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I feel I cannot continue work, what do I do next?

Posted , 6 users are following.

trudie37132
trudie37132

I am 58 and have had osteoarthritus for at least 5 years.  It started in small ways in my low back, knees and kneck, but in the last few  years it seems to have got rapidly worse.  I am now at the point where I am constantly in pain, I struggle to walk, stand, go up and down stairs etc and if I have an "attack" I am literally bound to the sofa which is where I have to sleep all of the time as I cannot lay in a bed, and can just about move on and off the commode.  If I have an attack I cannot work at all, but otherwise I can just about get to and from work and get through the working day.  I work as a customer service assistant on the phones so I am deskbound and my colleagues have to help me with photocopying etc.  I have had to have lots of time off work due to sickness and this is getting worse.  I have had a warning due to my sickness.  I have cut my working days down to 4 but work longer hours to try and not lose too much of my wage as I am the only wage earner in my home.  I do not sleep well at all and on top of the pain I am constantly exhausted.  I have all sorts of other medical problems as well such as diabetes.  I feel my life is just existing to go to work to pay the bills and come home to recover until I am at work again.  I have no quality of life as I physically cannot do anything else, I cannot even go shopping because of the pain.  I cannot take anti-inflammatories and can only rely on zapain as pain relief.  My arthritus has spread into my ankles, feet, toes, my fingers and I can feel in going into

1 like, 28 replies

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  • Anhaga
    Anhaga trudie37132

    Posted

    Hmmm, reading these comments I am even more certain that the glucosamine that I started taking when first diagnosed with OA at forty (now seventy) must have helped even more than I thought.  I take 1000 mg twice a day, morning and evening, and have done so for most of that past thirty years.  I guess it has really slowed down deterioration.  I think physio has also helped by keeping supporting muscles strong. 
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 Anhaga

      Posted

      Hi Anhaga!

      I took various kinds of products containing glucosamine starting about age 30. I kept taking it until I was about 55. I read reports that had come out about it doing nothing to help and also heard from my orthopedic guy that it was NOT proven to be helpful. I quit taking it. At 60 my knees really got bad. At 64 I had both knees replaced.

      I don't know whether the glucosamine helped or not. I'm guessing it didn't HURT.

      There is osteoarthritis on both sides of my family. My arthritis is in areas that I injured or overused during my VERY active childhood ( climbing trees, swinging on vines, biking, skating, etc.) and teen years and early adult years of competitive volleyball, more skating and sledding.

      I was DESTINED to end up with pain, I think! I may have bought myself a few years by taking the glucosamine, but my heredity and injuries that came with skating, falling out of trees, sledding wipeouts and HOURS of volleyball practice and games assured that my arthritis had many places to settle!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga cheryl90571

      Posted

      I remember telling a friend of mine that I didn't think it was working and she said her husband took it but at double the standard dose, so I started taking it again.  It's not something which shows an immedicate effect, nor does it act as an anagesic.  But I wonder if it really does over time have a protective effect?  Also I never took medication for OA having read that things like aspirin interfere with cartilage regeneration.  Just kept my painkillers for headaches.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga

      Posted

      analgesic redface

      and I am, of course, referring to glucosamine.....

    • trudie37132
      trudie37132 Anhaga

      Posted

      Hi Anhaga,  Glucosamine has been suggested by a few people to me.  Up to now I have not been able to afford it, but I was forced to withdraw my pension due to not being paid when off sick that I can now give it a try.  I think you may be right that it is not a painkiller as such, but can possibly slow down the affects of arthritus.  I cannot take either as pirin or anti-inflammatory's which makes dealing with the inflammation even more difficult.  I will give this a try.  Thank you very much. xx

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga trudie37132

      Posted

      you'll be pleased to know that aspirin is actually bad for OA as it interferes with cartilage regeneration - small comfort I know1

  • janie03549
    janie03549 trudie37132

    Posted

    Hi Trudie, I had to give up work in April having worked for last 34 years because my osteoarthritis has become so severe that it has totally changed my life. My job entailed standing and stair climbing for over 8 hours a day and in the end I was spending my evenings after work and days off in agony and I just woke up one morning and went into meltdown basically. Life on benefits is not easy and my mobility is so badly affected that I don't go out very often and suffer with depression. I'm fighting to get the higher rate of disability benefit but it is extremely difficult and I feel that some doctors have the view that you're making a big fuss over normal "wear and tear" normal wear and tear doesn't cause a person to have to walk with a stick, struggle to get out of bed,out of a chair,car seat,etc.... I wish you well and all other sufferers of this brutal disease.

    • constance.de
      constance.de janie03549

      Posted

      Most doctors don't suffer from OA until they retire, I bet some of them are astounded how painful, debilitating this condition is then.

    • constance.de
      constance.de

      Posted

      Sorry, hadn't finished!  

      I hate the expression "wear and tear" it sounds so unimportant.  Anyway, what can you expect as you get older? Grrrrrrrrrrrr!  Everything, just everything, wears out, so why complain??????  😪😪

      All the best janie.  Hope you can have SOME quality of life in the future.

    • trudie37132
      trudie37132 janie03549

      Posted

      Hi Janie,   You have had a very hard journey my friend and my heart goes out to you.  I  really understand how you feel about how this affects your general mobility, it makes me feel quite trapped because I know I can barely walk or stand and even the simple joy of wandering around a garden centre is denied me.  I think one of my worst moments was when I realised the simple act of wandering along a beach, paddling in the sea is a thing of the past.  However, I still know it could be far worse and I try to remember this and make the best of what I do have, easier said than done sometimes.  When I see people wandering about shopping centres or along the street with such ease it can be hard sometimes.  It is awful as well having to constantly justify what you are going through, but it helps to know we are not alone and to share on here.  Thanks very much for sharing with us.  I wish you the best going forward.  We have to stick together.  Take care. xx

       

    • janie03549
      janie03549 constance.de

      Posted

      Hi Constance, I'm going to ask to see a different consultant as the current one is completely unapproachable and my symptoms have got so much worse in a very short period. It is important to stay positive and to be grateful for the good things in our lives but I now appreciate the daily battles with pain my dad went through for many years with osteoarthritis. Pain is very wearing and the total change of lifestyle is hard to accept, but I can't just give up. Sending much love out to all fellow sufferers xxxxx

    • janie03549
      janie03549 trudie37132

      Posted

      Hi Trudie, thank you for your supportive words and just knowing that others are going through the same thing does help to cope with this awful disease I believe.

      I have another medical assessment tomorrow for PIP and just praying that the outcome will be an award of the higher mobility rate. Most days I walk so badly and slowly you would think I was over 90 years old. I'm going to make a supreme effort to go swimming again as hopefully might give my joints some relief. Wishing you all the best Trudie xxx

    • constance.de
      constance.de janie03549

      Posted

      Make the effort to swim, Janie, it's about the only excercise that doesn't hurt and without excercise we are done for.  If swimming  is too strenuous tread water or do as I do, grab the bar and excercise legs and then arms as if you were swimming.  Go in the hot pool (if there is one) it's very relaxing and the heat certainly helps bone and muscle pain.  Or soak in the bath for half an hour, if you have one.  I only have a shower unfortunately and I miss my medical baths tremendously.

      All the best. 💐🏊

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