 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / July 2005New recruit reporting in
Hello - I've lurked for the required few days and now ..... Following X-Rays on Friday last my GP's nurse has told me that arthritis of the spine has been diagnosed )I'd been in complaining of some persistent but not severe pain in the right side of the neck). So, I'm hoping this is the best place to come for some info based on you veterans'experience and knowledge, like: Can i expect this condition to inevitably become progressively worse? Will it severely restrict my mobility, and if so, how quickly? The nurse told me there is no treatment; is this correct? Would seated posture, or local heat lessen the discomfort? Do weather conditions affect it for better or worse? Should I consciously flex my neck more, or keep it more rigid? These are just random queries from a newcomer to this condition, so all further relevant info is welcome. If you prefer to answer by email, my real address is rocker5(at)flash.net Intro and data -I'm 66, 140 lbs, 6 feet, pretty good health except for 2detached retinas (accidental damage); smoke and drink (Scotch) too much although my blood test results for the last three years have been 100 per cent free of any abnormality. No history of any major illnesses (yet!). BTW, www sites are usually not of much use to me, as I use a screen reader/voice synthesizer whichis not brilliant at reading these. If you have been, Thanks for reading this!  SignatureIan Have you seen a RD [rheumatologist] yet? There are 170 plus forms of the disease and it takes a RD to sort it out. Treatment will vary for each of the 170 forms. Lots of overlap but still... Welcome to the sandbox. Duckie > Hello - I've lurked for the required few days and now ..... > Following X-Rays on Friday last my GP's nurse has told me that [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > reader/voice synthesizer whichis not brilliant at reading these. > If you have been, Thanks for reading this! Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) maroldcXXnospam@comcast.net wrote: > Have you seen a RD [rheumatologist] yet? There are 170 > plus forms of the disease and it takes a RD to sort it > out. Treatment will vary for each of the 170 forms. > Lots of overlap but still... I'm going to ask about seeing a specialist when I next see the GP on the 20th. > Welcome to the sandbox. > Duckie Ta . . . . . > > Hello - I've lurked for the required few days and now ..... > > Following X-Rays on Friday last my GP's nurse has told me that [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > reader/voice synthesizer which is not brilliant at reading these. > > If you have been, Thanks for reading this! SignatureIan I agree with Duckie. Your GP is not qualified to treat arthritis; you need to see a rheumatologist (RD). There may be help for you. Gwen > Have you seen a RD [rheumatologist] yet? There are 170 > plus forms of the disease and it takes a RD to sort it [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > reader/voice synthesizer whichis not brilliant at reading these. > > If you have been, Thanks for reading this! Ian wrote: First, welcome to ASA. Hang around, ask more questions, tell us more (we're snoops), hide any chocolates. > Following X-Rays on Friday last my GP's nurse has told me > that arthritis of the spine has been diagnosed )I'd been in > complaining of some persistent but not severe pain in the > right side of the neck). A GP is not the proper doctor to diagnose arthritis. You should be scooting off to a rheumatologist to determine which, if any, of the more than 100 different forms of arthritis you may have. X-rays alone are not a 100% guarantee you have any one of those 100 forms of arthritis, and a doctor who makes a diagnosis based on x-rays only is a piss poor doctor. > So, I'm hoping this is the best place to come for some info > based on you veterans'experience and knowledge, like: > Can i expect this condition to inevitably become progressively > worse? It not treated properly, yes. There are disease modifying drugs available that can slow down or put some forms of arthritis into remission. But there is no cure. And many here in ASA can tell you the evils of stopping a drug once a person goes into remission. > Will it severely restrict my mobility, and if so, how quickly? I was diagnosed is 1976-77. I continued working full-time untill 1988, then part-time 2 more years. In 1983, a former doctor told me to start using crutches, to take a load off my hips and knees. I told him exactly where he could stull his crutches and took up square dancing after a 23 year lapse (my ex- didn't want to learn). I just returned from a 23-day road trip that included attending the National Square Dance Convention in Portland (and an arthritis gimpfest there the weekend prior). I usually carry a cane outside as an "insurance policy" and do use it for long walks and while in the commissary for 2 or 3 hours. My neck is fused by the arthritis and I had to stop driving in 1996. That has been the worse part of the disease. A hip replacement 5 years ago this month brought mucho relief from the pain that woke me every 90 minutes during the night. > The nurse told me there is no treatment; is this correct? She is absolutely incorrect and should be reported to your state's licensing board for malfeasance. She is one reason medical liability insurance premiums are skyrocketing. > Would seated posture, or local heat lessen the discomfort? A variety of positions