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kfrweaving
kfrweaving Member Posts: 45
edited 29. Oct 2017, 08:14 in Say Hello Archive
Hi,

just was disagnosed last year with osteoarthritis, in my early 40s and also have epilepsy, so when i take a seizure my left hip is complete agony. Am taking painkillers, which do work, but only to an extent. So far the best pain relief is being in my swimming pool.....unfortunately i would turn out like a prune if i stayed there too long! But exercise in water seems to be the best things so far.
My consultant for my epilepsy and my consultant for my arthritis are discussing possible hip surgery, but it would mean my epilepsy being stable.......so i have to wait for longer!
Took months to get diagnosed as a physio thought it was just a muscular strain! But i was shocked when i saw my x-ray. I live in an area of elderly people and am constantly being told that i am too young to get arthritis! I have to claim PIP and was lucky to have a member of the CAB sit in the medical assessment with me, so i'm hoping that the outcome of the assessment won't mean i have to appeal. Feel really frustrated as some days i feel fine and can walk down the road without a stick...... but other days it feels really painful and i need a stick. Sorry if i appear to be moaning.
I managed a charity swim earlier this year, so was incredibly chuffed with that. It left me in pain, but at the same time i knew that sitting and doing nothing was not going to help my hip. The swimming has also helped my mood also. Again, sorry to moan. Everyone around me of my age doesn't have any severe medical conditions so at times it feels a bit isolating. Juggling epilepsy, diabetes and arthritis is at times frustrating. Sorry if i have put this in the wrong section of the forum! 😕

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello kfrweaving, welcome to Arthritis Care Forums. I am sorry to hear about your difficulties.

    As mods we are here to help you with any problems you may have using the forums.

    I have had arthritis since my mid 20’s so please do not worry about your age. Sometimes just talking to people and knowing you are not alone can help and there are many lovely people who use the forums with a wide range of experiences. Have a good look through the different forums and pick the ones you feel are best for the information you seek. The most popular forum is Living with Arthritis.

    Please click on the following links to see our factsheets on Osteoarthritis & Pain Management, I hope the information therein will be useful to you https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/what-is-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/62-o-osteoarthritis.

    If the above links don't help and you need more specific information, you can always contact our Helpline at: https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/help-and-support/helpline or phone them on 0333 336 5509.

    I look forward to seeing you posting in the forums.

    Best wishes,

    Em
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,336
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello kfrweaving

    Lovely to meet you, but not so good to read about your very sore hip :(

    I do understand some of your extra problems the epilepsy if it's not well-controlled is a worry after joint replacement I know you can well imagine a seizure knocking a new joint out easily.

    My youngest has epilepsy (barely controlled on 3 drugs) and at 19 had a new shoulder at the end of January this year and her consultant was worried incase she had a seizure too soon after the surgery. So was I, but as her joint had totally collapsed he had little choice.

    She had a seizure at the beginning of April and I am glad to say the shoulder coped well.

    This might (or might not) have been due to her hard work with her physiotherapy exercises ensuring all the soft tissues like her muscles/tendons were in as good condition as possible to hold the joint in place :? who knows?

    Her operation happened really quickly because I was going to ask neurology whether they could give her anything extra to help in the first few months, but as you can see it wasn't necessary.

    I got the exercises for shoulder off this site these are the ones for hips https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/hip-pain/what-can-i-do-to-help-myself.aspx


    Do let us know how you get on.

    Love

    Toni xx
  • kfrweaving
    kfrweaving Member Posts: 45
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello,

    thank you for your replies! So lovely!
    I'm seeing a physio on Monday about my seizures, arthritis and shoulder! So i'll be interested to see what he says.
    The service i've had so far has been excellent.
    Thankfully it's early morning which gets it over and done with quickly! But it is bothering me. Thankfully due to medication increases for my epilepsy i haven't had any seizures, but it's left me feeling exhausted and less inclined to move about. I'm going to have to make a real effort next week to get back into the swimming pool! Partly i also think it's the dark mornings that make me less inclined to get up early! Earlier in the year i had no problem getting up at 6.30, now i'm struggling with 8am!
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,336
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well at least the clocks going back will have given us all an extra hour!!

    It sounds as if you have a plan in place with physio.

    I know a consequence of extra epilepsy meds means you could feel exhausted, but no seizures. It's a trade off isn't it?

    Let us know how you get on

    Love

    Toni xx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's lovely to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I have psoriatic arthritis (PsA), osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia, my childhood and youth was spent 'enjoying' severe eczema and asthma (pre-inhaler days just to make it more fun) so I know what you mean about juggling various ailments whilst others sail through life thinking it's the end of the world when they catch a cold. :roll: Osteo arthritis is more commonly associated with the elderly but it can and does affect younger folk: the auto-immune sort can affect very young children which is particularly cruel. When people tell me I'm too young for it I soon put them right.

    Swimming is lovely for our joints because we are supported by the water, thus no weight-bearing is involved which is why it feels so comfortable. If only we could get rid of gravity . . . . . I am I my twenty-first year of this bothersome malarkey and of the two I prefer the osteo because it is more honest in how it presents. I know what aggravates it, namely acidic foods, over-doing things and the weather and at least I can control the first two. Mine resulted from the joint damage caused by my PsA and affects my ankles, knees and hips (my toes have PsA and my knees both). I need walking aids for longer distances but I have recently started working with a personal trainer to try to improve my over-all muscle strength and physical stamina.

    I hope you find the forum to be of interest - we get it because we've got it. I wish you well for your appointment, please let us know how you get on. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben