New member

kpollard
kpollard Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:05 in Living with arthritis

Hi just registered for this group . I have had arthritis since my 30s which has gradually got worse over the years in every joints . I suffer with pain daily and some days the pain is really bad . I am now in my late 50s and I just wanted to see how others cope with daily tasks and stay upbeat. My name is Karen and I look forward to hearing others stories . 🙂. X

Comments

  • AlanM
    AlanM Member Posts: 46
    edited 30. Jul 2020, 09:20

    Hi Karen

    welcome to the forum, it's good to see you here.

    You have arthritis and experience chronic pain as a result and have joined the forum to see how others deal with similar issues.

    This is certainly the right place to be and it's worth browsing through some of the threads where you may find like experiences. If you haven't already, it's also worth exploring the information on our website, which could offer some new insights and possibilities for support and self-management. A query about 'pain' will give you these options:

    And if you feel that you could benefit from talking to someone, please use our Helpline, where staff can talk to you about the kind of information and support that's out there.

    Good luck, Karen and we look forward to seeing you active on the forum.

    Best wishes

    Alan

  • Sharon_K
    Sharon_K Member Posts: 460

    Hi Karen

    welcome to the forums it's lovely to have you hear. I myself have had arthritis since my early 20's and I am now in my late 50's. My rules for myself in life are

    1. be kind to myself I am who I am now
    2. don't look back and compare myself to who I was
    3. find new hobbies that I can larn and enjoy
    4. take one day at a time

    I have had a long time to discover these and even I trip myself up sometimes. It takes time to adjust. Just know we are here and we understand. 😉We all have bad days so try to be kind to yourself especially then. We do have a great section on the website about living with arthritis here

    I also love this blog post which seems to explain living with arthritis very well. I hope you like it

    i am sure others will come along and share their experience with you. Ask as many questions as you like, that is what we are here for

    Best Wishes

    Sharon

  • Jules70
    Jules70 Member Posts: 65

    Hi Karen


    Im 50 and was diagnosed with knee oesteoarthiritis 18 months ago after having severe pain for 2 years it has really affected my mobility and quality of life and I have had to leave my job as a carer 11 months ago as I was severely restricted ie pain couldn’t cope with demands of my job anymore .

    I had xrays done in January and my right knee is now bone on bone and I’ve been waiting since Jan to have a knee replacement but postponed at present due to covid 19

    God knows when I will be getting the op 😢

    I take naproxen and cocodamol if really bad have to pace myself as if I do too much I pay for it afterwards for days 😢

    I feel like a 90 year old sometimes staggering about if I sit too long on sofa my knees seize up struggle getting up also in the morning when I wake up my knees are very stiff .

    I struggle walking upstairs down and can only walk short distances due to the pain 😢

    Hope this helps 😊

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740

    I agree with Jules, there are days when I feel utterly decrepit, but I’ve found pacing myself and learning to expect less of my poor wounded body has been helpful. For all the things I’ve had to give up (for now, till the NHS sorts itself out) I’ve tried to replace them with something that won’t bloomin’ leave me in agony, or if it does, I’ve enjoyed it enough to make it worth the consequences.

    I’ve learnt from others that distraction is good for putting pain in the background, and I find things like losing myself in some light gardening, or indulging in a box set on the telly, is great for that.

  • kpollard
    kpollard Member Posts: 4

    Thank you for all those helpful comments . I am not very good at pacing myself as I think I should get it all done like I use to do xx

  • Shell_H
    Shell_H Member Posts: 548

    My favouri e analogy about pacing yourself is the spoon theory. You may already know it, but in case you odn’t it was made by a lady with Lupus to try and explain what it’s like to live with a chronic condition. It’s well worth a read if you don’t already kno it, or you have heard of it but not read it in full. It’s a brilliant explanation as to the need to pace yourself, and if you’ve ever heard someone say they just don’t have the spoons to do something at the moment this is what they referred to.


  • KazandNoo
    KazandNoo Member Posts: 129

    Sharon,thank you for the "gorilla in your house" post,sums it up perfectly. I felt a bit emotional reading it.