a terrible year and the pain has got worse and worse. I have been unable to exercise as much. I do stretches but my walking has been reduced to about 10-15 miles and even swimming leaves me in such pain. I have become very depressed and my emotional eating has meant that I have out some of the weight back on. I am reluctant to go back to the same organisation as they don't seem able to help me. I feel useless for not losing weight and depressed with the constant pain. I just don't know what to do.

helpline_team

Hi gillyb65,
Thanks for posting. It sounds like you are in a difficult place at the moment with many factors all impacting on the way you feel.

I would warmly encourage you to call us on our freephone helpline 0800 5200 520 (Monday–Friday, 9am–8pm) to talk through what is going on for you. We can help you explore more specific options of self-management and treatment, and sign-post you to relevant organisations for further support and information about living with arthritis. We can also be there for you to talk about how you are feeling as it sounds really tough for you currently.

Alternatively you can access further information on Osteoarthritis, knee-pain, coping with emotions and living with arthritis including support groups and self-management courses on the Versus Arthritis website in the About Arthritis section: https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/

Hope this helps, Bharti, Helpline team

Tyjen

Like you gilly I was told I was too young for a knee replacement ( this was 20+ years ago, I was 50) the consultant said he would consider it in 25 years time, I told him not to bother as I would be dead by then!
It all boils down to cost to the nhs, they leave the replacement ops till your really old so they only have to do it once!