Hello to all

bionicwoman44 · 21. Jun 2015, 12:04

Hi, I am 44, have had 2 total hip replacements, but never officially diagnosed with osteoarthritis until about a month ago. I have trouble with thumbs, I'm wearing fingerless gloves on the warmest of days, by neck is very restricted and have joint problems in my big toes. I have finally got the GP to do bloods which have never been done. I'm on naproxen, and acupan 3 times a day. I'm feeling incredibly low as I feel too young to be like this, I have an 11 & 3 year old and cannot play with them & don't feel like I can be a proper Mum. I have a PIP interview on Tuesday but not holding out much help. Not sure what I'm trying to say but I'm sure I'm to the only one feeling like this and its the first time I have really said how I feel. Normally a very positive person but feeling pretty negative at the moment. Thanks for reading. Hope you're having a better day.

[Deleted User] · 21. Jun 2015, 12:39

Hi bionicwoman44

Welcome to the forums where I'm sure you will get a lot of help and good advice from all the lovely people on here.

It is a little quiet being the weekend, but I'm sure that someone will be along shortly to help.

We are here if you need any support to do with using the forums. Many of the mods have some of the many varieties of arthritis and we all know about the feelings that go along with having it.

Do read and post across the different topics that you will find here.
All best wishes

Mod B

stickywicket · 21. Jun 2015, 14:11

No wonder you're feeling negative, bionicwoman44. You have much to be negative about. But you have come to the right place. We all understand the pain and worry and frustrations of arthritis. Trying to be a good Mum while all that is going on is by no means easy. I was diagnosed with RA about 10 years before my first son was born and it was very tough when my two boys were young.

It's good that your GP is doing blood tests. It would seem a bit late in the day to be testing for an auto-immune form of arthritis (I'm assuming that's what they're testing for) but if it all started in your hips, that's not somewhere auto-immune forms usually start. What were you told back then? I'm wondering how you could have two hip replacements without a diagnosis of OA. Why on earth did they say they were replacing them? Presumably you'd been in a lot of pain for a long time.

If you are taking an anti-inflammatory (naproxen) and strong pain relief (acupan) that's more or less normal for OA but, of course, if you do have and auto-immune form, other meds would be needed. Are the gloves because of pain or because you are cold?

If it's the first time you've said how you really feel, is that because there's no-one you feel you can talk to about it? We all need someone who will listen and understand. A problem shared etc. Have you thought of giving our Helpline people a ring? The phone number's at the top of the page. They are good listeners. And, of course, keep talking to us

barbara12 · 21. Jun 2015, 14:25

Hello bionicwoman44
You are young to have had 2 new hips,there are people on here that need new joints but they usually try and put them off for a few years, but like they say pain is pain whatever your age..
The one thing that this forum taught me was to speak up for myself, so now when I see my GP i ask for things and the same with the consultants..all this coming form someone that wouldn't say boo to a goose

so you remember its your body ..
I am 65 so a lot older but have had one hip replaced, and my others needs doing ..but like you other joints have joined in..so I dont have a clue why they call it wear and tear..there is usually something else going on, when they do your bloods ask for vit D to be checked this helps us absorb calcium, has for the pip you must tell them your worse day..I do wish you well and good luck with it..and glad you have joined us it is good to talk and get things out ..

