You handle pain better than me

Hi, i'm handicapped too. i too have arthritis thruout my body. When a movement hurts too much i stopped making that movement rather than endure the pain. As a result i continued to lose movement. I tried some dr.s who were called chyropractors. they helped relieve the pain, but only for a very small while. As soon as i left their office a block or 2 later my back was hurting because i was walking or standing. The only time i didn't feel that pain was when i was sitting down. i gradually started loosing movements. Like i couldn't move my head to the right or left,and i could not lift my legs up to get into the ambulance, i had to have someone pull me up or sometimes one persn to pull and one person pushing me. I did physical therapy for a long time, but i only used my muscles where i was comfortable. As a result even though i was exerciseing, i did not see any improvement. So after a while i quuuuit going.
Well i cotinued loseing movements. One day i woke up screaming because it hurt alot to move my arm. My husband told me to stop screaming, but it hurt too much. i went to see the Dr. but there was no broken bones or fractures, so they sent me home on pain meds. I began not useing that arm Well prior to this i had had carpel tunnel surgery on both wrists. After physical therapy i had lost the ability to bend my wrists like they are supposed to bend. i still can't turn my wrist over flat with the wrist side up. as you can see i was loseing the use of my body movements. Finally my Dr sent me to a pain clinic. when that Dr. tried to move my arm, etc. i was very uncomtable and he could tell. HE SENT ME TO PHYSICAL THERAPY AGAIN. tHIS TIME THEY PUT ME ON MACHINES THAT MADE ME USE MY ARM AND LEG MUSCLES. eVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T PUSH MYSELF VERY HARD I STARTED TO BE ABLE TO TURN FROM SIDE TO SIDE SO I CAN REACH AND SOMETIMES BUCKLE MY SEAT BELT. i CAN NOW LIFT MY LEGS HIGHER AND NOW BY LIFTING ONE LEG INTO A HIGH SEAT IN A CAR, and pulling on a handle I can often get into a car, instead of haveing to be pushed and pulled. I now can tturn my head to the left and right. Enough so i can even see soethings in back of me. I need to keep exerciseing @ home but i am moveing with a lesser degree of pain and to do things i thought i would never be able to do again. I alo have disability, due to other problems. I was lucky, my DR. applied for disability for me years ago, so i luckily am still on it. Mary Lou

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I'm new to computing. . .Be gentle

thanks for joinung our group

If you haven't noticed i try to be as positive about my problems as i can. I'm sorry you have so many physical problems. Sounds like you have found some resolutions to your problems. But it is sad to hear of all your physical problems. I'm glad you got on disability easily. That's not easy to do. i think we all understood basically what you were saying and what solutions you had. I'm glad you handled your problems so well. You mentioned 1 term that i'm not sure what it is. An arthoscopy. Can you describe what it is, what was wrong, and what type of therapy you had for it. i know me and my husband would be interested. I'm probably going to be off line for a while, but i hope you will be willing to write more entries while i'm gone. Plus in a couple weeks hopefully my husband will be back on the computer.

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I'm new to computing. . .Be gentle

arthroscopy

scopy - that's anytime they go in somewhere with the little camera to do whatever is necessary. a colonoscopy is to check for colon problems. and there are others I can't think of right now. but an arthroscopy is where they go in a joint with the little camera in one small incision and a tool in another incision, and they can fix things. On the knees, they fixed torn cartilage, on the ankles they just go in and cleaned up some of the mess arthritis caused. It's arthra for the arthritis and scopy cause they use the scope. It only leave a couple of little holes that may or may not need a stitch. Less invasion on the body. They can use this for a lot of different things these days. They used it on my shoulder joint til the rotor cuff got too bad then they had to do more detailed surgery. Ask your doc about it, they usually don't mind explaining things if you got a decent doc.

Hi fishin_nana

I must say. . .I really feel for u 'cause it sounds like health-wise u went from the frying pan into the fire. Feel free to come here and vent anytime u need to as Mary Lou or I will always try to respond. Hope u have a WONDERFUL Labor Day Weekend!

Walter

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Firefighter's Take the Heat!

