Hello v,s Arthritis

gambit73

Hi i am Mark i have recently turned half a century old, yes 50, WoW i never thought i would have made it this far with the life i was given thus far, but thankfully i have survived to this point.

I have osteoarthritis in my neck, shoulders, lower back and hips, which i first had diagnosed in 2007, after a couple of falls a few years ago my arthritis in my right shoulder has increased considerably my pain levels very rarely are below an amber level, I have constantly battled with depression and addictions due to self medicating because of not getting the right help at the right time but thankfully i got out of that phase and have been getting much better and the right help and advice, I also have Adhd (not diagnosed yet)

I have joined this community with the hopes of being able to help to create some awareness and possibly help raise some funds for the cause. I have a unique set of skills learned from my past that i may not be able to get chance to do any more, due to the osteoarthritis condition and what that will eventually entail,

I have my Duke of Edinburgh's bronze award and also have had the fortunate experiences of walking some of the u,ks country sides hills and mountains, then on top of that i have done cycling canoeing and sailing both dinghies and tall ships,

I have done fundraising and sponsored things for some different groups over the years like sleeping rough so others didn't have to run by the Ymca who i actually worked for as a lead senior volunteer in their community centre where i helped numerous people with many different problems, the event was held on a very cold march night, I also have done sponsored cycle rides for children in need too.

I have some goals i would like to achieve but would need some backing and possible help to do this correctly as it will involve social media platforms too, which for me is the one field i am struggling to get across as there is no map or compass or clear path to the destination i am hoping to reach.

Ellen

Hello @gambit73 Mark a very warm welcome to the Versus Arthritis online community and congratulations on hitting 50!

I see you have Osteoarthritis in quite a few areas and are in a great deal of pain with it.

Your story is very very interesting. You have overcome an awful lot and it's so good to hear that you still want to 'do good' and help people. Even better that you want to bring your skills to help this charity!

First of all I am going to add this link about current volunteer vacancies (we are in need of extra moderators!):

https://www.versusarthritis.org/get-involved/our-current-volunteering-opportunities/

and will draw your post to the attention of @PeterJ who might have some contacts of use to you.

BUT I feel I must offer something to maybe help you a little too, (hoping I am not 'teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs'), so posting this link for you to read:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

I look forward to seeing you posting more in future.

Best wishes

Ellen.

gambit73

Hi @Ellen thank you for the links and will consider the moderator opportunity for a possible bit further down the line when i am use to this type of community setting, the link for the pain relief is very helpful too yet will look into that another time if my current management starts to struggle.

regarding one of my goals i want to walk 1000 miles while i feel i am able to :D anyway thanks for the reply and will have a look around see what this site has to offer and see where i may be able to help or get some myself :)

frogmorton

Hi @gambit73

Happy 50th from me. Lovely to meet you. I hope you'll decide to post here more often you seem very upbeat with what you have to contend with.

Are you really wanting to walk 1000miles? If so I'd definitely sponsor you.

I think there's just been a knitting challenge which I considered, but I'm really not that good at it to be honest.

I think Peter our admin must have some contacts hopefully.

Anyway as I said really good to meet you.

Toni

gambit73

Hi @frogmorton :) yes i am wanting to walk that far Toni , for starters anyway ;) as far as knitting and small fiddly things go my fingers just are not that nimble enough anymore, and i have always preferred to be outside,

I am looking forward to what links i can get to be able to help me do this

I spent so much time worrying about things before i would just not even leave my bubble at all unless it was for doing the daily things like shopping, or helping someone who was struggling themselves

Thanks for your support :)