New to all this

georgiesaul

Hi everyone

i knocked my knee at work back in June and it’s swelled up massively and hasn’t gone back down. I’ve been through the ostio at the hospital and he’s given me a steroid with an anaesthetic in and this didn’t touch the pain at all. He’s said he’s pretty certain I will have RA, as the pain and swelling is spreading to my ankle and wrist. amd I have other symptoms which match. (Just waiting on my doctors appointment for some tests).

In the meantime. Im I’m so much pain constantly that I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night or didn’t take pain killers (which don’t help). Im 31 and I feel this is about to ruin my career (I work as a civil servant and need to be physical in my job daily). Im really struggling mentally with the thought of work saying I’m medically inefficient. I don’t know how I’ll support my son (4) as I’ve just bought a house by myself.

sorry for the moan. Any advice on any thing would really help cause I don’t really know what to do or who to turn to. Plus reading it all on the internet is terrifying

Poppyjane

Hello @georgiesaul welcome to the online community,

Never apologise for a moan. We are here to support you on good and bad days ( or nights judging from the time of your post). We are a friendly group here to support those affected by living with arthritis.

Like many of us who live with constant pain the worries and questions loom much larger in the middle of the night when you are exhausted and cannot get any relief. There are lots of members tips and suggestions on how to ease this nocturnal problem.

Before you have your doctors appointment it might be helpful to keep a diary of your symptoms and feelings. This will give you something tangible to give them to help with a diagnosis. The blood tests will give an indication of your inflammation and disease levels and will help with a referral to a Rheumatologist. Your GP will be able to prescribe some stronger pain relief and there are also over the counter gels and creams which help ease swelling and pain. Many of us use heat and cold pads for relief.

As for work it is often advisable to tell the HR department about your health issues. It is not inefficient it is your present reality, a situation that is not static but is causing you concerns at the moment.

I attach some links which I hope you will find helpful

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2022/february/top-tips-for-good-sleep/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-knees/

I include the new stretching videos because we are all being encouraged to keep our muscles and joints as mobile as possible. Maybe you and your son can spend a few minutes before his bedtime as a relaxing time for you both where he can be helping mummy with her exercises.

There is a wealth of advice and tips on how to cope with arthritis ,our members are full of ideas so I hope you will browse round the information and discussions and post any questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes

Poppyjane

t_rex

Hi

First thing will be to speak to your line manager (or counter-singing manager) and ask them for a referal to occupational health

It could be that with some adjustments put into place you could stay in your current role but if this is not the case you may be able to be assisted with moving into a role which will be more sutiable for your arthritis

Review your depts. internal policy and guidance and join the revelant staff network as they will be able to help you and will know of other people at work with arthritis

Best of luck

Poppyjane

A Belated Welcome to the online community @t_rex

Thank you for making your first post one so full of advice for another member. We exist to support each other with information and that is what you have so kindly offered.

You do not mentioned if you personally are living with arthritis, is there any support we can offer you?

Let us know if we can help or just enjoy browsing round the many discussions and activities. We look forward to hearing from you again.

Best wishes

Poppyjane

ElliotFern

Hi there,

First of all thanks for posting. Secondly is don't stay silent. Tell people - it is a sign of strength and hopefully your workplace is understanding. So please tell them and hopefully they respond positively.

When I told my work they allowed me to work from home once a week so I could take a break from commuting which is exhausting. That was about 10 years ago ( I was 23 then, diagnosed at 18).

Since I was diagnosed I tried acupuncture, physiotherapy, bowen therapy, massage and more. My rheumatologist was brilliant however he only saw me on 'good' days. When he did see me on a bad day then he prescribed biotherapy injections. I went from not being able to play sports or getting out of bed to walking normally. So my advice is to be transparent, open and say what a bad day looks like. Don't say you're okay (when really you're saying you're okay for the level of pain you have).

Also congrats for buying a house! I'm 33 and still a long way off.

I empathise with you on the sleep and mental health front. It takes a huge toll and you end up becoming incredibly resilient as a result. Good luck!

Ellen

Good Morning @ElliotFern lovely to meet you and welcome you to the online community.

Another supportive post as an initial post.

Also great to see the young people's community getting a bit more active.

Thanks for sharing your story with @georgiesaul and @t_rex

Hope you'll pop in again.

Ellen.