My name is Sarah. I am 83 and in continual pain.

SJYB
SJYB Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:05 in Living with arthritis

I know being old is against me, I have had 2 hip replacements - they were wonderful, a back operation (did not good at all) had steroid injections - they worked for a few blessed weeks , had back nerves cauterized - no help at all, and I am now unable to do anything much. I love gardening, forget it, I love cooking, I can still cook decent meals for my patient and kind husband, I can't do housework and I feel I am a burden to my family. .I now have arthritis in my hands which makes typing this a fete of endurance. I shovel down pain killers., and paracetamol and gabapentine . Morphine patches didn't help me at all and the tablets turned me into a zombie. I've tried CBD oil, didn't work. I am sorry to have turned this into a long whinge, I'm just so sick of continual pain. Someone cheer me up, please,

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  • YvonneH
    YvonneH Member Posts: 1,075
    edited 21. Apr 2020, 18:03

    Hi @SJYB

    I would think you were entitled to whinge - that's quite a big part of why we are here. You don't have to censor what you say (well no swearing please 😉 ) and you don't have to elaborate because we do get it. So whenever you need to whinge away!

    It sounds like the hands joining in was a bit like that last straw?

    I'm really glad the hip replacements have done the trick in that department - my b-i-l had both of his done 12 weeks apart and now he doesn't think about them at all.

    Now you are feeling restricted, can you promise yourself some more steroid injections once COVID has become more manageable? That might help, some find it great for months, others not at all and some for a shorter time like yourself. I've had them successfully and unsuccessfully and then successfully again so it's worth a thought. Your hands, my OA isn't too bad there, but I can't do one thing for a 'long' time, as in wrap one Christmas present then take a break, but still I did it! I also use a wax bath, it's like a large oval bowl with was in it, you dip your hand in, bring it out and the warmth is locked in. When you stop getting any benefit just roll the wax off and put it back in the bath. I first used one at hospital physio way back when I was about 16! (60+ now).

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/hand-and-wrist-pain/
    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/hand-and-wrist-surgery/

    Here's two booklets from our website that might be of interest to you.

    Let us know what you do for pain relief and I'm sure others will share their ideas too, between us there will be something to try

    Take care

    Yvonne x

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520

    Hello, you are not whinging at all, continual pain does grind us down and, as you have discovered, pain relief does anything but relieve to a decent degree, no matter how strong it is. It is now 6.30pm and my day is coming to an end for a number of reasons all connected to my psoriatic and osteoarthritis. I am a mere 61 and in my 24th year of the dross but have been busy today and am tired. Can I think of a way to cheer you up? I honestly don't know, I don't know you well enough as yet! DD

    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • SJYB
    SJYB Member Posts: 4

    I am not always so down, just bad days sometimes build up. I am very lucky, I have a kind husband who takes care of me, 3 children whom I love and who love me and two grandsons. I have 3 tortoises and a very elderly Siamese, all of whom I love to bits.I live in North Yorkshire, a beautiful county. I am an animal lover and wish I could have a dog again, (my last was a German Shepherd) but I don't walk well enough for it to be fair. I like gardening (tho I can't do it now) and cooking, which I still do. I can still drive (short distances) and I have a car which my husband drives.

    Nowt to grumble about really,

    Stay safe everyone.

    Sarah B.

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520

    You have every reason to grumble, yes blessings are there to be counted but at times why the hell should we? It does us good to take quick dips in the Pool of Self-Pity because maintaining a cheerful front takes much more energy than giving in to the grumps. Living in (and with) continual pain is hard, as is dealing with everything it brings in its wake. We get it because we've got it. DD

    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

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