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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / March 2006Newbie, How do I do housework with arthritic knees
I have just been diagnosised with OA in both knees. How badly is up in the air. They hurt like h*ll and after a full days work all I want to do is sit down cry. I also have fibro and thoracic outlet syndrome since I was 16 y/o. In fact I let my knees get to this situation was thinking it was FM since I have tender points in that area. In fact this could have gone on for a very long time since my full attention has been on my husband's health problems and the upcomming lost of my job. I have goals I feel I must meet. 1. My husband's recovery must come first since his is much worse off than mine. Therefore I must conserve money as much as possible cause he might be facing back surgery soon. Possibly without insurance. 2. I need to learn how to keep house with these knees. bending down, getting up, lifting and carring things upstairs. Sweeping and moping is another problem - pushing and pulling hurts a little when I start and unbearable by the time I finish. 3. What do I do when I do while applying for a job - I am on a lot of medications that could be taken aback in a urine test. Do I tell them after I am offered the job, after I accept or just wait till the urine test comes up? I take morphine, vicodan, xanax and a drug for ADD (I guess in street terms speed). I HAVE to find another job with benefits. What little retirement savings we still have I want to keep. I don't want to become a burden to anyone and it's been my job to pay for bills. My husband was laid off 2 years ago, he can't get a full time job with his back problem. I know their are very smart people in this group who could give me at least one or two ideas. thanks Angelsong Hi Angelsong, I just wanted you to know I read your post. You have a lot on your plate right now. I don't know how much help or advice I can give you though. I have fibro and inflammatory arthritis. As for the cleaning I do a little at a time. I don't do everything in on day. I have also had to find different ways of doing things. For instance, cleaning the tub I use a backbrush that has a long handle and soft/foamy material on it. I don't have to get on my knees or bend over that much. It takes a while to figure these things out, but necessity is the mother of invention they say. You need to take care of yourself also, as well as your husband. He will need you healthy too. I wish I could give you better advice, but I hope others will come along with some more information for you. Stick around and let us know how you are doing. debbie m. > I have just been diagnosised with OA in both knees. How badly is up in > the air. They hurt like h*ll and after a full days work all I want to [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Angelsong I have found that I have to do a little, rest a little--and set a certain task for that day such as--one day wash clothes--one day clean kitchen--etc--I also have had to somewhat lower my standards--as in--the dust will wait--is my house white glove clean all the time--no--but it is clean enough that the health department will not condemn!! I have dejunked a lot so there is less to clean-- As far as urine drug tests--usually on the form there is a place to put meds that are prescribed to you-- And there is always the option to ask for help--my daughters do my floors and clean my bathroom and my son in law comes to take care of the pool--the really nitty gritty stuff a couple of times during the season--  SignatureLove, Alix Always remember, a cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man, but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal". - Winston Churchill Hi, You certainly have a lot on your mind at the moment. Just do as much as you can. Does it matter if your house is not as spik and span as it use to be - you have an excuse. If you have children, it is their responsibility to help. Try an elastic knee bandage for part of the day just to give the knees a little support and try doing some knee stretches without taking any weight like when you are sitting try lifting the legs in and out. BUT only do as much as you can without stressing yourself and that is another thing STRESS is not good, so try to do some relaxation during the day. Best of luck Gail Just do a little bit at a time. AND REST. Even when you think you don't have time to rest, take the time. It will really make a difference in the long run. I had never heard of thoracic outlet syndrome so looked it up. Ouch! All I can do there is to hold your hand. Sure hope someone here can give you more or better advice, but wanted you to know I had seen your post. You are most welcome here. DeeTee (oops - forgot to tell you I have severe fibro and Sjogren's Syndrome and, as a result of that, inflammatory arthritis) >I have just been diagnosised with OA in both knees. How badly is up in > the air. They hurt like h*ll and after a full days work all I want to [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Angelsong I am the queen of doing housework while resting so will pass along some of my hints. Always vacuum sitting down...how? You move from chair to chair and only do behind and under furniture when some unsuspecting friend stops in to visit and can be recruited to move stuff. Have a sliding stool in the kitchen so you can sit down while preparing meals and doing dishes. I make one trip upstairs at night and one down in the morning. Everything that must either go up or down is done at that time. Clothes to be washed are then thrown down the cellar stairs and stay at the bottom until laundry day. Dusting high places is easy when you use a clean dry mop saved just for that purpose. If anybody has an easy way to make a bed I sure would like to hear it. Seriously, just go easy on yourself. Do a job and then sit for a few minutes before moving on. Change your way of thinking about how "clean" your house should be. Ann Good ideas Ann - I gave up trying to clean several years ago. I go with the get the others in the family to help out idea. And I have someone help twice a month. Fortunately, we can afford that right now. But when we couldn't, my son was required to help. He did half and would usually get a friend to come and help with the other half. I wonder if Angelsong has a church group that might be able to help her out? I had a car accident back in teh 70's and the women's group in my church chipped in and came over 3 times a week - one at a time - and helped me out with shopping, meals and driving. That might help ouit. The other thing my parents did was contact a senior's organization that they had to qualify for and it gave them a house-helper a few days a week to help with cleaning, bathing and such. I'm not sure of their ages but their might be a social care type agency in their city to help them out as well. Just a few ideas. DianeW Diane W wrote: <snip> >I wonder if Angelsong has a church > group that might be able to help her [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > help them out as well. Just a few ideas. > DianeW Diane, this is for Angelsong and any other senior in need of services. Go to www.seniorcorps.org then click on Senior Companions for information, click on your state for the nearest office. I am just beginning as a Senior Companion. I've been trained, screened and passed my physical, now I will meet with an outreach worker who will match me with a client or two. I will visit with the client each week, usually 4 hours but whatever the client needs. There is NO COST for this service. It is a nationwide program but run locally. I am volunteer number 24 (currently) in our county of 45,000. The only stipulation for the potential client is that they be "housebound" and unable to drive. As a companion, I expect to do things like: take my client shopping or to the doctor, drive my client to the beach if that is his wish, help with 'light' house work, or just sit and chat (or play cards, etc.) if that is what he wants. Everyone's needs are different, it is the outreach worker's job to find out what the client's needs are and to match client and companion. Please, anyone who is housebound, look into this program. Volunteers are screened and trained and there is no cost. Cheers Lee O. Lee - Yes, this is what my parents had! I didn't know the name of it but it's just as you described. Thanks for putting a name to it. DianeW >I am just beginning as a Senior Companion. I've been trained, screened >and passed my physical, now I will meet with an outreach worker who will >match me with a client or two. I will visit with the client each week, >usually 4 hours but whatever the client needs What a nice programme. Congratulations on doing this. --- Joan Wonderful ideas all! I will be turning 50 in April. I hope I not a senior yet, but the silver hair is quite telling. I don't go to church since we had some bad experiences in my husband's church he had attended since childhood. Same church where we were married in 30 years ago, my kids were christened and my daughter was married in. I'm afraid we were "not" in the of the group that was in power. Not that we wanted to be we just disagreed and said so. Many people left because of it, some were left. We were in the later. I am in charge of a Home Health and Hospice agency and I know what it cost to clean a house and we need to save our pennies, plus my husband doesn't like other people in the house. I am also very independent and want to be so as long as possible. Thanks for all the suggestions, keep them comming. angelsong |
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