None

wlittle1686 wrote: I must say. . .I really feel for u 'cause it sounds like health-wise u went from the frying pan into the fire. Feel free to come here and vent anytime u need to as Mary Lou or I will always try to respond. Hope u have a WONDERFUL Labor Day Weekend! Walter

Don't know why this says it was posted Aug. 31~ it was actually posted several months ago!! Don't know how this happens, but that post is so old who cares anymore!!

Labor Day

Walter did welcome you before. This time he did it before Labor Day so it's a new post. Thanks for looking at what he wrote back to you. The group did not start until this past February. You and I and Walter and katfish are the only ones answering these posts lately. But people are looking at what we are writing even though they are not answering back. I hope what I'm writing makes a little sense to you. Mary Lou

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I'm new to computing. . .Be gentle

Here I go again!!

Came in here and read all the posts and wanted to get involved in the group. When I hit join group, it said I was already a member! I had looked at the members and I wasn't there! It wasn't listed on my groups on my page! When did I do this and why didn't anything show I did? Boy what those meds will do.

After reading all the posts, all I can say is I sure am lucky. Some of you have been through h*ll trying to get your disability. I think a lot of it has to do with the doc you have. That's who has to fill out all the paperwork. Although I had to go to a state doc for eval. too. But mine was approved just under 4 months from the time I applied. At the time I said I guess I'm worse than I thought I was, because everyone said it would take 3 or 4 times and I'd have to get a lawyer. I was 48 at the time.

I have had osteoarthritis since teen years. Had to have my knee replacements at 40, which my doc didn't want to do because i was so young. But there was no cartilige, I can sypathize with those on here who said that, when he got in there top leg bone had rubbed 1" groove in bottom leg bone and he had to do bone graft in order for the parts to fit. But mine went very well. Best thing i ever did. Was at the point that arthroscopy, shots, therapy, nothing helped. Told the doc to cut 'em off. Would rather live without them than endure that much pain anymore. Afterward he said that with what he found in there he didn't see how I had still been walking!! I have an extremely high tolerance for pain. Had to, lived with it all my life.

Since then I had a total left ankle fusion in '99. Can't move it at all and makes me walk with a limp. Had to have right knee plastic replaced in '03 cause I wore it out. Left shoulder rotator cuff in '05, and several other minor repairs. Sounds like my car!! I don't have high blood pressure and in March of '01 doc checked cholesterol and it was 223. Not high enough for meds. But I had a heart attack May 5, '01 anyway. Now have a stent in there.

Developed Diabetes in '05, but expected that. It runs in the family and always knew I would get it. Told my sis who's had it since her early 20's that it would hit me in my 50's like it did Dad. Bingo! I won that bet! Now i'm developing neuropothy in the feet and hands from it. More fun!

I have the handicapped placard and know how people react to that too. In the winter when i wear long pants, people look at me funny whenever I park in the handicapped spot. On woman even said once, "where's your handicap, in the brain". I walk as much as possible and will walk into the store. Most times even through the store holding onto a cart. But in summer, when I have shorts on and they see all the scars on the knees no one says anything.

Well, guess I vented enough for this time. I feel everything all of you do and you are all in my prayers. Told everyone in Chronic Pain that I look back at my mother and grandmother and remember how healthy and active they were til the day they died. Yet everyone I know in their 40's and 50's have all these problems. Our parents didn't!! What do you suppose all that nuclear testing in the 40's and 50's did? What about all the preservatives and other chemicals they put in food years ago without really knowing what it would do? This many problems in each of us isn't natural!!!!!!

None

walterslady50 wrote: Walter did welcome you before. This time he did it before Labor Day so it's a new post. Thanks for looking at what he wrote back to you. The group did not start until this past February. You and I and Walter and katfish are the only ones answering these posts lately. But people are looking at what we are writing even though they are not answering back. I hope what I'm writing makes a little sense to you. Mary Lou

Whatever, it's past and done. Need to start posting things that relate to the group, not what we did or didn't do in the past. Let's move on. we're here discussing disabilities. So let's do that from here on out, and more regularly!!! Ok.