I Need Advice, Ladies! | Arthritis Information

It's good that you have made a decision about your knee surgery.  You can make that your positive focus, finding the right doctor and getting rid of the pain.

I hope things improve and you have a better evening!

Karen

(((((TRISHA))))) many warm hugs to you honey. 

Usually before any surgery they will ask you to be off both medicines at least 1 to 2 weeks before the surgery.  They may keep you off the Predisone for about a week or so after, just to make sure you heal properly.

Don't put off your knee surgery while waiting to find a new rheumy. If the surgery is a must have...I don't think waiting is going to change much.  Once you find the new Rheumy...ask the Ortho doc to send all your record to the new docs office. That way everyone will be on the same page with you healthcare.

It is heart breaking when parents get older and they can't care for themselves like they use too.  Sometimes all you can do is love them and try to comfort them.  I feel you are a loving daughter and your heart worries.  Just love her through...even though she may not understand it all...sometimes...they are as frighten and scared of being in a place where family isn't and at times it seems we are the parent and they have reverted to being the child. Just pray, love her and try to put some of her fears to rest.  She will need your comfort now...as she once gave it to you.

BUT...don't forget to take a moment for you.  Cry if you must...scream and shout if it makes you feel better.  But then, once that is all done...sit back...maybe get you a nice hot cup of tea...and relax. 

Stress can make our pains worse.  I promise you will get through this day...and tomorrow will be another day with an adventure all it's own!

You are so right, Karen. I always try to find something to laugh about. I like that "I guess all we can do during those times is just keep putting one sore foot in front of the other and keep on going!" I'm going to try to have a better afternoon & evening. I'm going to start off with going outside & taking a picture of a Mallard Duck that hatched out 10 babies in my yard. They are so darn cute. We didn't uncover our in ground pool this year so she takes her babies in on the cover & they swim around and then head for the fish ponds & I think eat my baby Koi. I told my husband I will keep LOTS of food out there for her so maybe she will forget about the fish.

We have a large creek around here, but you have to cross a busy road to get to it. Every year they have babies in my yard & then they take them to the creek. It is so cute & so sad when I see the crew leave. I get attached. 

I hope you have a good day.

Trisha

Trisha, I have all the same questions you do about the medicines. I see the Ortho on Aug 10th. The advice you've already gotten sounds so good.

I think it is just so much harder because you are worried about the people you love, you mom and your husband. Do what you can and let the rest of it go. Your loving them will go far.

I would try and see the new Rheumy before the Ortho. You need to cover everything. I see my Rheumy for a followup the Friday before. That's when he'll decide if I can return to work or not. I certainly don't feel good enough yet. I just feel worn out and I'm sure a lot of that is from all the worry.

Those ducks sound so cute. We have wild cars here. They seem to be everywhere.

I swear, I can't understand myself. I just can't make a decision as to make the choice of a different RD, & haven't scheduled my knee surgery yet ( and it is really hurting ) I just can't make a decision. This is not me. I always know what I want & go for it. You gals are right, I do have alot on my mind right now. I just WISH I could get this thing together.

Just had to vent a bit.

Trisha

If it were me, first I would have the surgery, then when things calm down, see about the new RD. Make life as simple as you can  especially now when you have too much going on in your life. We have all been there at one time or another, so take a deep breath, set your priorities and do one thing at a time.It will probably be a lot easier that way and a lot less stressful for you!

jode

Gee, Trisha, I understand perfectly. I suspect it is more because you are worried about how everyone is going to cope while you're out of commission like your mom and your husband. But the longer you wait on the knee, the worse it's going to get and it is putting stress on your other joints. You don't want that. I can feel my left knee and my right hip trying to compensate for the knee.

While you can postpone the decision on changing Rheumys, I think the knee needs to be resolved. I'm really scared myself, believe me. But I just can't get around any more. And the pain is horrible.

Sometimes it is easier to take care of others than it is of ourselves.

