Finally went to the doc today

He told me the same thing he's told most of you guys my age or older. Arthritis! I've been aching most of the winter, mostly in the morning, but I thought I'd be better when the weather warmed up. Maybe I just had a prolonged achy virus and it'll go away. Well, I was disappointed. The weather warmed up but the misery didn't go away. Been waking up at 4:00 in the morning because of the ache. Makes for a long day!! This morning was about the worst yet, I couldn't straighten out till about noon, so I broke down and made an appointment. The doc sat down and said "you've been working hard for a long time". I knew right then what it was. Then he mentioned the 'arthur' word after he felt my backbone and found that knot I've been curious about for the past few years. He told me that's the reason my legs ache. I took the first anti-inflammatory at suppertime and now I feel like tackling the world again. This is very good! The arthritis is mild compared to what some of you guys are going through, but I'm a pretty active guy yet, at 61, and I'd like to stay that way for years to come, but this is just one more reminder that the days of robust youthful stamina are beginning to be a thing of the past. I told the doc I'd like to keep working for another 30 years and he just chuckled at me. I'll show him!! You just wait and see! LOL Jim

You should see a neurosurgeon. I had a ruptured disk repaired this spring. I am amazed at how much less pain I have now. They can also work with arthritis if it is localized.

I've been living with a form of it since I was 17, cold isn't my friend, trying to figure why the heck I moved back north.

My Doc told me that when I was 12 years old my teeth were in perfect condition and my back and all my joints were perfect. From that time on everything is down hill. He told me to take it easy and I might make it till I can retire. That was 5 years ago and I still work along side my 30 year old son doing the same work as him in construction. Only difference he is ready to go at it in the mornings and has lots of go yet at quitting time. I find my chair after supper and wake up to go to bed.

The doc did mention Xray and MRI for the back if I continue to have trouble. A few years ago I did see a couple of orthopedists for something else going on in the back. Both of them mumbled something about " a little" arthritis. Since then I've been told I should have gone right to the top and visited with a neurosurgeon. If a couple of fairly mild pills a day keeps me going I'll be a happy camper. I've gotta put a new steel roof on the cattle shed but first I have to pick rocks out of the fields for about three weeks. I was beginning to doubt whether I could get it done but I'm feeling better about it now. There's no rest for the wicked, as they say! Jim

Well It"s back to square one. Going to the local hospital today 5-16, for the needed Ultra sound. My Son took me to the Dr today 5-15(family Dr) and brought along the supply of testosterone vial worth 2 Injections) and the nurse directed my Son who did the injection at the injection site and the whole process ,so no sciatic damage by needle injection would occure.I have NEVER HAD A MORE, EASY,PAINLESS INJECTION ,EVER!!!!!.For those of you who aren't familiar with testosterone loss due to age ,is in for a rude awakening. The loss is inherent and genetically passed on. Starts about age 25 on up. Finally got to have My Son go for the physical and tests. He is suffering with the same onset problems I started with. Even though the needles are of significant in length, being razor sharp helps ease the trauma.Now what I thought was ARTHRITIS turns out to be testosterone loss, with some slight arthritis.The Ultra sound tomorrow, will measure the ANEURYSM and compair the 4cm to what new size may be noticed. I ached so bad, had a difficult time (A MILD WORDING)getting out of bed. Sweats, tired,GREAT ENERGY LOSS,fits of DEPRESSION anger,Muscle and JOINT ACHES etc. Not much of a life style. But the injections should do the trick. Today I feel 90/o better.I'm almost certain that my Son is on the starting side of my problem. .Will find out the 23rd of this month. Keeping healthy so a person can accomplish the daily tasks is never guaranteed. Any way ,I'm glad you found your problem and wish you much success in the healing process. Regards LOU.

Good for you..... Don't overlook your bed, pillow you use, and how you sleep... We have a pretty solid mattress and I try to sleep on my back and stretched out... I use one of them little countour pillows and feel pretty good when I get up...

Wife has a mountain of pillows and twists herself up all which ways and has to get herself stretched back out in the mornings......

I have much of the same symptoms. Early morning pains made it impossible to stay in bed past about 5:00am. This past winter I bought a memory foam mattress and has made all the difference. I can snuggle back down in the bed and enjoy a few more minutes restful sleep.

Gene

Fixerupper,

I second what Dave2 said: make sure you have a really good mattress (with decent support, but cushy on top)and a good pillow. We have tried everthing from bean filled pillows to down and everything in between. We like down filled the best.) *And sleeping with a firm pillow placed between your knees if very helpful for lower back pain and hip pain.

