diagnosis

rosie159

I was gutted with my diagnosis of arthritis in hips , back and hands. the hands I knew about, but the muscle pain I didn't associate with hip pain. I blamed the menapause and stress for my pain. I was 56 and when I looj back this had been happening for a few years.

I am slowly realising I can't do what I used to and I am adapting....but its hard when you work...I have changed my job twice in the last year!

Some days I can cry with the pain and that us depressing.

Whiskey26

Hi @rosie159 I am nearly 58 and was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis in my hips in October 2020. I had no symptoms whatsoever, other than a bit of a lopsided, slower walk and if I had had any aches and pains, I put it down to the menopause. The diagnosis knocked me for six. Why me? At the time, I was working part time as an office cleaner. I had to give this up by January 2021, as I could no longer walk without a stick and couldn't bend my knees, so a cleaning job was out of the question. As you say, the first thing you need to do, is accept what you can't do and then adapt. Find things to help you, for example, I have a sock aid to help me put socks on, some sticks that help pull jeans or any type of bottoms on, a long handled sponge to use in the bath or shower. My hobby is gardening and again, I've had to adapt with things like a long handled trowel, a kneeling pad with arms so I can lift myself up off the path. My youngest daughter lives with me, so I'm lucky because she's a big help. All I can say to you is, never be afraid to ask for help and use everything you can to make things easier, because arthritis doesn't go away. I too, like you, cry with the pain sometimes, but your GP will prescribe you something for that. Don't suffer in silence. I take amitriptyline and co codamol and I also have a TENS machine and hot water bottles are a godsend!! Stay in touch on this forum, it's an absolute lifeline, I've spoken with some lovely people on here. You're not alone!

rosie159

Thank you so much for your comment. It is nice to talk to fellow sufferers!

rosie159

I am only 57 and I must say I have struggled to find an understanding GP...my own included who thought I didn't have arthritis because I had good mobility! Spoke to another GP and she just prescribed me co-codamol which make me very nauseous. I'm just taking 6 paracetamol most days. I also had to change several jobs. It us very frustrating! Having said that my consultant was very nice.

movingslowly

@rosie159

Hello 😀

Much like yourself I blamed everything else for what was going on inside my carcass:

"over done it", stressors, being ex military (marching, much physical activity) being 'on the change', age etc,

Hell some mornings I'd be blaming the the way the wind was blowing or the fact it was Wednesday or something like that 😄

I'm in my third job in 12 months. I kept on changing it to try to keep up with my dwindling capabilities. Being unaware of what was happening to me I did all of the 'changing' Now I have an answer I could perhaps stay where I am and ask that the job spec adapts🤷🏼‍♀️

When my Rheumatologist asked when it started,

It's been creeping up very slowly and I had attributed all of what I experienced to other things so I had absolutely no idea when it started.

She also asked me to rate the pain between 1 - 10. Ten being the worst

I couldn't do that either. My different joints were experiencing different levels of sore and tenderness.

On that particular day, my knees were a four but I'd have clung to the ceiling or ripped out her heart if she'd have touched my shoulders 🙂

My lack of information on pain scales wasn't helping her in reaching her diagnosis until she asked "How miserable do you feel?" Straight away I could answer "Eight"

Not gonna lie, since receiving an answer (diagnosis) and explanation... and quite possibly that injection in my backside, I'm still in that first flush of relief, elation and hope at the moment,

But I do recognise and empathise with that 'low' you mention in your opening post.

I'm a brand spanking noobie to both the site and being aware of arthritis as something I can experience - (I thought only really old people got it 😉😁) and as such I'm still finding my feet but one thing I have noticed on the site are the challenges.

I've missed May's challenge but wondered if you'd be up for having a go at a June Challenge with me? ... ...And anyone else on site that would like to make fools out of themselves alongside me....

Please, please, please don't leave me as Billy No Mates failing spectacularly at the challenges 😄

I'm also cr*p with technology so it's going to take me from today until they post up the June Challenge to figure out how I sign up 😁

So, do you fancy having a go with me Rosie? 🙂

movingslowly

@rosie159

...and anyone else that got excited about a June Challenge 🙂

I'm not on Face Book (not likely to join either) so I'm afraid I'm having to bow out of June's Challenge. Sorry 🙂

YvonneH

Hi @movingslowly

I can't let a little thing like no Facebook stop you doing the challenge for June - well done on thinking about it @rosie159

Here's is the link to the page on the online community. Read the information on the website, choose what you are going to do.

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/57682/lets-move-monthly-challenge-june

Then when you are back here with us go to the Let's move with Leon discussion. Click on the June challenge (or use the link here) type in what you are going to do and then update us on how it is going, hopefully a few members will join you!

Take care

Yvonne