Thank you so much for helping me to make up my mind. Tomorrow I will call my Orthopedic Dr & tell them to schedule me for the surgery. As soon as I get the date I will make a decision on the RD that I want, & call his office to see about an apt. I know that I can't wait any longer to do this as I'm in terrible constant pain in my knee!!!!  This board is a great place to go among other people with the same problems & worries that I have. I feel better now. Thank all of you.

Deanna, I'm so sorry that you are having so much going on with you now. Have you a surgery date yet? I'm still looking for them d@*# frogs. If I find them I will send some to you. I believe in sharing! What the heck, if we can't use them to walk with we can eat them.

Trisha

No, I don't have a date for surgery. I see the doctor on the 7th. But they just sent me a letter stating that all copays for everything has to be paid up front. This gives me no idea of how much that can be.

I'll call them tomorrow, but I may have to look for a different surgeon because I don't see how I can pay everything up front.

I think I need those frogs soon. Hopping around on my legs isn't doing me much good.

Hey Trish, I would get off the MTX and Pred. at least 2 weeks prior to surgery...If it were me...I would shoot for 3 weeks...that's my personal comfort zone though. I tend to be a little more cautious than some doctors on that front but that is just me. I would rather have a week or two of pain from RA than increase my risk of infection after surgery. Anyways, I am sure you will be glad you had the surgery in the end.

About your Mom...it must be hard to see the changes that she is going through. It is such a challenge dealing with dementia and the suspicious personalities that some elderly folks develope. Does she have alzheimers?  Will she eat food that you bring her? You could put the home food into a tupperwear container and tell her you brought it. If she goes for it maybe you can get the aides to put her food into the container before she gets to the dining hall and just tell her that you dropped it off. It might work.  Although if she is having a lot of days where she is not eating because of this problem, it may be worth it for you to request the doctor re-evaluate her meds, and maybe they could have the nutritionist at the home visit with her. It is so tricky, those little behavior gliches that they develop.

Good luck girl!

I called my Orthopedics's office  today & left a message for my Dr to call me. I guess I will hear from him tomorrow so we can discuss the knee surgery. Again, thank you all for your advice.

Yes Kay, she will eat what we bring her. Today she ate & said how good the food is. She now said they are putting something in her food to make her gain weight. The Dr said it is Dementia and that it will only get worse. The stories we hear are really something. So sad. She really believes what she says. I just hung up from talking with her. Now she said they took her rocker that I took her over. I told her I would call the nurses station & she said OK. So before we hung up I asked her if she was in her rocker & she said of course she was. It is so hard to see a parent in that condition.

Trisha

I feel for you Trisha. My grandmother was like that before she died. I didn't get to be close to her in her last days. I had the pleasure of being near her at the beginning of her losing those parts of herself. She used to call the cat a dog and funny things like that.

My cousin was there at the end, though. And, she told me that my grandmother always knew she had someone around that loved her. She didn't know much else. But she knew that. My parents have said the same thing.

Hi, to all. I feel myself very sad and hard to say about my suffering from rheumatoid arthritis disease. I was also suffering from severe headache, numbness in hands, anemia, hypertension, due to these problems I had to go to number of doctors and take countless medications for six to seven years which made too hard and fed up with them. Due to intake of many medications I suffered with hypertension, black circles around my eyes, hair loss, anemia and many. I twice attempted to commit suicide, but I was saved. All these paved my way to the one more health-upset depression. I was given many injections to head and body due to intake of the medications I became like a dead person. The doctors who treated me always said that it was a strange case and they were trying to find the cure for it. When I visited the Holistic Health Care and Research Center I was unable to speak to the doctor and say about my problems. By seeing the reports the doctor gave me some dietary supplements that were natural.  I was afraid to quit my allopathic medications as I had a fear that when these allopathic medications could not cure me what these natural medications would work on me. But with the intake of the medications when I visited the doctor then I came to know that it was he who cured me. After the three weeks of my treatment with natural medications now I am fit as a normal person and do the works on my own like I can walk on my own, eat myself, do the things without support of others. I really now believe that the natural herbal medications work more than allopathic medications without any side effects. These medications have made me a different person and I feel myself great to be cured with these medications. I would suggest people to use these medications as they do not have any harm and cures fast. I and my husband would really say thanks to Dr.K.Rao with the bottom of the heart for making me a normal person. I really think him next to God for curing me and giving me a life. Can find the doctor at this site also www.drraomd.com/

Hi!

