I haven't been posting for the past few days. I slipped in the shower again and my knees are killing me. Usually when it's very hot out, I feel better but not this time. My knees will throb and the only way I can get relief is by propping them up. Right now I'm sitting at my desk with my right leg resting on a old VCR box. Can't sit close as this will increase the pain. It's so bad that the pain will travel down the front of my leg and into the ankle. Then it will shoot, up from the knee, on the inside of my leg up into the groin area. When this happens, the pins, that are holding my right hip in place, will set up a reaction. So I wind up with the whole leg hurting. If, I stand and walk on it for a long time, I will feel the knee start to give out or it will freeze up on me.
Last night, I got the leg cramps and I can't increase my potassium due to the fact that I'm taking BP med.
I'm going to go to the store later and pick up some tonic water. (to bad that I can't add some gin to it.) I've gotten a bath mat for the shower and it's the kind that I can throw into the washer. Then on the 25th, I go to the ortho doc to see what he's got to say about this.
The physical therapy for my hand and shoulder is helping as my grip has improved and I can lift 25 lbs w/o getting alot of pain. I don't know what will happen after I see my workman's doc, on the 28th, and I'm hoping that they will approve some more physical therapy for me.
Wish me luck with the knee as I'm hoping that it's not too bad as I need to be able to walk w/o my cane in order to go back to work.
Thanks for letting me vent a little.
Marisa
Marisa, I love you darling, but you're crazy. You cannot go back to work in this shape.
Alright, here's the facts of life with RA. A fall like that can really injure you and you can't see it. With my knee, I barely moved it a couple of inches and the doctor thinks as a minimum that I have torn the menicus in it.
You have to get this checked out. You need xrays and maybe a MRI. But the doctor needs to look you over. Did you tell your PT about it? If so, did they at least take a look. But still, that is not good enough.
Back into the doctor with you. The problem is that our cartiledge, our joints and our tendons become very fragile.
Some of the pain you are describing could be an injury to your back or OA in your back that's now expressing itself.
Please, please, go to the doctor. I'm sorry for all your pain. I hate your shower. It's evil, very evil.
You need to talk to your doctor about that as well. I was looking for something else on the Internet and found that there chairs made just for putting in the shower. You need one of these and the extension for the shower head.
You have to take care of yourself.
Hi Marisa.
Deanna, as usual, has great advice. I had to smile though, at your sitting at your desk with your leg up on a VCR box - when I go into work (only part-time) I have my leg propped up on a box too, with a cushion on top of the box! I wonder what other kinds of crazy improvisation people have come up with?!
I hear you too, about the gin - I've gone sensibly off alcohol, due to my meds, and miss my glass of sparkling wine each night... The only up-side is that my husband's cut right back too.
I hope your knee pain improves asap,
Marisa, if you fall in the shower one more time we are gonna start having you hosed off outside with the garden hose for safety!