Living with arthritis???

nearlybionic

I have just logged on again and had a funny thought. The forum is called `Living with arthritis` but I feel like arthritis (arthur to his friends/enemies) has come to live with me. In fact he has taken over my flippin life!!!! :shock: I would love to know how I can put him in his place. Any ideas and tips welcome

frogmorton

Very good nearlyB!
My cousin Arthur can jolly well go home too!!!
Think we can 'laugh at Arthur' :?:
Take care
Toni x

nearlybionic

Hi Toni
Sometimes I feel like I have to laugh, the alternative is too sad. But seriously, I would like to know how people have put their arthur in perspective, as at the moment for me it is all I think about. :shock: And I want to have my life back, -ish. I`m only 40, but feel life is passing me by.

scorpiojackie

nearlybionic wrote:

Hi Toni
Sometimes I feel like I have to laugh, the alternative is too sad. But seriously, I would like to know how people have put their arthur in perspective, as at the moment for me it is all I think about. :shock: And I want to have my life back, -ish. I`m only 40, but feel life is passing me by.

I too would like to know how others manage as well. Been having such a hard time of it lately and all I can see is Arthur invading & taking bits of me and my life, more & more. Its just so depressing. So tired of it all.

mandy_b1967

If someone has this disease sorted out please let me know how to do it because I ache all over at the moment.....having a bad day!

ichabod6

Go on a self management course. It will help.

miss_l

Hehe,
I completely agree !
Being 27 i find it's the opinions of others that get me down more than the condition itself !

mash65

hi all,iv battled with family, friends & only now after a yr of this have they slowly started to realise how this horrible condition is affecting me.how boring have i been.no i dont feel like going out not well enough.
im just gonna go throw up im your toilet cause u insisted i came here.
can i lay down on the sofa cause i dont feel well.wanted to stay home in my own bed.
doesnt matter whos birthday it is,xmas,new yr,if ur ill ur ill.
i dont think any1 can even put themselves in our shoes,if they could theyd jump out after 1 day.
its a constant battle as people get flu,there in bed a few days.their ill but it passes.arthr changes its mind all the time, day to day were he wants to be & what he wants to do to us.cant change that.
if its a person u dont like u can throw them out.with arthr u have no choice but to live with it.debs

Wonkylegs

like someone said above (sorry - can't remember who it was :oops: :oops: ) the Arthritis care course 'challenging arthritis' really helped me to begin to put things back in perspective. It gave me ideas of ways to pace myself (I still find it hard to though!) and also different ways to relax, which I think a lot of us find really hard to do.

Breaking things that I do into really managable chunks is my main suggestion - if there are pots to be washed, clothes to be ironed, phone calls to be made ....... I do a bit of each in turn, so that I can sit, then stand, then rest a bit, and I can see progress even if I have to have a cuppa every 30 minutes!!

And if I put the dishes into really hot soapy water, I leave them for 20 mins whilst I do something else, and then they take minimal effort to wash up as the water has loosened everything!

Wonkylegs

forgot to say - I dont' dry up the dishes, but leave them to air dry ............... saves on tea-towels and I'm told it is the more hygienic way!!!! (I'll believe anything me!! )

mash65

with regards to washing up.if u boil kettle as ur dishing up,put some washing up liquid in with stuborn pans & leave them to soak.
i have a dishwasher but find things come out cleaner if u do this.
i do the same 30mins of cleaning then have to sit down with a cuppa. pacing myself is the only way i can cope with the house,but its so satisfing to sit & think how clean does that look i did that.deb

skezier

For what it's worth I put my Arthritis in a hamster ball in my brain.... It's lived in the ball for the best part of 14 years big time. I am having problems getting my neck Arthritis in the ball so I thought I might stick that one in a box and heve it in a lake! See how it likes being swomped.............................

rubyrude

I am finding the best thing that is helping me is to think the arthur is just something I have its not me. My medical people are trying to get me to take it seriously but I refuse to let this take over now. I am too busy! I have found that planning for me is the key, I can still do all the things I want if I plan in rests and relax time. For example I work full time in a fairly stressful management post so when I come home I have a good 2 hours of doing nothing to recharge before getting stuck in with kids bedtime. Likewise at the weekend if I plan to go out in the evening I will schedule in a rest in the afternoon so I can be quiet and this has enabled me to still have a social life.

woodbon

Sometimes, I feel that arthur is obsessing me!!! Sue

jaspercat

Hi, I certainly feel that Arthur has taken over, I have had a miserable year last year and this year has carried on the way it left off, mind you if my Rheumy would do something to help it would be great!!

I try and think that I can stop my mind thinking about it if I try hard enough love jaspercatxx

nearlybionic

Hi
Thanks for all your replies. It is good to know I am not the only one who feels like this. I will look into the management course. I have decided not to expect too much of me and my body at the moment. I am going to give myself 1 thing to achieve each day, and it doesn`t have to be any thing major . Today I am going swimming!! Trying to get fit before THR. Tomorrow will be to redo DLA form :shock: (some days will be hareder than others!!!)
Look after yourselves everyone

lindalegs

Hi N/B

I think the aim of achieving a goal a day, big or small, is the best one and then it can be geared towards the sort of day you're having.

My fear is ending up without people around me and I know that no one wants to sit listening to my moans about my aches and pains day in, day out so I always find putting a smile on my face for family and friends helps me to feel more cheerful. In saying that I'm no saint and on the days when it does get me down I try to keep a low profile and stay out of everyone's way.

I always remind myself that I'm a person not a disease :shock:

Luv Legs

nearlybionic

hi legs
that is a really good phrase to end on. I ama person not a disease! That is what I need to remember! Some days though it is harder when arthur pain takes over. Today has been bad and I ahve had to up my morphine But hopefully tomorrow will be better.