Co-worker diagnosed with PMR | Arthritis Information

 

Hi all.  I work with a 62 year old lady who was just diagnosed with PMR.  What can I do to make thngs better/easier for her at work?  Also what is the prognosis of this disease?  How long does recovery take (apporoximate)?  I have been reading about this disease on the internet but this forum seems to have to most information.  Thanks for any information you all can give to make her work day easier.

Hi,  it is so nice of you to think of her and want to make her work day better.  One thing is she will get tired easily and will need to sit or lay down if she can.  No one knows how long this will last.  It is different with each of us.  Some might have PMR for a year, some for years.  Sometimes the pain is un-bearable.  A heating pad usually helps with the pain.  Make sure she is seeing a good dr.  An arthritis Dr.  Best thing is to just go back and read all the post and keep asking questions.  We are all here to help each other.  Wow! What wonderful friend you are to be so concerned and wanting to
help her! She is very lucky, may of us don't even have family who
understand. The best thing you can do is listen and try to understand - you
are already doing that. If you can recognize that mornings may be hard for
her, I don't know how that will make youabel to help her. lso, know that she
will get tired easily & may have pain. You don't say what type of work she
does, but itnwould be easier for us to answer if we knew.

Oh & the biggest thing is to continue to be supportive!
Thank you for caring so much
pgrShe sits at a desk most all day.  She is seeing an excellent arthritis doctor and he suggested that she walk around during the work day instead of just sitting in her chair. Thanks for the heating pad suggestion.  I will make sure we have one at work for her.  And I am thinking a warm lap rope might be a good idea also.  Our building doesn't stay very warm (68* during the winter).  I can get a cot for her also and set it up so she can lay down for a while if she needs to.  Thank you for the suggestions.

It is so good of you to be so concerned for her.  When my PMR first started, it was painful and it got worse.  In fact, I don't think I could have gone to work.  I didn't go to a rheumatologist until about four months later and was prescribed prednisone which I took for awhile and then couldn't because I have glaucoma.  So I'm sitting it out on asprin and the over the counter pain meds.  After I started prednisone I could have worked, but I am retired.  I got PMR in August of 2006.   I've had it 14months now and it is easing up, but I still get tired very easily.

Please keep helping her, she will need it.  It is bad enough having this, but to have to worry about what people thought at work would not help at all.  It is very very good that she has a positive person in her life at work.  You are an angel.   Hugs....Mary

Sitting is the worst! She definately needs to get up & move often. It is hard
to get up but the longer she sits the worse it will be.
Again, she is lucky to be in a supportive environment.
pgrGet her a nice thick and soft chair cushion.  That'll help.
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