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Hello

Posted , 7 users are following.

maggiem60
maggiem60

My GP tells me i have RA and finding this so very difficult to cope with , My hands and fingers are so swollen and stiff,and painful ,I have RA in feet, legs and knees and lower back as well as my fingers and hands ,. I am devastated  as i already have Neuropathic pain in left arm and hand /fingers . i had to  find away to live with that,  now told i also have RA ,  I am also to have op in 3 weeks to have gall bladder removed  the doctor looking at hands yesterday  and have said  they were not sure where going   as to where they are going to put the drip in as cannot put this in my hands due puffness ,   , I came home the hospital and just cried  .I am so much pain with hands   My Emotions are all over the place and taken out on my poor husband  he finding things difficult to as i am hs full time carer as he disbaled . I just wondered if normal to feel ike the whole world has fallen apart  i am so scared and feel so alone   although my family can see how swollen my hands are they don;t seem to undestand  how much pain . Sorry for  such a long story  .

 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • frances85589
    frances85589 maggiem60

    Posted

    Aww poor you.Life can be sh*t.Yes it must be normal to feel as you do as I do too. You feel like your life has ended and there is no end to the suffering. Of course the first person you turn to is your partner but it's emotional rage,snapping, being irritable all the time.I came back from neurologist yesterday and its more scans and tests n referring me here n there. All of it is non stop and the pain doesn't get any less.

    Your GP should be referring you to a RA consultant to get extra medication .Also can you not get extra help with your husband while you are so bad.When you have to go in hospital who is going to step in for you love.

    My kids just think of themselves. I know they have their own lives and families but when I attempt to tell them things they cut me off mid sentence and gabble on about their selves.They forget that you gave them life.

    Hopefully you will have some relief once that dratted gall bladder has gone.

  • h33919
    h33919 maggiem60

    Posted

    Hi I am so sorry to hear this. But I know how you feel. I've been diagnosed with sero negative inflammatory arthritus and have been on methotrexate for 6 weeks. This was brilliant and made a massive difference until last week when I had a massive flare up. My hands and knees are puffy and the pain in my hands is terrible. I find that people don't understand the pain and the emotions that you feel especially when the doctors around you don't know how to fix it. How do you manage a flare up? I find that stress plays a large part in mine.
  • Jan999
    Jan999 maggiem60

    Posted

    Hello maggiem. I'm so sorry to hear you are in so much pain and totally fed up. Firstly as a nurse I know you don't need to use the hand to put in a drip. There are other veins more commonly in your arm near your elbow joint but on the fleshy side obviously. I had my gall bladder removed 16 years ago and didn't have a drip when I returned to the ward. 

    Secondly your GP said you have RA. Have you had any blood tests to confirm the diagnosis?

    You said you're a carer for your husband. Is there any way you can contact social care and ask them to do an assessment? Tell them your circumstances and explain you have a long term health problem as well as your surgery and you need help. Take care and please keep in touch.

    • maggiem60
      maggiem60 Jan999

      Posted

      Hi Thanks for your reply  , I am not very good at getting things  as suffer Dyslexia . To answer your first question yes i had blloe test , however my notes are still with my GP  . My GP exmained my hands and ask  all question . My hands already show lumps in fingers and in my and hands along with stiffness ,pain .I am unable to spead my fingers without making pain worse same when comes cupping my hands . I am aware that this could be other factor that causing these system , As for the drip as my arms are also very painful to touch from elbow down but yes doctor  has looked at the viens in just below my elbow and this way they be going with drip if  it is possible (  i have very deep viens and they do find it difficult to get a  vien  )  . As for socail service  my GP is dealing with this  . I have been told that a lot the personal care i do for my husband i will not be able to do when get home  and so no .  this already knew ,as both his carer and i  was a community carer for number of years and i deal with issue like this in past .  .  I only wrote story early this morning as i was at  low and going through a lot of diffrent emotion from cry to why me  what done to get even more problems and  and lots diffirent feelings .  But i have coped with Neuropathis pain for years  i sure cope with thiis to . in time    Joining this site all wanted to do was contacted others who are suffering from  the same symtoms as my self as  yes other don't understand . Just to add that pain i have with this issue is different from Neuropathic pain  I have . Also as nurse you will understand about how nerve have gone haywire  and  that having my gall bladder out i suffer the pain from my op in another part of my body so . I hope this helped clear up  the questions you were asking and again thank you for your reply ,  
    • Jan999
      Jan999 maggiem60

      Posted

      Hello again maggie. I can't imagine what you are going through. I know you must be feeling very low as everything seems to be happening at once. Having said that you are pretty well organised and hopefully things will fit into place and run smoothly. Fortunately having a gall bladder removed is usually performed by keyhole surgery and although you still need time to recover it's not nearly as painful as it was years ago and you will probably only be in hospital for a night or two. But remember, take things easy. Take care.
  • joan69322
    joan69322 maggiem60

    Posted

    Hello,  You are bound to feel down with all thats going on in your life.  I complain when I have pains also in hands and feet mostly and know how boring we must sound.  Others do not understand how difficult life becomes.  As others have suggested it may be an idea to contact Social services and see if you can get help there.  Good luck and I can only hope things improve for you.
  • sandy67
    sandy67 maggiem60

    Posted

    You sound as desperate as i have been feeling! So yes it is normal to feel your world has fallen apart! It is awful being in so much pain and no-one understanding how bad its is and then have others dependant on you. It is a lot to deal with, a lot to take in and I have been at my wits end and ready to throw in the towel, but thanks to some lovely people on here I have been dragged from the depths of despair, so dont apologise for letting it all out! My moans have been like war and peace! As matron said you need to ask for some help. If your husband is disabled too it is going to be very difficult for you. I am trying to remain positive by trying to count my blessings but it is hard to stop the tears! Has your doc given you anything for all the pain? X
    • maggiem60
      maggiem60 sandy67

      Posted

      Thank you for reply  I am so sorry that you  are finding it difficult to cope to  ,count your blessing take a lot of  guts i do try to do this to but there times i sure you will understand that cannot think of any thing other than pain and how to get this under control .I also more than understand that times when i to have want to trow in the towel but whne get like this i think of my  husband and my family and what this would do to them ,so this stop me from doing any thing daft .  As for the med my GP has put me at present is Naproxen 250mg twice a day ,also Paracetamols four times a day  i  cannot take Codine or Tramdol . and i have all my other med i take from Neuropathic pain . however the Naproxen nor the Paracetmols are having any effect . Again  am sorry to read that you are as desperate i been feel please hang in there  things will get better  for us both . Just remember you are not alone with this . I feel stronger today  but i have learned to  take a day at time and to do this ever slowly if thijngs don;t always get done  i now think well okay i done what could today and well the rest can wait till tomorrow . x
    • sandy67
      sandy67 maggiem60

      Posted

      Naproxen did nothing for me except cause chest pain and paracetamol?, what do they think? You got a  headache?! Have you askedfor morphine? I have oramorph and it does help a bit. I am gonna go and have a nice long soak and hope the dishes are doneby the time I am out! Lol oh and thedog walked too, poor thing keeps looking up at her lead! Take care x
  • peter01102
    peter01102 maggiem60

    Posted

    Naproxen should have a warning . done my guts in because i took them . now ltd to any pain killers .  
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