What do you do when you start to lose your mobility?

Morglin

Statins can cause terrible problems - my GP whacked me on them, I had awful pain, I stopped taking them and a lot of the pain has disappeared.

As I don't need them, (he just thinks anyone over 50 should take them), I shan't be taking any more!

Lin

sock-knitter

is there a lift in the flats he lives in?
stairs are a no no for me and as I'm in a first floor flat, adult social care OT came and did an assessment, and as a result I had a stairlift fitted.
I cant walk far, am in severe pain all time, and on waiting list for a knee op, but I keep going, I don't want to go in a wheelchair, and will only do so as a last resort, eg when I cant walk any more

quidsinquentin

sock-knitter wrote: »

is there a lift in the flats he lives in?
stairs are a no no for me and as I'm in a first floor flat, adult social care OT came and did an assessment, and as a result I had a stairlift fitted.
I cant walk far, am in severe pain all time, and on waiting list for a knee op, but I keep going, I don't want to go in a wheelchair, and will only do so as a last resort, eg when I cant walk any more

Nope - no lift. Six flights of stairs.

Could be worse; could be seven flights. He copes with it though, and regards it as part of his exercise routine.

dori2o

quidsinquentin wrote: »

I agree and thanks.

What I guess I was most concerned about was the lack of input from the GP. He wasn't joking or exaggerating when he said he was met with a shrug and a blank stare. That really was the end of the GP's input. Which is why I came here.

I would have thought that with such a sudden, drastic loss of mobility more would have been required. Guess that's just the new NHS though.

I know the look you describe all too well.

The problem is it is not a GP's place to diagnose and treat conditions such as Arthritis, thats what rheumatologists, physiotherapists, pain clinics are for.

My GP told me last year that he feels helpless whenever I come to his surgery because he doesn't know what to do, or where to go with my chronic pain condition. He's happy when I come and it's something else that I want help with as he actually feels like he is helping.

I'm off to the pain clinic today for what is likely to be an unpleasant appointment as I've finished another course of treatment that just hasn't been effective an any way (Cold Laser Therapy), and I need to discuss next steps, of which there may be none other than being signed off from that clinic and getting referred to yet another.

Re your friend, the sudden loss of mobility may be a temporary thing, but I can fully appreciate just how worrying it is to one day be (relatively) fit and healthy and the next be struggling to walk. It can and does happen that fast.

All I can say is keep pestering the GP, get referrals to the necessary departments of the hospital. If that GP won't act then is there another in the same practice he can see?

When he does get referred make sure he explores every option available, whether that be physio, medications, alternative therapies (acupuncture etc).

If pain is a problem then look on the internet, there are lots of things he can do which are outside of the GP/specialists scope. Change diet, avoid caffeine, research into natures natural pain relievers/anti inflammatory's in your diet such as turmeric, ginger, Vitamin B, C & D, Magnesium, Boswellia (excellent for RA/OA), Devils Claw, Garlic, Omega 3, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, MSM........ to name just a few but there are many more.

It pays to research as much as you can.

Mojisola

quidsinquentin wrote: »

Nope - no lift. Six flights of stairs.

Could be worse; could be seven flights. He copes with it though, and regards it as part of his exercise routine.

That's a good frame of mind until his body reaches the stage where no amount of effort will get you up the stairs.

He should be thinking about finding somewhere else to live. It will be much easier to do it while he can still get around than wait until he's housebound unless someone carries him down (and up!) six flights of stairs.

Crisp_£_note

Brilliant post full of information others like myself can use - I hope your friend gets the care he deserves, your amazing to help him in this way!

Have you considered contacting Arthritis UK seeing how they can help or recommend? With my condition (AS which is one of the 'Arthritic' genres) there is a weekly local club I can go along too where I find lots of support and most of all realise I am not alone with my suffering. Perhaps there is a similar one for Arthritis near your friend you can both go along to?

Best of luck and healing vibes to your friend

quidsinquentin

Given the amount of information that has been mentioned on here (it'd probably take a GP around 30 minutes to deliver this) it strikes me there is some need for GPs to be able to hand out something along the lines of what is on here.

Even though the GP only offered the shrug & stare, there's clearly a lot that could have been passed on. We might not expect the GP to know it all or be able to pass it all on, but surely to goodness there was more that could have been offered other than, 'no hope'? Which is effectively what it amounted to.

Given that mobility is one of the most important aspects of someones life, it strikes me that losing it - wholly or partially - is extremely serious - but certainly wasn't taken that way by the GP.

Bennifred

Welcome to my world, quidsinquentin I have Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. My GP and neuro just sent me on my way with no hope or treatment whatsoever, and now I've found out for myself a scientifically proven treatment (HSCT) which has an 80% chance of halting any further progression they aren't supporting that either, because "you're not bad enough"! So I'm having to pay privately and go abroad to have it done, when it could be (and is) done in this country if you live in the right post code. So dissillusioned with the NHS.

sunnyone

dori2o wrote: »

I know the look you describe all too well.

The problem is it is not a GP's place to diagnose and treat conditions such as Arthritis, thats what rheumatologists, physiotherapists, pain clinics are for.

My GP told me last year that he feels helpless whenever I come to his surgery because he doesn't know what to do, or where to go with my chronic pain condition. He's happy when I come and it's something else that I want help with as he actually feels like he is helping.

I'm off to the pain clinic today for what is likely to be an unpleasant appointment as I've finished another course of treatment that just hasn't been effective an any way (Cold Laser Therapy), and I need to discuss next steps, of which there may be none other than being signed off from that clinic and getting referred to yet another.

Re your friend, the sudden loss of mobility may be a temporary thing, but I can fully appreciate just how worrying it is to one day be (relatively) fit and healthy and the next be struggling to walk. It can and does happen that fast.

All I can say is keep pestering the GP, get referrals to the necessary departments of the hospital. If that GP won't act then is there another in the same practice he can see?

When he does get referred make sure he explores every option available, whether that be physio, medications, alternative therapies (acupuncture etc).

If pain is a problem then look on the internet, there are lots of things he can do which are outside of the GP/specialists scope. Change diet, avoid caffeine, research into natures natural pain relievers/anti inflammatory's in your diet such as turmeric, ginger, Vitamin B, C & D, Magnesium, Boswellia (excellent for RA/OA), Devils Claw, Garlic, Omega 3, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, MSM........ to name just a few but there are many more.

It pays to research as much as you can.

You have to be very careful with the supplement s you have mentioned above, devils claw caused my liver to start to fail after only a few weeks of taking it. They can also interact with your prescribed meds and its difficult to get the information you need to use them safely, my go has taken a course about them so she guides me but she is rare.

Morglin

I would be careful of these health food store 'remedies' as sometimes they contra-indicate with prescription meds.

Homeopathic stuff has never even actually proven to work, although I get the mindset, as I even tried healing crystals, at one point lol

Lin