Hi 🙋‍♀️

Enlightened

Hello, I’m new to the community and just feel I needed to chat to others who understand. I have osteoarthritis in my hips and lower spine, Fibromyalgia and just confirmed hyper mobility. Since August 2021 I have been really struggling and it was confirmed I had developed long Covid on top of everything else.

Since October I have been signed off work, I can barely move without pain and breathlessness. I have gone from being an active member of the community to virtually housebound. I miss my work family, my friends, my life, just a simple walk up the road is very difficult.

I love to engage in mindfulness activities, but even this can be challenging when my breathing is very painful. I try to focus daily on the positives in my life but it feels so hard when I know what I’m missing out on. How have you all managed with acceptance of your condition and acknowledging you need things like a mobility scooter in order to get around? I’m 46 but feel like 100!

Thanks for reading x

anneb82

Hello @Enlightened

Welcome to the online community and thank you for joining us. I hope that you will find this a safe and friendly space where you can continue to share and join in.

So you have osteoarthritis in your hips and lower spine, fibromyalgia, hyper mobility and long covid. You have been signed off work since last October as you can barely walk without pain or breathlessness. You have gone from a active member of the community to practically housebound and miss your family and friends and your previous life. You love to engage in mindful activities but you find that even this can be a challenge with your breathing being very painful. You are trying to stay focussed on the positives in life but struggle sometimes and would like to know how everyone else copes and how people accept the changes to their lives that their conditions can bring.

I have to say, that just by reading your post I think your are incredible to stay as positive as you are. I can honestly say, I'm not sure if I could be if I was in the same situation. Your whole attitude at taking one day at a time and looking for the positives in life is very inspirational so you're already doing so well.

I'm sure your fellow members will be able to tell you how they have learnt to make adjustments and how that made them feel. I know it took me a while to except that I wasn't as mobile as I once was and took the plunge with buying a mobility scooter, but we are all different and all have different ways in which we cope with these changes.

I've attached some information below that you may be interested in reading about adjustments that you can make as well as our helpline details in case you feel like talking to someone.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/get-help/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/living-with-arthritis/your-home/

Please do let us know how you are getting on and please do keep getting involved in the community. We're a friendly bunch and always looking to make new friends.

Take care

Anne (Moderator)

Peppercorn

Oh bless you, I just had a hip replacement at 38 so I hear you! I used crutches prior to my replacement, and strangely I’ve felt lost without them now I don’t need them. I always felt it helpful to see my aids as a visual signal to others to make sure I was given time, room and not just pushed along/expected to move normally (and given seats on public transport!) and that helped me with accepting them a bit. I’m so sorry that you’re having a difficult time of it all.

Enlightened

Hi Peppercorn

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I think it’s not just my acceptance of the condition but also my mums. She came with me to hospital, which is a 20 min drive (too far for me i can only do 10 mins) she didn’t offer to drive me and then rushed off and left me to walk on my own when we go there. It will take me a week to recover from the appointment and I know just having a mobility scooter would reduce the pain and fatigue afterwards.

Hope you’re doing well now since your hip replacement 😊