Im bummed over being sick

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well sick isnt really the word. Im not sick as in having a cold or the flu. Im chronically ill. It gets to you.

I have started up again with ortho appointments getting the gel shots in my knees. Thats to basically put lubricant into the joint because I have no cartiledge anymore. This is my third time doing it. Yipee.

Other than the gel shots I can get a cortisone shot once in a blue moon in some joint or other.

Then I get pain pills monthly. Yipee.

I shouldnt complain I guess. But I wish maybe I had rhuematoid arthritis because there are actual medications that treat them. There are none for osteoarthritis. Oh the tv says how advil or aleive will make me so happy I can go play tennis all day but that is just BS. I have begged to try the rheumatoid medications just to see if they would help but I get told no. But yet I am deteriotorating with arthritis that makes my joints degenerate. How is that better than the other? My arthritis started in my 20s for gosh sakes but no one would believe me.

Im told I can just keep doing this gel stuff and cortisone shots in various joints...Or steroid packs which I cant do...until I get my joints replaced. Sigh.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
((((hugs))))

Chronic illness is a major vacuum that's for sure. They most likely don't try many of the RA treatments cuz their anitinflammatory/autoimmune type things. Wouldn't really help. But in my opinion it would be nice if they could come up with better more effective treatments for osteoarthritis. But I guess since they figure the bulk of patients who have it are elderly and don't have long left anyways.......the priority isn't there.

It stinks, but not alot you can do about it. But I do know over the counter medications don't do squat. mother in law is on mega pain killers via patches and also taking them orally when the patches don't cut it. For a lady who never took pain medications for anything.......she is sure one mega doped up lady these days. But no other choice. Her pain levels are excruciating.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Offering you (((hugs))) ~ chronic illness can be draining & depressing.

Hope you find some relief from the pain soon.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
You are speaking for me in your post Janet. I'm right there with you. Some days I don't think much about it and just keep on keeping on. But it can be really difficult for me other times (at this point, alot of times). I really struggle emotionally, seems like in cycles. I cope okay for a while, then its like a vortex taking me into a tailspin, and back and forth.
I do the list of "things to do to make it not so bad". Try to take care of myself, eat well, exercise when I can, do nice things for myself etc. But the daily pain, horrid sleep patterns, the feeling of loss of my normal way of living, oh and the pain (again! twice I say pain because it never .. ever.. goes ... away!).
I'm grateful I have better days, it saves my sanity.
(((hugs))) you aren't alone.
 

crazymama30

Active Member
Hugs. It does hoover, and pain is one of the worst things to deal with. husband has a pain level of about 4-5 on a good day. He is on boatloads of medications for the BiPolar (BP) and the pain, and it hoovers. He has had nerve ablations, pain injections, bone scans and I could go on. Now his knees are bothering him.

I don't know how you guys deal with it. I don't know that I could. It is hard enough to watch it, I cannot even imagine experiencing it.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Crazymama...I so know how your hubby feels. I sit every night and just feel so defeated I guess would be the word...as I dump out a handful of pills. I take 9..ok...make that now 10 medications but some of them I have to take 2 or 3 pills of each medication. Like I take 2 lamictal pills and 3 topamax. So every night I take like 15 pills or so. It so discouraging. Then you wonder...why? Is it really worth it? Are they actually doing any good?
 

crazymama30

Active Member
Oh dj, I do get that one. I had to go buy a new medication minder as he had so many pills the old one would not hold all the eve medications. After he takes his eve pills I remind him to take his sleeping pills.

It must feel horrible to take so many medications, and esp to know that you need them.

He used to hate when I would want to go to the doctor with him, but I think the events of the last few weeks have scared him. He goes to see psychiatrist and primary care doctor tommorrow and I have been trying to figure out how to juggle stuff so I can go to both appts with him and he has not once said I don't need to go. I am not sure how I feel about that.
 

rejectedmom

New Member
I understand Janet. I wish I could pray yours and my pain away. I do better in the summer than the winter but the difference is getting less and less noticable. My hands and feet are getting so crippled. I am only 58 but my hands are looking about 80. I have inflamatory osteo-arthritis and osteoporosis. That keeps me from doing many of my previous activities and now I'm gaing weight like there is no tomorrow which doesn't help my back and knees. I can not take most anti inflamatorys because I have a long history of ulsers and reflux. I can't take perscription narcotics because I am allergic to them. I take Motrin and I carry around a heating pad on really bad days. I eat relatively healthy, I don't drink or smoke but often I can't breathe after climbing the stairs. I constantly pray for my health back but I just seem to get worse. I have three sisters I was always the "fit" sister now I'm the "fat sister weighing 50 lbs more than I did 10 yeas ago. I think it is proof that a stressful life takes a hefty toll on our bodies.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to make this about me I just wanted you to know that I understand and sympathize. -RM
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Chronic anything is just plain awful. It hoovers, it vacuums, it draws the life out of anyone that has it. It can be overwhelming and all-consuming. While I don't HAVE a chronic illness, I have family members who do. If you are blessed enough to experience remission, it's almost a curse in that you get lulled into a false sense of normalcy for a while until the problems come back with a vengeance to REMIND you none too subtly that yes, indeed, you are sick.

I'm sorry that you have to live with these issues daily, Janet. I hope you can find some kind of meaningful relief one day soon.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
I get it. I've been having a really hard time with it, too. No treatment, just bandaids, and not enough pain medications to get me through so I save them for only when my pain is at an 8 or above - and then only when I have to be somewhat functional. Motrin, Naproxen, etc - do nothing. Even at prescription strength (or more ~whistles innocently~).

We should start our own thread:

You know you're in a flare when..........

It hurts when the nurse takes your pulse. :whiteflag:

Wish I could make you feel better.
 

Josie

Active Member
I get it too. I'm not the one that is sick but we have a chronically ill child. There isn't much anyone has been able to do for her either. She is going through the same thing of taking all of these pills and not feeling like they are doing any good.

I am depressed about the whole situation and can only imagine what it would be like to be the one who is chronically ill. At least I can escape for relief at times. There is no escape for the person who is sick.

Hugs to you and the others who suffer from this.

You know you are in a flare when you are too sick to go to the doctor.:halfdead:
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Janet, You have all my empathy. Same for everyone else in our boat. I at least have finally gotten a pain doctor who says my pain is real. The other docs all seem to scratch thier heads and look confused. Heck, my own parents don't believe me most of the time.


My dad thinks if I would just take prozac I would be all better. sadly I have been on prozac or another ad for years. They don't help the pain at all.

As for NSAIDS, I hate them. I have many stomach troubles because of them. I feel they do more harm than good for most people. Now I cannot take any of them because I have developed an allergy to them.

Chronic illness slurps the life out of you. It is so hard to drag yourself up out of the much and try to function.

It is much worse when your child has a chronic illness. Seeing Jess go through all of this is just scary. Esp when the docs mostly want to just give her advil or aleve and write her off as "emotional" or "hysterical". I want so badly to take her pain away. I would happily take it onto myself if it would give her relief.

Gentle group hug for all who are in this battle.
 
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