Good Morning!

SunnyDays

Hi, First time posting. I have Osteoarthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and now Cervical Spondylosis in my neck and spine. I have cared for my husband for many years, as he is disabled with Multiple Sclerosis and has MS Dementia along with many other conditions.
I was a gymnast, an athlete and dancer in my younger days. I enjoy gardening, but finding it increasingly difficult and tend to limit myself to two hours at a time. However, it is lovely to see all the birds and flowers. Just wondering if the gardening is doing me more harm than good?
Best wishes to all.

Al

Hi and welcome,

It's great to meet you, you have come to the right place for information and conversation with others like you living one or more forms of arthritis

There are many here more than happy to share their experience as you share yours.

This link is for general information regarding any type of arthritis

About arthritis

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis

Find out more about the different conditions, treatments and how to manage your symptoms.

if you have a specific question please post in the Living with Arthritis discussion or for general chat in the Chit Chat discussion. Just join in wherever you feel comfortable

Al

dreamdaisy

What a lovely username, I like it. I cannot see how doing something you enjoy can be bad for you unless it is done to excess. Two arthritises stop me doing anything physical to excess, I now count activity in minutes rather than hours, recovering rest time in hours, not minutes. Hey-ho. I am 61 years young and in my 24th year of the dross. DD

Lilymary

Hi Sunnydays, nice to meet you. I wrecked my hips (and knees) from a lifetime of fell walking and trekking, and heavy labouring in the garden. I tell myself that “at least I had fun wrecking my body”. It sounds like you did too!

I’m sorry to hear of your struggles, and your husband’s poor health. Gardening has got me through some tough periods, and still does. But I’ve overdone it in the last few days, and my hip is now really kicking me up the backside, so to speak. I’m new to OA but I gather it’s important to stay active, both to help the condition and to take your mind off the pain. But (my own fault) sometimes I think you need to listen to the pain as it’s your body telling you to flipping well sit down for a bit.

I’m still practicing getting the balance right, haven’t quite got the hang of it yet. I guess it’s a matter of working out what’s right for your own body. If i’m having a bad day, maybe a bit of light pruning and dead heading just to get myself out, and leave the heavy stuff till I’m feeling a bit stronger.

My sister kept teaching aerobics with two ruined knees, and still does so after their replacement, and her rheumatologist’s view was that she probably wouldn’t make them any worse, so she might as well take the pain killers and carry on.

crinkly1

Hello Sunnydays and welcome.

It sounds as though your background is similar to mine and will have given you, too, a clear understanding of your own body and its well-being. That's a great starting point, for which I have been extremely thankful throughout my own OA journey of almost 30 years.

Courtesy of an initial referral to a highly knowledgeable Consultant Professor of Rheumatology I have never blamed my sporting days for ,my widespread OA and, indeed, have been very glad of the good muscle tone developed during athletic training and activity. That has protected my joints well, helped maintain better mobility than expected and delayed the need for surgery.

Early in my OA journey I was told that one essential was learning to pace myself. In practice that means continuing any activity - like gardening - to the extent that it doesn't cause unpleasant effects that spill over into the next day. If you recover well from 2 hours' gardening then that is fine for you at present but there may come a time when it's necessary to divide it into two 1 hour stints separated by a rest period or to reduce the total time a little. (It may well vary from week to week.)

We are all different, as has been said, and each of us has to find the right personal balance, aided by prescribed pain relief as needed then guided by the pain level produced. I believe that I know my own body better than anyone else can do so must listen to its messages, never take for granted what I can do today but accept that, with time, changes may be inevitable.

As Lilymary says, it takes time to find the right balance and then, just as you think all is sorted, the metaphoric goal posts are moved closer together and knock your confidence for a while.

As a Carer it's so important that you take care of yourself, too, and retain your own special activities so crack on and I doubt you will miss your own body's signals when you reach the day's limit.

I hope you are able to enjoy gardening for a long time to come.

SunnyDays

Good Morning,
Thank you all for your very kind, helpful advice. It was very good to hear from you all. Take care and thank you all.
(I must add, that since the Cervical Spondylosis diagnosis, I occasionally feel dizzy, usually when I turn over in bed and wondered if anyone else has anything like this? I have medication to try and alleviate this, along with strong painkillers, as I have pain in my knees, ankles, soles of feet, shoulders, neck, back, hips, wrists and hands).
Pushing my husband in his wheelchair for many years (although he’s been at home since the beginning of March for shielding purposes), and all his personal care, showers etc. and attending to his indwelling catheter and basically giving him constant care and attention day and night and unfortunately lifting him up for years, when his body literally gives way even when he’s holding on to his zimmer, has in my opinion caused much of my problems. Even our GP states looking after him for 30 years has aged me and at 58, I hope I have enough strength for the both of us, although just recently I have stopped lifting him and will always call for outside help from now on, as he is a 6ft man with a long back and legs that don’t bend easily.
Have a lovely day.

SunnyDays

Hi, Having trouble trying to logout for some reason. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

dreamdaisy

If you click on your user icon at the top right hand corner of the screen, a list of options descends, the bottom one of which is log out. Click on that and you're gone. 😋 DD

SunnyDays

Hi, Thanks for replying. I’ve tried that, although the options don’t descend. It worked the first time I posted, so I really can’t understand what I’ve done wrong. Thank you.

dreamdaisy

Oh, that's odd. I know I have trouble with the layout of this new site (it does not suit my Lenovo Yoga rubbishbook or my straying, painful fingers) so sometmes it takes me two or three goes to hit the sweet spot. Then I clean my screen as a last resort! DD