Just joined.

Kevbar

I have just joined the community as I have been diagnosed today with osteoarthritis and I’m feeling a bit she’ll shocked. What I thought was a temporary condition is now, I realise, something I’ll be living with for the rest of my life. Could really do with a sounding board.

anneb82

Hello @Kevbar

Welcome to the online community and thank you for joining us.

So you have been given the diagnosis of osteoarthritis in your knee today and are feeling shell shocked. You thought that the condition you were dealing with was temporary and have now realised that this condition will be with you for the rest of your life. Your looking for people going with similar things and people that act as sounding board for you.

I understand that it is very difficult to get to grips with something that is going to be with you for the rest of your life and that can be a negative impact. Id like to assure you though that although there will be days where it feels like the pain wont end or that you will have difficulty in doing activities that you love - it doesnt have to be life altering.

With the right pain relief, exercise and having people to share what you are going through will help greatly and we can help with all of those aspects.

To start with, I have added a couple of links below to information that I think will be of help to you - Please do have a read through when you get a chance.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/august/how-to-adapt-when-you-ve-been-diagnosed-with-arthritis/

There is absolutely tonnes of information on the main Versus Arthritis website that can be really helpful and of course we are here to answer any questions that you may have.

We also have a helpline, which the link below will take you to the details of. I would recommend using this if you are feeling like you would benefit from talking to someone.

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

I hope this first message has helped put you at ease and I am sure you will gets lots of other replies over the next couple of days.

Please do continue to keep getting involved in the community and do let us know how you are getting on. Also, dont forget to shout up if you have any questions.

Take care

Anne (Moderator)

frogmorton

Morning @Kevbar

I bet you are shell-shocked. It is shocking.

I woke up one day stuck in the position I was sleeping in trying to straighten my joints was agony and standing was through the roof.

Luckily I found this site pretty quickly because l was annoying my family and friends going on about it all the time. Here I am with people who understand and don't mind me moaning if I need to.

It also helps distract me from my own pain and sort of 'normalises' my life.

The other good thing is that my fear that my life was over turned out to be wrong I am here now over 15 years later still pretty well on my feet and having a good life.

Please do ask us anything you think we can help with and join in wherever you want to everyone is really welcoming.

Take care

Toni x

Kevbar

After my first post, when I was feeling frankly dispirited and quite fearful, it was so helpful and encouraging to get replies which were both informative and supportive. Thank you! I thought the pain I was experiencing was going to pass; now I know it’s something I’m going to have to live and cope with, for the rest of my life. I’m still concerned. I have two dogs who I love walking and that, at the moment is both difficult and painful. My other passion is bowling and I’m struggling to see how I’ll manage to do that with the pain I’m experiencing. Must stay positive!