All of you have been having a real heart-to-heart conversation!  The act of trying to balance out good days with bad days, etc. is a full-time job in, and of, itself!  Additionally, life deals us some very important issues to deal with...like our moms being ill and needing us, etc.  It's all very stressful.  It's more stressful than we even give it credit for!  Really!  I often become overwhelmed, too, with fatigue, pain, and the "extra" important "assignments" we have... like loved one in the hospital, the nursing home, or otherwise needing us.

Sometimes, I am better at handling the stress than on other days!  Tonight is not the greatest!  I have not slept... I am overtired... it's 4:30AM!  I have been "detoxing" off of an anti-epileptic med (for neuropathic pain) and have felt like "yuck!"  My body is in pain, pain, pain!  Especially the knees! 

My in-laws are visiting form VA.  I love them darly; but, I am also feeling a bit frazzled and "fried" right now.

My husband and I had sold a home approx. 18 months ago and had bought a smaller place for the interim, while we'd take time to decide what we really wanted to do.  Suddenly, this week, one of the homes we have been hoping would come onto the market within the next two years, came onto the open real estate market!  I have been trying to do all of the "hustling" and the property research, etc.  Hubby has been extra busy at work, which is fine.  I am soooo tired!  The owner's broker can see that I am very tired and limping around a bit.  She asks if I am okay.  I give her the brief "chronic illness,"multiple auto-immune explanation. 

You just never know...she tells me she is a 7 year breast cancer survivor and has just found out she has to go through all of the chemo AGAIN!  It was nice we were able to share with one another.

(Yet, there we each are...talking about our challenges in life.  Yet, also making one another very happy with our interactions/senses of humor, etc. both before and after our "revelations" to one another.  Many women really and very truly WANT to be there for other women.  (Much to my chagrin, some women cannot yet do that...it's too threatening in some way for them.  It's too intimate and too "real.")

It's really nice, and "healing" for me to witness women being so honset and so supportive with one another right here!  It's a gift..to each and every one of us!

I am grateful to each of you!

Hi, to all. I feel myself very sad and hard to say about my suffering from rheumatoid arthritis disease. I was also suffering from severe headache, numbness in hands, anemia, hypertension, due to these problems I had to go to number of doctors and take countless medications for six to seven years which made too hard and fed up with them. Due to intake of many medications I suffered with hypertension, black circles around my eyes, hair loss, anemia and many. I twice attempted to commit suicide, but I was saved. All these paved my way to the one more health-upset depression. I was given many injections to head and body due to intake of the medications I became like a dead person. The doctors who treated me always said that it was a strange case and they were trying to find the cure for it. When I visited the Holistic Health Care and Research Center I was unable to speak to the doctor and say about my problems. By seeing the reports the doctor gave me some dietary supplements that were natural.  I was afraid to quit my allopathic medications as I had a fear that when these allopathic medications could not cure me what these natural medications would work on me. But with the intake of the medications when I visited the doctor then I came to know that it was he who cured me. After the three weeks of my treatment with natural medications now I am fit as a normal person and do the works on my own like I can walk on my own, eat myself, do the things without support of others. I really now believe that the natural herbal medications work more than allopathic medications without any side effects. These medications have made me a different person and I feel myself great to be cured with these medications. I would suggest people to use these medications, as they do not have any harm and cures fast. My husband and I would really say thanks to Dr.K.Rao with the bottom of the heart for making me a normal person. I really think him next to God for curing me and giving me a life. You can find the information and get consulted with the doctor  www.drraomd.com/

Thank you all for your"words of wisdom & encouragement" 

My love to all