is best. Sit. Stand. Walk. Swim. > Do weather conditions affect it for better or worse? That depends too much on the individual and the type of arthritis they have. Some say "yes," others say "no." I have never been affected by the weather. > Should I consciously flex my neck more, or keep it more > rigid? Keep every joint, including the neck, in a state of flexation. Learn some exercises from a physical therapist. (Bet that nurse never mentioned that.) > I'm 66, I was 39 when diagnosed and 52 when I retired on disability. > 140 lbs, 6 feet, Good for you. I failed to mention that keeping weight down is one of the best health measures you can practice. That keeps stress off the hips and knees (and arthritis has a nasty tendency to spread to those areas). Although my initial complaint was stiffness in the neck and a sore back, mine spread to the hips and knees. I had a hip replacement in 2000 and possibly will need the opposite hip replaced. The knees are sore at times and I'm slated to start a 3-week treatment with Synvic next Monday. ... All I ask for is a chance to prove money can't buy me happiness. > Ian wrote: > > First, welcome to ASA. Hang around, ask more questions, > tell us more (we're snoops), hide any chocolates. Well, thank'ee! And also thanks for the info - just what I was looking for. You're welcome to any chocolate you can find, just leave me Scotch alone! Tell you about myself? How many days you got? I'm now trying to mentally condense a novel-length account of my life so far into a few paragraphs . . . . . Well, I live now in north texas but I'm from britain originally I'm looking forward with some inpatients to moving into a new house - one of a gated community - which the developer has just begun to build. I also recently bought a house in a nearby city for leasing. Also looking forward to my first trip back to britain maybe September, I'm thinking I might try this new Queen Mary II liner and get some sea air into my long-suffering lungs. Family: one elder (married) sister in England. Academic qualifications: zero as I left school at age 14.5 to earn a weekly pittance: we were in dire straits then and needed the money. Turrible it were, just turrible . . . . Occupation: God forbid.I haven't had to work for some 26 years now. Interests: Reading (for some years now, via talking book tapes and e-books). I'm at the PC alot too. At one time before computers came along, I was into writing fiction - short stories mainly ghost and horror. I sold about 15 of these, which is one thing I'm quietly proud of. There - I think that's more than enough about me. ..... > > 140 lbs, 6 feet, > > Good for you. I failed to mention that keeping weight down > is one of the best health measures you can practice. That In my case, it required no effort! I just never put on weight no matter what. > initial complaint was stiffness in the neck and a sore back, > mine spread to the hips and knees. I had a hip replacement > in 2000 and possibly will need the opposite hip replaced. > The knees are sore at times and I'm slated to start a 3-week > treatment with Synvic next Monday. Oh Lord, that's really rough. Hope you improve from the treatment. > ... All I ask for is a chance to prove money can't buy me happiness. Is there a smiley for rueful smile? I'd swap my present life for being 23 again with my beloved Norton, and skint! Anyone got a Time Machine in good working order? -- Ian Oh my,,, another author. Welcome to ASA and the USA. The north Texas,,, land of the wind and sun, very different from England. Harv >Oh my,,, another author. Welcome to ASA and the USA. The north Texas,,, >land of the wind and sun, very different from England. >Harv His [elder] sister lives in England Harv, he's from Britain, which in the words of your President Bush Jr [Dubya] could infact be either Englandshire, Scotlandshire [G8 - let the Glen Eagles fly...] or Waleslandshire. I'm guessing by his liking for a certain type of Wisky that it's Scotland, but hey I might be wrong? Andy [in England] >>Oh my,,, another author. Welcome to ASA and the USA. The north >>Texas,,, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Andy [in England] Ooops, my bad,,,, well then for her husband and I will have to trust your judgment on the WISKY,,, the good stuff is far to expensive for me. Harv >Ooops, my bad,,,, well then for her husband and I will have to trust your >judgment on the WISKY,,, the good stuff is far to expensive for me. >Harv It's just my guess Harv, could well be wrong, I'm sure Ian will inform when he posts again. -- Andy >>Ooops, my bad,,,, well then for her husband and I will have to trust your >>judgment on the WISKY,,, the good stuff is far to expensive for me. >>Harv >> >It's just my guess Harv, could well be wrong, I'm sure Ian will >inform when he posts again. Sorry that should have been whisky -- Andy > >Ooops, my bad,,,, well then for her husband and I will have to trust your > >judgment on the WISKY,,, the good stuff is far to expensive for me. > >Harv Ha! You want to see the price in britain! They slap on a criminally huge excise duty on every bottle. > It's just my guess Harv, could well be wrong, I'm sure Ian will > inform when he posts again. > > -- > Andy You got it right. Well spotted. But as I moved south to England at around age 17 in searchof fame and fortune, and lived there till '99 I came to think of myself as british>while not forgetting I am Scottish of course. And I hope to get citizenship here maybe next String. It's all very confusing . . . . . -- Ian >You got it right. Well spotted. But as I moved south to England at >around age 17 in searchof fame and fortune, and lived there till '99 I came to >think of myself as british>while not forgetting I am Scottish of course. >And I hope to get citizenship here maybe next String. >It's all very confusing . . . . . I'm confused..... lol...... Scotland, Liverpool, Manchester, Texas, and then a quick look at your posting headers: "Over-Eighties Nude Cycling Club, Dorset chapter" I hope your saddle is comfortable! Welcome to ASA Ian -- Andy > >You got it right. Well spotted. But as I moved south to England at > >around age 17 in search of fame and fortune, and lived there till '99 I came to [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > and then a quick look at your posting headers: > "Over-Eighties Nude Cycling Club, Dorset chapter" OH, that dates back to some years ago, when I lived in Christchurch, Dorset. I think you're the first in all that time to mention it; maybe people don't look at headers any more like they used to in the early days of the 'net. > I hope your saddle is comfortable! Yeh, it's OK, but this damn bridle .... hurts me gums sumfink awful. > Welcome to ASA Ian Having trouble keeping up with all the posts; there's a lot of traffic in here. I also asked in the misc.health.arthritis group but it's dead as a doornail. SignatureIan >Having trouble keeping up with all the posts; there's a lot of >traffic in here. I also asked in the misc.health.arthritis group >but it's dead as a doornail. Have a look at uk.people.support.arthritis which is also a bit quiet just now, but has more of a following than MHA. -- Andy .... > Have a look at uk.people.support.arthritis which is also a bit quiet > just now, but has more of a following than MHA. > > -- > Andy Seems prodigy/sbc/yahoo's newsservers don't carry that one, but I canget iton a free read-only server. It is very quiet. SignatureIan >Seems prodigy/sbc/yahoo's newsservers don't carry that one, but I >canget iton a free read-only server. It is very quiet. Well monitor it on your free read only and when it livens up and you want to post to it, study my headers and get a free news serverthat let you post [once registered] or you could put a request in to prodigy to carry it. -- Andy >>Seems prodigy/sbc/yahoo's newsservers don't carry that one, but I >>canget iton a free read-only server. It is very quiet. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > -- > Andy :-) Good luck with that. I tried to get prodigy to carry support UK twice. No luck yet. Harv none@nobody.net wrote: ;;..... > > prodigy to carry it. > > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > twice. No luck yet. > Harv Try subscribing now: I asked for it and it is in my NEWGROUP file since my lst d/load. Quick service, what! I have fiends in low places! SignatureIan ("I can get it for you at less than wholesale . . . .") >I have fiends in low places! Ah, that's why you came to ASA .....lol -- Andy > >I have fiends in low places! > > Ah, that's why you came to ASA .....lol > > -- > Andy Yep - if there is a Sink of Iniquity or a House of Shame, or a Den of Vice in the vicinity, you can bet I'll find it in no time .. . . SignatureIan > none@nobody.net wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > since my lst d/load. Quick service, what! > I have fiends in low places! Thanks,,, I have it now but can read only but that is better than nothing. Harv > Try subscribing now: I asked for it and it is in my NEWGROUP file > since my lst d/load. Quick service, what! > I have fiends in low places! I am afraid that I have P.O.ed by computer. I have tried to reply twice on this and I can not send. I must have something else wrong. BUT thanks even if I can read only. Harv none@nobody.net wrote: > I am afraid that I have P.O.ed by computer. I have tried to reply twice on > this and I can not send. I must have something else wrong. BUT thanks > even if I can read only. > Harv I've now seen you, or a very lifelike impostor, in the other n/group, so I guess you must have fixed something! SignatureIan me2@dn14.net wrote: ...... > Well monitor it on your free read only and when it livens up and you > want to post to it, study my headers and get a free news serverthat [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > -- > Andy Oh! Just looked. I recognize it. I used to use that one maybe 2-3 years ago, then it stopped accepting connections so I took it off. I'll put it back, out of interest, and see how it goes. SignatureIan none@nobody.net wrote: > Oh my,,, another author. Welcome to ASA and the USA. The north Texas,,, > land of the wind and sun, very different from England. > Harv Different, and in most ways better! I like the heat, but I wouldn't want to engage in anything like work in it. The locals are almost all very friendly, polite and cheerful, and find my accent - a mix of Manchester, with a dash of Liverpool and some remnants of Scottish - intriguing. There's another writer in our midst, is there? I suppose I'm an ex-author now, the last thing I did was a sTephen King version of A Christmas Carol (gruesomely funny I hope anyway) some time back, just for fun. -- Ian >There's another writer in our midst, is there? I suppose I'm an >ex-author now, the last thing I did was a sTephen King version of >A Christmas Carol (gruesomely funny I hope anyway) some time back, just for fun. Seem to be several, Ian. I am having a book published in the fall, history of my school of nursing in