Is it all doom and gloom living with oa

Jadelady73

,hi is it all doom and gloom I have OA in both my knees and Iam trying to keep a positive attitude towards it but sometimes it just seams all doom and gloom that your life is over you cant do the same things can someone please tell me that you can be able too live a good life with oa Thankyou

stickywicket

Definitely not. I've had OA and RA all my life in most joints and I've had a good life.

Try to concentrate on what you CAN do not what you can't. Distract yourself from pain. Find interesting stuff that absorbs you. For everythig you have to give up, take up something new. Control what it's in your power to control - diet, weight, exercise etc. Have lots of laughs every day. And enjoy life!

Lilymary

Excellent advice from @stickywicket , this really helped me learn to cope with my OA when it really kicked off last year. Also, take small pleasures where you can find them, small moments of joy can make up a good day - “always take the time to smell the roses 🌹 “

Jadelady73

Thankyou

frogmorton

Definitely not @Jadelady73

When I was first diagnosed with Arthritis I thought my life was over....wouldn't plan anything 'incase I couldn't manage it on the day', and probably drove my poor family mad. I was a bit self-pitying for a while.

After I had grieved for my expected future and got my head around it life improved I have probably said this before. It isn't the life I planned, but it's a really really good one 🙂

Keep popping in here - it helps.

crinkly

I second the above replies. I, too, was floored when first diagnosed with widespread OA but more than 30 years later can look back on very happy and fulfilling years. Definitely not what I'd expected as I had to adapt from mainly physical activities (as a PE teacher) to ones that revealed and honed skills I never dreamt were mine.

I've emerged a far more rounded person than I would otherwise have been, have the best OH, excellent relationships with our three adult children, their partners and our seven grandchildren plus the confidence to tackle the new challenges of OA in a positive way.

There will always be frustrating days when the goal posts of arthritis move but many more days bring joy. No longer dominating my thoughts, OA has become the sometimes irritating background to life but as I grow older it allows me to sit a little further back and encourage the endeavours of others without regrets for what I once felt was 'lost'.

You will get there provided you accept the realities of your condition, take care of yourself and learn the value of pacing. Then prepare to be pleasantly surprised by what comes your way!🏆️

Jadelady73

Thankyou