Hi Tigercat,

I have Osteoarthritis too and I sympathise with you re pain and swellings.

I had your hand symptoms since I was 16 years old and it prgoressed over the years from hands to all my other joints but Is til run around thanks to mt attitude towards life and illness. I take my takles and be good lol I actually lost the use of my hands several months ago but doc says use them and keep them working or they will stop working altogether so now I get on my computer and do what I want to do (I did keep of it for a while ) it made no difference , I think the moving on the KB is good for the fingers when you are stiff etc . They do tell you to move about a lot  but not excessivly. The only thin i am incapable of doing properly now is hand sewing which was one of my lifes passions but hey we can;t have it all ...allof the time and we must be thankful for what we actually do have.

I found this link for you to go have a look at so that you can understand your condition.

 

I hope it helps and hey , do remember,  you are not alone .........there are millions like us and we all have to try to help eachother get by as best we can.

 

Love MJ x

Hi Tiger Kat-sorry to hear of the pain in your wrists and arms-I had this and was told that I had R.S.I which is Repetitive Strain Injury - this is caused by sitting too long in the same position and typing-or doing super market check out just by picking up the purchases swiping them through the price control and putting them down on the other side of the bench-it is actually overuse of your fingers and wrists-a violin player can getit- a piano player can get it- Mystical maiden has got it in one I think-y0u have got carpol tunnel-hence the swelling of your wrists and I believe you have got Repetitive strain injury.  You must take rests or this will gradually go up your forearms and into your elbows then your shoulders-

Take care-this is very painfull-you have all my sympathy.

 

 

Hi Ladies,

 

Just to keep you informed Tigerkat et al,

My symptoms actually get worse at nights, I awake every night about 3 am in sheer agony  unable to move around and all my poor partner can do is sympahise with me, he feels  pretty useless when the pain is bad poor thing!!! Anyhow when I get out of bed in the mornings, thisi s usually an hour or so after I wake up completely then I have to wait till "things" start to move before I get out of bed as they are pretty stiff and painful, once I get up I am a bit slow but  after my "fun" morning washing and dressing session I begin to gt a bit more mobile, after a while i am fine for about 5 hours or so than it all starts again, the stiffness and pain.

Npw I have found that the more I move around the better I feeel but then the next day I suffer terribly for it. tis a viscious circle and  so what is there to do ?I  just try to  make the most of what I can do each day and that's it.  I have had to give up my wonderful work as soft furnishings designer and maker and now I am writing a teaching book on same and of course this is all done on the computer including the hundreds of drawings.but it keeps me busy and give me a future to look forward to whether it be on two legs, using stick or in a wheelchair I am still able to live Ok  so it is not the way I would like to live but sometimes we do not have a choice in life and we have to make the best of the choices we do have. I TRY to look on the positive side but thee are days when the whole ruddy lot gets to me and I get very down but I soon pick up again when I realise there are many others out there who cannot do the half of what i can do for myself.

I have said it before and I will say this again so long as I can drive (my car is an automatic so it makes it easy to drive) , use my computer and cook , that will satisfy me . I  mean what else can one do when the body won't do what the head wants it to do LOL

I have to tell you that I have now given up all my arthritis medication as it only made things worse and I feel better for it.  BUT having said that I have decided to go to one of the other doctors in our practice to get a second opinion and to see if i can see a specialist to find out exactly the causes of my problems and to see if there can be any REAL relief to be had from medication !!! T present my QUACK had made an appointment for me to go to a pian relief clinic hm lets see what that brings but this is not the answer in the long run !! Something is needed to keep the condition under control ..............................watch this space  hahaaaaaaaaaa

Love to All

MaryJane x