Halifax. Welcome to the asa sandbox. I volunteer to hold your chocolate for you. <leer> I am in Perth, Ontario. And still in a state of shock after the events in London, although why I should be, I don't know, after what has happened since 9-11. I understand Canada is on their list too. Lucky us. Anyhow, one day at a time, and hope your arthritis behaves. --- Joan spamfree@sentex.ca wrote: > >There's another writer in our midst, is there? I suppose I'm an > > Seem to be several, Ian. I am having a book published in the fall, history of my > school of nursing in Halifax. Hey, congratulations! I'd guess you might have had trouble finding a publisher for that one, being a specialist kind of subject? > Welcome to the asa sandbox. I volunteer to hold your chocolate for you. <leer> Splutter, cough . . . . I'm saying nowt! The League of Common decency has had its beady little eye on me for some years now. > I am in Perth, Ontario. And still in a state of shock after the events in > London, although why I should be, I don't know, after what has happened since > 9-11. I understand Canada is on their list too. Lucky us. I too had been expecting it since the invasion of Iraq: there has already been three planned attempts uncovered and stopped, I gather. The few Americans here I've spoken to since Thursday have expressed admiration for the Londoners' calm attitude but as I told them, London has had a lot of experience of being bombed, from the end of the 19th C (anarchists), World War 1 (Zeppelins and bombers), World War 2 (bombers and the V1 and V2) and since 1970 the IRA/s cowardly efforts. Canada shouldn't be on the lunatics' hitlist, since I seem to remember your PM turned down young Bush's request for support. There are no Canadian troops in Iraq, are there? > Anyhow, one day at a time, and hope your arthritis behaves. > --- > Joan If/when it doesn't, I shall be in good company, I think! -- Ian >Hey, congratulations! I'd guess you might have had trouble finding >a publisher for that one, being a specialist kind of subject? Yes, I went the self-publishing route in the end. The regular folks get hundreds of manuscripts every day. >Splutter, cough . . . . I'm saying nowt! The League of Common >decency has had its beady little eye on me for some years now. Oh? You will fit in well here, then, although I think people here are a bit better behaved than on asms. :-) >Canada shouldn't be on the lunatics' hitlist, since I seem to >remember your PM turned down young Bush's request for support. >There are no Canadian troops in Iraq, are there? Not as far as I know, but they were peace-keeping in Afghanistan, which apparently is a no-no. I will never understand politics or politicians, or terrorists. Heck, some days I don't understand myself. So you are a Scot. Some of my favourite people. I have been over three times, and always felt as if I had come home. Being from Nova Scotia may explain that. Many of my ancestors were Scots-Irish. --- Joan spamfree@sentex.ca wrote: > On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 01:03:41 GMT, sum1@flash.net (sum1) wrote in > > Yes, I went the self-publishing route in the end. The regular folks get hundreds > of manuscripts every day. This self-publishing has given a lot of new writers an opening they won't find in the big houses, who are now only keen on publishing a guaranteed winner, it seems. It wasn't there in the early Eighties when I was turning out Penny dreadfuls (on a typewwriter would you believe) there was something called Vanity Publishing which you were warned off in the annual Writers and Artists publication every year, as being at best a waste of money or at worst a racket. They mainly aimed at poets, though. > >There are no Canadian troops in Iraq, are there? > > Not as far as I know, but they were peace-keeping in Afghanistan, which > apparently is a no-no. I will never understand politics or politicians, or > terrorists. Heck, some days I don't understand myself. Ah, of course; I'd forgotten they were there. > So you are a Scot. Some of my favourite people. I have been over three times, > and always felt as if I had come home. Being from Nova Scotia may explain that. > Many of my ancestors were Scots-Irish. Lots of them went to Canada I believe, running the Hudson Bay Company's trading posts, and no doubt putting the fear of God into the hapless native Indians! For such a tiny country, we do seem to have got ourselves all over the world! SignatureIan >Lots of them went to Canada I believe, running the Hudson Bay >Company's trading posts, and no doubt putting the fear of God into >the hapless native Indians! >For such a tiny country, we do seem to have got ourselves all over >the world! I think my ancestors were kicked out of the lowlands for stealing sheep. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :-) --- Joan spamfree@sentex.ca wrote: .... > I think my ancestors were kicked out of the lowlands for stealing sheep. That's > my story, and I'm sticking to it. :-) > --- > Joan Quite possible: they didn't send 'em all to Australia. Or they may well have been dispossessed by the English landlords to get the ground for sheep farming. I can't remember if these wholesale evictions took place before Canada was taken off the French though. Don't know if it's true, but it was told to my old mother once that the last witch burned, or hanged maybe, in Scotland had our family name. I've never done any research on it though. SignatureIan |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.