Weather & PMR / Arthritis

Hi RickF

We appreciate this isn't perfect, and is very frustrating, so we are improving it. As a first priority, we are building a "remember me" tickbox on sign in so that you only need to sign in once. Then you will see the post reply box all of the time. As a second priority, we will also look into changing it so that if you do need to login, it takes you back to the original page with a post box at the bottom.

We will let you know when the changes have been made.

Thanks

Ben

Hi Ben, thanks for the info on the 'remember' box, but are they prioritising the reversing of the posts so that the last entry appears at the top?

Nefret/Catie

Hi Catie

This is a new request to us. Even the old forums didn't work in this way, they displayed the posts in chronological order. Can I suggest that you raise the idea using the feedback link top right, and the community can vote on it. If it gets enough votes, we will consider it for implementation.

Thanks

Ben

Now Ben thanks for your reply...BUT, having just read it I clicked on reply to post and then a new page popped up asking me for my details. I duly entered them, following which up popped another page "Reply to the discussion" with another box for my reply.....so I still can't read your post to which I'm trying to reply!

If we're actually already logged in and reading the posts (and having already received an e-mail from you notifying me of the post with the reply facility) why can't we just reply on that page, at the same time being able to scroll back and fore through the posts so that we don't miss anything whilst replying?

I'm sorry if this sounds confusing - and I do appreciate how difficult it is for you - but it is my main gripe and I'm anxious to see this site return to what it was previously - a simple to access and easy forum for people in need to be able to voice their fears and share their experiences with people who understand.

MrsO

Hello InMadrid

Well you seem to have been able to experience PMR in all weather conditions and what we can draw from that is.....PMR is what it is!!! I do wish you a smooth journey to recovery.

MrsO

Hello Henhouse Hilary

It seems that we simply tense up more in the cold weather, hence PMR (or any other joint/muscle pain) is even more noticeable as we stiffen rather than relax, thereby causing stress to our bodies. I'm with InMadrid in believing that sunny days and warm weather de-stress producing the feel-good factor.

MrsO

Hi Mrs O

You said:

"having just read it I clicked on reply to post and then a new page popped up asking me for my details. I duly entered them, following which up popped another page "Reply to the discussion" with another box for my reply.....so I still can't read your post to which I'm trying to reply!"

You got the login page popping up as your login had expired. We havent made any changes yet but like I say, once we have made the updates (and you tick the remember me box) this won't happen. Please bear with us while we work on adding these features!

You said:

"I'm anxious to see this site return to what it was previously - a simple to access and easy forum for people in need"

That is our goal too - so keep on letting us know how we can improve, and together we will make it the best place for people to share their experiences.

Thanks

Ben

Thanks Ben - can we have that last sentence in writing please?!!!!!!!! (I so need a "tongue-in-cheek" emoticom here, but I know that they're on your list of priorities too!)

MrsO

Not liking it anymore but keep trying !!

Hi Pauline Im sure dry sunny weather is better for you as you just move more We spent Xmas in the canaries and you are just out and about every day but in this weather we spend too much time sat around

A friend who has RA is in agony at present and you can see the physical difference in her joints Nice to hear from you and hope things improve for you or you will have to pop back to Spain

Best wishes

Rosemary

Hi all - I haven't been around because I was so cheesed off with fooling with this site that I was only coming in when there was notification in my email. There hasn't been one for days - so I haven't visited for the last few days. Now - I haven't changed anything to my knowledge Ben so why is that? I hadn't asked for email notification (wouldn't know how to) it appeared automatically but I did eventually decide following one up was preferable to trying to get in here just to look if anyone had been around.

And I think you misunderstood what Catie meant, Ben - what we want is the thread that has most recently been replied to at the top, followed by the thread with the second most recent reply etc. Unless it has been changed since I last visited, at present the threads display with the most recently started thread at the top. It is perfectly possible for a thread started a couple of weeks ago by someone to have a much more recent post when they come back to see what responses have been made to their question or the development of the discussion. We don't mind scrolling down to the bottom of a thread, we do object to having to scroll through all the threads to find a new post - which is the case at present. But most forums do allow you to go straight to the most recent post, then you look at the few above it. I'd not want to scroll through one or two of the threads on the other forum, they have hundreds of posts!

I know you are having problems and I know it takes time to recitfy them - but you are driving away the people who have been using the site quite happily for years. It isn't immediately clear what to do to do anything with the new format, we have to experiment. We are not young whizz kids who were born and brought up with computers - in this thread, and I imagine many others, we are well over 50, used to using computers, yes, but also suffering from a chronic illness whose treatment, corticosteroids, also doesn't help our tempers or mental agility. I have the page on "speed dial", as I always have done, but then I am navigated away when I have to sign in and have to get back. It is confusing. New is not always better - we are all old enough to be very aware of that, we've seen enough changes in our time that have later been gone back on. And I'm sorry - but it most certainly isn't improved in terms of user friendliness and the lack of pm-ing and emoticons is a massive disadvantage in replying on what has become a support group for its regular participants as we have no way to give expression to what we write or give someone specific information we wouldn't necessarily feel is appropriate for everyone. Fair enough if you don't wish to allow us to do that for some reason - but we can, and do, do so over on the other site Lizzie Ellen mentioned whichi s specific to PMR and GCA.

Having had my rant - to reply to the original question: yes weather has a massive effect on rheumatic and arthritic diseases, it has been proven scientifically and the Germans even have a bio weather forecast which warns which ailments will be adversely affected the next day :-) Dampness has always been known to adversely affect rheumatics - loads of low lying fen areas were known to be a bad place to live if you had such problems. In the case of PMR, extreme cold can well be difficult as the peripheral circulation shuts down and the muscles get even stiffer with even less blood flow. Wind increases that effect. I don't mind down to about -10C as long as there is no wind. I haven't been skiing for nearly 4 weeks now - wind and temps of between -15 and -22C are not encouraging!

EileenH