Newly diagnosed

Lou70

Hello

I am 74 and just been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis. I know I am feeling sorry for myself so need to 'snap out of it'. I think talking to others who understand would be lovely.

Ellen

Hello @Lou70

A very warm welcome to the Versus Arthritis online community.

You have every right to feel a bit sorry for yourself you know. You've just found out you have a long term painful condition. It's not always possible just to 'snap out of it', but over time you should adjust and cope.

Talking to others here will really help too. You are not alone everyone here has one form or another of Arthritis and this is an incredibly supportive group.

Versus Arthritis know how tough it is being newly diagnosed and wrote this specifically for people like yourself:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/newly-diagnosed/

If you want to you could look around the rest of the forum and join in anywhere you wish too. Living with Arthritis tends to be the most popular category after Say Hello.

Take care and be kind to yourself

Ellen.

Teresapescado

Hello @Lou70,

Welcome to this brilliant site, it's that good my local hospital recommend it. I have found so many useful tips and advice from this little home. That in itself is sad as it means there are many suffering but with that comes an understanding of what you are going through. Osteoarthritis, I hate that word and all the pain it alone brings. You have every right to feel sorry for yourself, it's a pain that is hard to escape from. I now feel I'm one of the luckier ones as I've recently had a full hip replacement so my pain has gone but definitely never forgotten, I keep looking over my shoulder to see if it's there, but no it's gone so that says there's hope. What area of your body is affected? Are you on any pain medication? It's not easy to just snap out of it but there are many tips and hints on here, I hope you will find something to work on that helps you out.

Lou70

Hello @Teresapescado and moderator @Ellen

Thank you for replying to me

I've had dodgy knees for the last few years but a few months ago my wrists became weak and swollen and no strength in my hands. The doctor put me on celecoxib which sorted the inflammation out but I still get pain and numbness and nodules on fingers in one hand. I can't take this medication all the time however, just when needed. I just feel so unwell all over, flu like and stiff, especially after sitting. Blood test ruled out rheumatoid. It's not so much specific pain just this malaise.

Enough moaning ! Thank you for listening. It is a relief to let it out to people who might understand. I am 74 and still have so many things I want to do with my grandchildren etc. I suppose I am scared.

jonr

Hello @Lou70,

You're in the "shock and awe" stage of a fearful future but Arthritis can be managed to enable a decent quality of life. Arthritis isn't a condition many GPs understand unless they're fellow sufferers and there is little they do other than prescribe anti-inflammatories and painkillers so a lot of it is down to us to improve our lot in life.

This website features some excellent information for understanding your condition and managing it through physio, exercise, supplements, diet and alternative therapies. It's a bit of a journey which will involve some experimentation but with enough determination you should succeed.

My recommendation would be to focus in on pain management and exercise/physio. Exercise and physio are necessary to build up strength around weakened joints to "prop" you up and aid stability, it'll mean you'll fare far better after taking any walks but most people struggle without good pain management. When I was newly-diagnosed I spoke with my GP for prescribed anti-inflammatories and got assessed by the Physio attached to my health centre for a tailor-made range of exercises and stretches for my knees. Then I came here to read up on natural supplements and other aids, such as gels, TENS machines and Acupuncture. I started daily half mile walks and when my mood was low I'd give myself a reward like a cuppa and a cake or a glass of wine if I walked into town.

It will take time and research plus experimentation but you can get there!

All the best,

Jon

Lou70

Thank you for your encouragement. It really helps sharing things.