Hi Everyone

RogGirl5
RogGirl5 Member Posts: 1
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:05 in Living with arthritis

Hi everyone, I am waiting for a knee replacement but expect a long waiting time with the covid situation. The pain has been horrendous and it is taking a lot of painkillers to get by day to day. How is everyone else coping?, especially with covid lockdowns?

Comments

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,956

    Hi @RogGirl5

    Very pleased to meet you and welcome you to the Versus Arthritis online community.

    I see you are waiting for your knee to be replaced. You are not alone - many of our members are finding delays getting treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    I wonder whether this information might be of interest to help you manage your pain in the interim?

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

    Best wishes

    Ellen

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,751

    Hi @RogGirl5 , welcome to the crew. Sorry to hear about your knee, my sister had both of hers replaced, and hasn’t looked back, but she put up with years of pain beforehand.

    I’m waiting for a new hip, since early March this year. I waited 4 months for my first consultation, another 3 months for a steroid injection (which didn’t work), 8 weeks for a review, and now told it will be about another 8 months for the new hip. I’m just hobbling round on a stick taking painkillers. I try to get by on as few as possible, but if I need to be active I take almost the max dosage, and that just about keeps me mobile, but I’m wiped out the next day.

    I’m lucky that the lockdown has actually been a saving grace for me, as my hip turned into a little monster back in Feb and I doubt that I would have been able to work anyway for around 3 months, and working from home still gives me an excuse not to have to do the long walk from car to office. I couldn’t have gone out and broken the lockdown rules even if I wanted to. Tbh I’m rather dreading lockdown ending and having to get back out in the world again, as being “stuck” at home has given me time to readjust my life around the pain, fatigue and massively reduced mobility.

    How has it affected you? Hope you’re doing ok today.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,325

    Hi @RogGirl5

    Nice to meet you. Bad timing for those who are waiting for elective surgeries isn't it?🙄

    Do you try heat? I mean those wheatbags you pop in the microwave and warm up. I find heat good for my OA type pains.

    Also keep moving if you can so your muscles are in as tip top condition as possible before your op. Makes for a better recovery.

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