And cannot say enough good about getting in some old fashioned walks for exercise. I am amazed at the difference regular walking makes! Also, warm-up stretches before walking (or rock picking) are good.

Do yourself a favor, go on line and read up on the side effects for the pills you are taking. Many of the anti-inflammatories may damage your stomach or heart. Then think about this, after the pills make you feel like King Kong, how much more damage are you going to do to your body.

I too have Author's relatives, and don't like it. Been sleeping on the floor for the past 30 years. There aren't any anti-inflammatories I can take without causing a problem.

Hope it works for you.
George

He gave me Nabumetone 500ml. Slept like a baby last night. I could bend right over and put the socks on this morning. Maybe I won't be so grouchy in the mornings LOL. I had taken this stuff before for the stenosis in my back but it didn't do a bit of good for that problem. My grandmother had rhumatoid terribly bad and she couldn't take any aspirin products so she just suffered through it. If she was alive today I'm sure there are some new products out there that could have helped her. What does this have to do with tractors? Well, I have an 8N in the shop waiting for the engine to come back from the machine shop. Bending over to put it back together won't be so tough now. Jim

BE CAREFUL OF WHAT ARTHRITIC PAIN PILL YOU'RE
TAKING.....I was on nnalert for 6 months, and it
worked wonders..1 pill a day, and after a few
days of starting it I was virtually pain free!
After 6 months I was very sick, and my internal
medicine Doctor,(Not the one who Prescribed it)
Said,"6 more weeks on nnalert and you'll have to
start KIDNEY DIALYSIS"..I've had Kidney problems
ever since, and before heart bypass surgery, and
Knee replacement, had to be admitted a day early
to go on IV drugs to "Flush my Kidneys" so they
could tolerate the preceedures.
nnalert was taken of the market a few years ago
because of the dangers, but money hungry drug
dealers pleaded to get it recertified, and the
FDA reluctantly agreed, with lots of precautions.
IT will kill more people who won't know their
kidneys can't tolerate it till after they've
tried it ! ! !

I've had good luck with diclofinac, although if I take it for an extended period of time, I tend to have some stomach upset.

I usually don't respond well to oral antibiotics or oral anti-inflamation prescriptions, but diclofinac works wonders as long as I realize there's a limit to how long I can take it before I have to take a break.

Our family doctor, bless her heart, leaves me a standing prescription.

If a doc can help you, you don't have much wrong with you.

Be careful what you take. Lady I know had arthritis and was put on one of the pills to help it. Most of them lower your immune system and in her case she got infections - terrible suffering from them before her death from infections. As mentioned, check the side effects so you don"t get something much worse.

Glucosamine/chondroitin works for me, and for a second opinion, it worked for my dog, too. I was gonna get him "doggie glucosamine" from Petmeds, but found it was more expensive than the stuff I was taking (from Walmart), so I started giving him the Walmart stuff. Wasn't sure it worked for him, so I stopped for a week and he really slowed down and looked like his hips were bothering, so I put him back on it.

Teddy, that's very true. I'm lucky where it only takes a little white pill to help me feel better. Like I said before some of you guys have it a lot worse than I do, no matter what the ailment is. I'm just so darned happy to not be bent over all morning, and only half productive in the afternoon. Jim

Nurse called today. Bloodwork is in, wants to start me on a cholesterol med. I asked her what the side affects are. She said ACHINESS!!! GRRR. Jim

(quoted from post at 13:00:44 05/16/12)She said ACHINESS!!! GRRR. Jim

Click to expand...

She's right.......

My sister had go get off her cholesterol meds because it was killing her legs and feet.

I've had back issues all my life. Did the X-rays and MRI. Dr found nothing. Finally found a young Dr. that ordered an X-ray with me standing sideways in front of the machine and bending over forward and backward. The X-ray showed I have 2 broken hinges L4 and L5. When the spinal column pinches you have all kind of nerve pain. Dr wanted to fuse spine. I refused. Had to change my life style and give up lifting heavy objects, bending over, twisting, and riding anything that bounces me.

Figure I lived over 50 years with a broked back, what's a few more years.

I have arthritis in my shoulders. Took Miloxicam, Daypro 2X day and 600mg of Ibuprofin 3X day. The daypro works the best for me. Seems that if I take it for a week and get the inflamation under control then I can get by fine with one a day. But once I get feeling great I stop taking the pills then I am right back to where I started. It's about time I wised up.

Arthritis is no fun. I usually sleep 2-3 hours before waking up--go sleep in a chair in a different position for another 2-3 hours, then back to bed for 2-3 more. At least I'm sleeping. Aleve helps but I don't like to stay on it too long at a time. Like most of you with it, I won't quit working and just keep on going as best I can.