Introduction
Hello all.
My name is Dave, and I have Osteoarthritis in both knees. This is largely due to my weight, I'm told. I am 59 years of age.
I imagine my story is pretty much the same as everyone else here. There's nothing extraordinary about either myself nor my illness. What started as a simple ache has quickly become out and out pain. My mobility has taken a nose dive, and at times it's very painful. First thing in the day, when I wake, it can be difficult to stand up, and take my first steps. Once I do, things seem to sort themselves out.
I am prescribed two painkillers, just the standard ones - Zapain 500/30 at 1 or 2 four times a day (it's always two for me, because of the pain), and one 500mg of Naproxen, taken at the same time. This keeps the main pain at bay, but there's never a point where I can say I'm pain free. There's always an awareness of my knee's, if that makes sense. At its worse, it's enough to bring a tear to the eye, but we soldier on!
Sadly, the idea of going to work (as in a commute by public transport, and then working in an office with a lot of moving about) is problematic. I don't think it's possible. Not sure how I could manage the London Underground, for example. I'm also constantly distracted by the pain, so it's a bit gloomy on that front.
I had X-Rays taken last week, and apparently there are fragments around my knee, which I assume is bone fragments? Not entirely sure, but that was explanation given as to why my left knee is worse than my right. I suspect that's entirely normal for this condition.
I have also been receiving medication for depression for a number of years. In all, a cocktail of 7 different medications per day.
Other than that, I'm just a normal guy. Nothing extraordinary, nothing too exciting. I've had a good life all in all, and having to face this has been difficult. I've never been in a situation where I'm willing, but my body is saying "no". I guess that's all part of getting older, which is itself a shock.
And that is it. My story. :)
Comments
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Hi @DaveVW
Welcome to the Versus Arthritis forum.
Thank you for sharing your experience with OA and the implications upon your day to day life.
I note the impact that OA has had upon your knees and the associated mobility issues.
This link to our website takes you to an article on ‘Tips to help knee pain’
This article gives you a what I hope is useful information on OA of the knee along with how to manage the symptoms:
There’s a significant amount of information on our main website as regards your condition which you may find useful to browse.
I see that you are already contributing to discussions on the forum, which is great. I hope that your find feedback form other users of benefit.
Best Wishes
ChrisB (Moderator)
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