How I discovered I've arthritis

remember that September of 2011 was the worst month of my life. I ended up getting stressed out because  I got myself lost in town. 

This is my story with arthritis.

In September 2011, my instructor had told me to do a voleentering in AWARE, a charity for breast cancer (I think). I went, had a good day with my friends. After the day was finished, I went out to find the bus stop and couldn't find it, I stayed calm for about an half an hour. But yet after the half an hour went, I couldn't find it. I don't know town very well, so even if somebody told me where it was, I wouldn't been able to follow their directions. I would have needed that person to show me where it was. This isn't related to arthritis, I know, but my story began for here on in. I finally got the luas to Dundrum and got the bus out where I live. That was the only way I could get back.

But I remember that very bad pain in my head, I honestly really thought it was stress that was building up. I couldn't think properly without the pain. It was unbearable. Day in day out, non stop for a month and a half going to the doctor about this pain The doctor had told me it was just a 'trapped nerve' and it will go, he even sent me for blood tests, but they all came back clear, so there was nothing wrong with my blood. The pain just wouldn't go. Even when I tried to go to sleep it was impossible, because I'd used to wake up at 4.00am every morning.  I even tried to go on walks, but even for a shop thats only 5 minutes down the road from me, it took me nearly and hour, or so it felt to me.

So one last time going to the doctor, and he had sent me to get an xray done of my neck. I went to the hospital, booked an appointment which was 3 weeks after I booked it. Finally, the time came. I got my xray done. This would have been the day of the Dublin floods. I finally got my xray results done and the person who took the xray told me it would come back within 7 to 10 days. I couldn't wait for that length of time. So he had giving me medication in the mean time. 

10 days came, and he called me in. Me and my dad went to him and he started looking at the results. I knew by looking at his face it wasn't a trapped nerve. He had told me I have 'wear and tear' meaning osteoarthritis in my neck. I was in shock, but I was expecting it. Two doctors, my parents, my uncle and my cousin thought it was just a trapped nerve. 


That pain was the most painful pain I felt in my life. I remember thinking to myself will this pain ever go. I ended missing 2 weeks of college because of this pain, I couldn't walk, think, eat, sleep or even move my head. Even down my arms where weak from the pain.

Describing osteoarthritis

This is hard to explain. Not every person with osteoarthritis is the same, this is how I describe my osteoarthritis.

I get up in the morning, not in pain. But the minute I got to move, I can't. Its like the pain paralyzed me. My pain does be that bad, where my arms would only move an inch, and when I do move my arms, my back would go into a spasm, I would be holding my head side ways, my back and my ribs do be killing me, the only part of my body that doesn't be sore is my legs. I just wish I hadn't had arthritis.

 I remember when I first got arthritis, I couldn't even eat, because when I did, I would choke on the food. My neck would be so painful, I wouldn't be able to move at all. I would be weak, from not eating. And the medication I was on, was working, but I ended up putting on weight, which I'm currently trying to lose. I would wake up in the early hours of the morning in really severe pain, like if my head was going to fall off, and the heat of my head was unbearable. I ended up losing 2 weeks of college because of it. I was like that for a month and a half, trying to figure out how to help myself.

I will be living with this nasty condition for the rest of my life, I wonder how I could have prevented it, but its just one of those things that you can't prevent I suppose if it runs in the family.

Arthritis

Having arthritis, there is really nothing you can do to prevent the pain to come. It is an unpredictable pain that comes when ever it feels like. I wouldn't know when it would come, the night before I could be happy in my nappy, the next morning I could be in bits with pain. People think that you look fine, but you aren't. I often get that bad with pain I lose all movement in my arms, my neck and my back. When I do try to move my arms, my back goes into a spasm and I can't move. Often enough I couldn't even breath with the pain. 

But one thing (or two things) I have been doing walking 7 days a week (30 minutes a day or more) to my local shopping centre. If I don't get enough walking in, I'd go on a second walk, which is about 25 or 30 minutes down to the local shopping centre. I rarely get pain because of this. I have to keep my walking up. Often enough I'd say to myself that I'd be too tired, but then I'd think that I'd be in too much pain so I have to go on my walk.

  I try to eat as healthy as I can too. I try to eat a mugshot every day. I try to stay away from all the junk food as possible. I find that the junk food can have a negative impact on arthritis in my case. I find that I become tired during the day. 

Pain

Righty right right. Its been a while. Since I've posted my last blog on how to overcome shyness, pain has hit me in the back. I don't know what it is, don't even know if its arthritis related, hope not. I am sort of thinking did I injure my back or did I twist it. I just don't know. I have started work experience in a retail shop and I was hanging clothes that where a bit high for my reach. I am sort of thinking did I pull a muscle when I was hanging up the clothes. This pain has been lasting for four days now and its not going. I've been to the doctors and he's getting blood tests done and for the mean time I'm on painkillers. I've using cream (deep heat), heat wraps, also deep heat, I've been lying down on the floor, I've been lying on my bed and even the chairs, but none of them are working. I only started using the painkillers today, so I suppose I'm just going to wait for them to kick in. I was giving a week of college to able to rest my back. Me personally think a week is too much. I've only a month left after Halloween, which I've to finish my FETAC in time. I don't think I will tho.