and I thought it was only me?

frogslegs

Well are you sitting comfortable?…..most of you, presumable not! Anyway, I am Maria, 53, feeling 83 and have been for about 15 years. Let’s take you back…. Aged 14 diagnosed with gout (or possible pseudo gout) in big toe excruciating pain and ended up on crutches. 19 neuritis in shoulder ….could have been throwing the javelin while at school or playing squash? 30 cervical spondylosis of the neck…graphic artist for 18 years too much sitting at a drawing board?

Gave up my career and left Essex for the Isle of Wight to try self-sufficiency…. knew I had a dodgy back but did not realise how bad until you garden full time!! Spent two years trying to find out the problems with pins and needles in my feet and ankles, eventually after physio, oesteo and hospital ect I went private and found a McTimoney chiropractor which was fantastic and after about a year stopped the problem, but also on first visit she noticed problem with spine.

During 7 years self-sufficiency my back went into spasms plus sciatica and chiro was the only hope. Also for 10 years had problems with shoulder and impossible to put on a coat the usual way. Decided to ‘Walk the Wight’ a charity event 28 miles across the island to raise money for MRI scan for hospital. Each year the walk is done in beautiful weather …that year May 6th woke up to gale force winds and rain…. but proceeded battling against the storms. It was apparent that after about 10 miles my hip was hurting, 15 miles I could hardly walk but with people of over 75 walking past me and I was only 41…. I stubbornly persevered. When I finally hobbled in walking at a snails pace I could not lift either leg up on to the bus for the return journey?? It was impossible to go up one step. I visited the doctor the next day and he said it was bursitis of the hip and would improve in 9 months!, I tried acupuncture, physio and drugs but the pain has been with me since and it is difficult to walk up stairs or hills. (Diagnosis last week is different and will end on that note.)

During this time I also suffered from tennis elbow and had two steroid injections. Decided to change career pattern again after 7 years of trying to work on the land but proving an impossibility so moved to France to run gites and to live in the Poitou Charentes where it is the second sunniest region and hopefully will help my aches and pains? Within 6 months and only while throwing a sheet over the bed…the back went (big time) plus it felt like a tourniquet tightening around upper right arm…..John drove me three hours to visit Eymet and find the only chiropractor that spoke English …spent a week having treatment.


After a year I fell up the stairs and the right shoulder that had been giving me pain for about 12 years finally was diagnosed as calcific tendonitis. I could not move my arm further than 6 inches away from my hip for weeks. Started helping John renovate a barn but proved difficult pointing ect with dodgy back, shoulder, elbow and hip. Got housemaids knee while varnishing all the floorboards. Sciatica disappeared when I fell off the terrace and bumped down 6 concrete steps (not to be recommended) but the pain disappeared??

I tripped again while cleaning the gite and this time both heels had excruciating pain and was diagnosed with Achilles heel tendonitis….spent a year and half visiting physio and had to stop wearing flat shoes that I love….this injury may have not been helped by a charity parachute jump where I landed wrong when I was 21 plus I had recently tried stepping exercises to get fit! To end this saga….last September I finally mentioned to my doctors that my hip was still painful after 12 years and kept me awake at night, she was amazed that a MRI scan had never been suggested…so after having one on the hip and another on the back the results are OA in both and probably the cause of all the other problems.

During all these years obviously I must have tried all the painkillers some with success, but tried not to take them for years because of the side affects on the stomach, the past 8 months is the longest time I have taken them in succession I am taking Brexin which may be under a different name in U.K. and with the tablets for the stomach, seem to work about 65%…

So that’s me!

skezier

Hi Frogslegs,

Nice to meet you and welcome. I have a simular story only you had the sense to stop with the self sufficiency and I am still in denial....... I can't do veg anymore so diversified....... and one day I shall own a tractor........

I hope you find the site useful, Take care, Cris

mistywillow

skezier wrote:

Hi Frogslegs,

Nice to meet you and welcome. I have a simular story only you had the sense to stop with the self sufficiency and I am still in denial....... I can't do veg anymore so diversified....... and one day I shall own a tractor........

I hope you find the site useful, Take care, Cris

Hi Froglegs
It s rotten when you have so much you want to do and your body keeps letting you down, thats pretty much the position with everyone on the site, so lots of sympathy for your pains. It really is a question of trying to keep as active as possible but pacing yourself and listening to your body when it tells you to stop. ( I love it when i give this advice to anyone, as i don't do it myself!!)but when you have been sporty and active, it is very frustrating to slow down, belive me I know! Trying to keep your muscles in good condition with GENTLE exercise.(not parachute jumping!!) maybe swimming or pilates classes. would offer more protection to your poor old or not really so old joints>
Take care Gillx

lindalegs

Hi Frogslegs and welcome to the forum,

By gum you've not let your pain stop you have you???? Are you a masochist by ant chance :shock:

I admire you for your guts and determination but don't you think you should have been a bit kinder to your body and listened when it was screaming at you to give it a rest just for a short while :?

I've not heard of Brexin maybe others have.

Try to be a bit more gentle with yourself.

Luv Legs

PS Do you think we're related?

PPS If we are I'm your lazy slightly younger sister

colinone

Hi Lucky
Well where do we start should i tell you off for not taking better care of yourself. You have been in the wars havent you, i was going to ask if you had seen a rheumy but now you have OA i assume you must of done. I wonder if it was OA all along and you had been miss diagnosed, You better start taking it easy for a while and give your body a chance to get at least a little better. Anyway well done on all the wild and mad things you have done. Take Care
Colin

penfactor

Hi there! We have a couple of things in common! I am 50, used to be a graphic artist in the late 70's early 80's & also come from Essex! Oh & I'm also sitting uncomfortably too!
Welcome to this forum where you meet some fantastic new friends who understand what you are going through
X

eckstardeluxe

Hello and welcome to the forum, you have certainly been in the wars and you're right, it's not just you. I tell people my story and they just sit there with their mouths open and then that's when I realise how bad it is.

But it's amazing what you can achieve with the support and friendship you get from here. The posters are so friendly and they have given me the courage to pursue things I always wanted to but was frightened of. I think of myself in January when I got my diagnosis and what I'm like now, yes I still have the days when things get the better of me, but when I compare my two selfs I realise that what I have gained on here has transformed my outlook on life. I really hope you can find the same comfort I have.

And thanks to everyone out there, Arthur is very hard but you lot make him easier to live with. xxxx

frogslegs

Many thanks for the replies and warm welcome, I shall definately start to use this forum for many unexplained answers. I suppose I should start a new topic with the next question I have in mind.