bionicwoman44 · 21. Jun 2015, 15:29

Hi, thanks all.
Quick back story, was going to chiropractor for neck restriction as I had no idea what it was, happened to mention groin pain, he did X-rays which showed slight OA, went to GP, I had a good relationship with him as my mum had died two months earlier of Pancreatic Cancer, and as my son was only 15 months old he referred me privately to a consultant who checked movement and did MRI and confirmed he would do THR on the NHS. At my year check up my right hip was giving me trouble so he agreed to do the left THR, this was done 3 days before Christmas! I went to see another GP about my thumbs as I had just been putting up with them as one of those things, he sent me for XRays on hands and neck. Hands showed excessive OA and again slight on the neck. AS has not been mentioned yet but I will discuss. Said GP gave me a steroid injection in left hand which lasted 6 weeks, and did help with pain but not mobility. I saw my original GP last week and asked for a referral to Bath Mineral Hospital as they specialise in RA, OA, ME & CFS, me GP at that point he realised I had never had bloods taken to determine my auto-immune so these have been booked for Friday, then I should get my referral to Bath, I will fight for it, I hate the thought of tablets (together with my happy pills!) for the rest of my life. It was as if a replacement hip was easy to diagnose and get sorted, whereas now its going to take a lot of investigation which should've be done at least 2 years ago.

Gloves I wear because if I sit still for two long I start to lose feeling in the joint, just like having to wear socks to keep my feet warm, although I don't think its Reynauds as I don't lose feeling, just pain.

It wasn't until I had my hand X-rays that anybody actually said - 'you have osteoarthritis' it was just assumed I knew, it has taken me a few weeks to get used to the idea, just like receiving any diagnosis I guess. I do have a supportive husband though, and my 11 yr old is good with chores, like the ironing & hoovering, I do think this forum will be invaluble, I do feel a slight lifting of weight from my shoulders after posting my original message although now its back due to the length of this post!!
Thanks for your support, have a restful evening.

Kim

dreamdaisy · 22. Jun 2015, 03:06

Hello, I have an auto-immune arthritis (psoriatic) and the joint damage from that has led to osteo in both knees. Despite being bone-on-bone throughout 3/4 of the joints I was refused new knees because I was too young (aged 53). A few years on and now both ankles are badly affected and it's affecting my hips, all because I cannot walk very well. What joy!

Arthritis has no respect for age or gender. OA can begin in those in their teens and twenties, the youngest on here with an auto-immune form was eighteen months old. The first question is a natural one, 'Why me?' but the answer, sadly, is 'Why not?' You sound as though you have a supportive husband, and the eleven year old is certainly of an age to help but it must be hard with the little one. They are full of energy at that age whereas we, alas, might not be.

There are over three hundred kinds of auto-immune arthritic conditions so the bloods may not lead to instant diagnosis. Steroids are one route to relieving discomfort but they are not the answer (they won't improve mobility once damage is done and their over-use can bring further troubles). I have been on various medications for my PsA for years now and accept that they have slowed the progression of my disease but they came far too late for any real difference to be made. I am fortunate in one way that I have been on medical drugs since the age of twelve so to me more meds is nothing unusual. For those who have not had such 'luck' it must be a shock.

There are a couple of articles on the net which may be of interest to you, your family and friends. One is called The Spoon Theory, the other There's a Gorilla in my House. I wish you well and I hope we can help with information and support. DD

stickywicket · 22. Jun 2015, 04:16

bionicwoman44 wrote:

It was as if a replacement hip was easy to diagnose and get sorted, whereas now its going to take a lot of investigation which should've be done at least 2 years ago.

I quite agree. It seems very unusual that you were given 2 hip replacements on the basis of 'slight OA', aged 44, when most people's complaints on here are that, like DD, they cannot have them for several years because of their 'youth' (in their fifties :roll: ) despite the OA being very far advanced. Yet no-one seems to have questioned why your hips were deteriorating though, of course, young people can get OA out of the blue, as we know on here.

Blood tests alone don't show the full picture. Some auto-immune forms of arthritis are sero-negative and AS is one of them. I hope you get your referral but I hope I have misunderstood your post where you seem to see the referral to hospital as an alternative to 'tablets for the rest of my life'. If you have an auto-immune arthritis you will need the tablets to slow down the disease process..

The loss of feeling in your hands is not something I have experienced. My RA started in my hands over 50 years ago. If you see a rheumatologist it should be mentioned.

Please let us know how you get on.

Hello to all

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