New member

Preti
Preti Member Posts: 9
edited 16. Jan 2019, 14:22 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hello everyone I've just registered with the forum. A very happy & prosperous New Year 2019 to all. I'm waiting for a hip replacement, current waiting list time of four months at the hospital, another month and a half to go. I've not been in acute pain all of the time,some months have been quite good but in the last couple of months I've found everyday living much more difficult due to pain/stiffness and sometimes feel anxious, sometimes tearful.
I do everything I can to keep busy with community interests (I live in a very busy medium sized village with very active community) do aerobic exercise/dancing to heavy rock music at home by myself (my orthopaedic Consultant supports this, have been doing this form of exercise since teenage days and advised to continue doing so by Consultant for the rest of my life!) I also have found it good for relief of any stress/anxiety/depression as & when it has occurred. I'm not so keen on group exercise activities.
Anyone out there like me? Love to read of your experiences of living/managing hip osteoarthritis? Rehab after surgery? 8)
I would love to start some kind of support group in our village
for residents having problems with arthritis, within a social setting,
is this a good idea?

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello
    Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will find the forum members friendly, empathetic, helpful, they will support you, offer you suggestions as to how they have coped and adapted to similar problems. There are several forum members who have had hip replacement surgery and will be able to answer any queries or worries you may have.

    At the top of the forum's page you will see several buttons on different aspects associated with arthritis. There is a great deal of useful information in these.

    Regarding setting up a support group in your village, I am sure Versus Arthritis would be able to advise and enable you to do this. My suggestion to you is to contact Versus Arthritis's freephone helpline and they would be able to point you in the correct direction to the person you would need to talk to. The freephone no. is 0800 520 0520. In the meantime I will contact my web manager, Sharon, and see what she suggests. I will get back to you if she has something different.

    I am one of the moderation team and we all have one or more of the Arthritis 'hanger ons' or care for someone who has similar.
    Please remember tthat we are volunteers and have no medical background.

    I look forward to seeing future posts on the forum from you.
    Good luck with your forthcoming operation.

    Best wishes
    ChrisK
  • Preti
    Preti Member Posts: 9
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Chris, thanks so much for your reply. I will be speaking to someone in our village about starting a support group, prob after I've had the replacement done. I do come from a former med background I'm a retired reg. nurse - it doesn't make things easier, and my knowledge is somewhat rusty. perha
    moderator wrote:
    Hello
    Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will find the forum members friendly, empathetic, helpful, they will support you, offer you suggestions as to how they have coped and adapted to similar problems. There are several forum members who have had hip replacement surgery and will be able to answer any queries or worries you may have.

    At the top of the forum's page you will see several buttons on different aspects associated with arthritis. There is a great deal of useful information in these.

    Regarding setting up a support group in your village, I am sure Versus Arthritis would be able to advise and enable you to do this. My suggestion to you is to contact Versus Arthritis's freephone helpline and they would be able to point you in the correct direction to the person you would need to talk to. The freephone no. is 0800 520 0520. In the meantime I will contact my web manager, Sharon, and see what she suggests. I will get back to you if she has something different.

    I am one of the moderation team and we all have one or more of the Arthritis 'hanger ons' or care for someone who has similar.
    Please remember tthat we are volunteers and have no medical background.

    I look forward to seeing future posts on the forum from you.
    Good luck with your forthcoming operation.

    Best wishes
    ChrisK
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's nice to meet you. I have a creaky foot in both camps, I began in 1997 with an auto-immune arthritis and the damage that caused led to OA, diagnosed in 2011: some joints have one, some the other and others both, I began with one and now it's around forty. Fun it is not but it is what it is: I am now in my 21st year of it all and know that today is probably better than tomorrow will be. I keep as active as I can but I am limited thanks to joint damage and pain - that doesn't;the stop me trying though. I was refused new knees aged 52 and am now 59. I won't bother now, with everything else shot to bits there's no point, the thought of having greatly reduced pain in two areas is terrifying as it will make the rest appear worse. :lol:

    I know of a support group in my area but it has never appealed: I like the forum as it is nationwide (world-wide too) and it's easy for me to get to: no stairs, no draughty church halls, I can chat to people in the comfort of my home. None of my real-life friends have arthritis which is fine by me - and when I do meet arthritic friends it's the one thing we never talk about. There are around ten million arthritics in the UK with the majority having OA, I think it's ubiquity works against it. I wish you well and please keep in touch, let us know how you get on. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • crinkly1
    crinkly1 Member Posts: 156
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Preti and I hope the weeks up to your surgery don't seem to drag on too painfully as I think the waiting time is the most frustrating part of the process.

    I also have OA but, thankfully, my hips haven't yet reached the stage of needing replacement. However I do have very good memories of an Arthritis support group in my town. It closed a few years ago due to lack of new leadership ( I was heavily involved in another organisation so couldn't help at that time) and there wasn't another group near enough for me to go so I still miss it and would definitely join if another started.

    We all respond differently so for some, like DD, the forums are ideal and sufficient while others of us also enjoy face-to-face contact. As I recall it most of the talks and conversation were about anything other than our aches and pains so the group actually provided a social gathering in which we didn't need to explain our limitations. Being in the same fleet of boats it provided a place where all the 'background stuff' of arthritis was taken for granted so members could focus on other topics and leave feeling refreshed and positive.

    In addition, when required, it provided a place where members shared first-hand experience of the local NHS services, which was often very useful.

    It will be interesting to know if you are able to get a support group going in your area later this year but meanwhile best wishes for your op.

    Crinkly1
  • Preti
    Preti Member Posts: 9
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you for your replies and good wishes. Nearest support groups
    are in 2 cities more thsn 20 miles away, thank you Crinkly for info. on the one you attended, sounds good, thanks.
  • Maturecheese
    Maturecheese Member Posts: 130
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Rock music, I very much approve :) Good luck with your hip op. ( Oh dear unintended pun)