h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wotcher Shirps

Sorry to read your entry about your hand and forthcoming surgery and I wish you good luck with your treatment.

I have arthritis in my knees, hips, toes, wrists and thumbs and any other extremity one cares to mention. Fortunately it isn't too debilitating and I although I have had to give up running, I can still manage a workout with weights and practice Yoga. I did find that acupuncture helped my knees but sadly my NHS physio has been relocated to miles away and I can't afford the petrol to receive treatment weekly.

I have worn a solid copper bracelet with two magnets in on my right wrist for the past few years and a few months ago noticed that my right wrist, despite my being right-handed was much better than my left which was very painful, so I bought a second copper bracelet with six magnets - a slight case of over kill perhaps but it really has helped. Now if I could just find bracelets for the rest of my body, I'd be off and setting off all sorts of security alarms in my wake too! And just think of all the extra calories I could burn off with carrying all that extra weight around!

Hiya - lovely to hear from you here!

Hmm, not sure how long I'll have to wait for the ops (nor the further ops), but really not in too much hurry - you tend to get used to some sorts of pain!

Re the other thread, I've just turned 49 & my daughter is now 27 , but you've prob read about her in my space.

That's the trouble, I can't find an exercise that I can do without aggravating the tendons in my arms, etc. I can't carry anything for long - no matter how light or heavy - let alone my body So I just do the "old fashioned ones" without straining anything - Spring is here, so when I get time I reckon I'll have good exercise in the garden just bending up & down - sideways of course: good for the waist

I've found the arthritis seems to attack different parts every 18months to 2 years, last year it was my feet - they still twinge, but I'm not hobbling around like an old lady! I just have what looks like bunions, (well they probably are!) Big & little toe joints have been affected by the arthr. The general ortho surgeon, who I've been with since this all started, had the cheek to tell me to wear good shoes! I've been diabetic since the age of 11 & have always made sure I have the cash for GOOD shoes I now see 2 specialists (rheumatoid & hand/shoulder)& NOT the general ortho guy!! The time before that it was my knees too - again, they twinge now, but not as bad as they were. My mother has osteo arthritis (my father had rheumatoid) & she said it kindof attacks different parts before ..... settling all over My thumb has given me jip for ages & I had reckoned it was arthritis, but now they find it's triggering too, so ... double whammy!!

My brother, who is 58, needs ops on his knees & one hip, but they are saying he is too young! He is under the Essex health authority. He lives in an upstairs maisonette, therefore has 2 sets of stairs to climb - one to get in, & another for the loo & bed. I saw him the other weekend & he is in SO much pain - he is learning to balance his activities to keep off the painkillers, but mum said he took 6 Nurofen during the 2 hours before leaving to drive home!!! He got home safely thank goodness.

Guess it's all in the family - my gran was riddled with it too!

I did try a magnetic necklace when my neck was really bad - I wore it 24/7, but it didn't seem to help - the doc called my neck problem "minor spondilitic change" - minor!!! wish he'd had the pain I had then

Reckon if you had all that copper on you, then people may recognise you as a sort of Mr T - don't worry about the overkill - if it works - do it

It's sortof good to meet someone who has arthritis around my age. Not really good that you have it too, but you know what I mean

You used to , for sport or pleasure? I've never been really sporty, but I was great at ski-ing (I went with the school twice ) & thoroughly enjoyed it, but in those days my parents couldn't afford to let me go again I went with my husband on a school trip Dec 04, but had to give up after 1 & half days - I fell, couldn't get up & the instructor yanked my arm to help me up - that was it Then I used to go ice-skating about 5 times a week - speed not dance

Do you find that your back is really weak & it doesn't take much before it hurts?

I met a lady who was in a wheelchair with arthritis - she said to me: never overdo things, but at the same time, keep going. I reckon we are both doing just that, eh?

Well, that was a big moan, wasn't it?

Gosh Shirps! Poor you! Your arthritic-related problems make me feel like I am whinging over nowt. You feel free to moan away girl because you're making me appreciate what I've got!

My running was purely for leisure/pleasure and to keep my weight down (I've always had a 'healthy' appetite). I am not and never have been one of those 'competitive types', although I did belong to my work's running club, which was affiliated to the Amateur Athletics Association and used to host an annual 10k race. The only competing I have ever done though was against myself in trying to better previous running times.

Fortunately although my joints seem to suffer, my back so far (touch wood!) is okay and I assume that the fact I have weight trained and practiced Yoga (my two favourite past-times, apart from ing over hunky chaps in Middle-Earth garb!) since my mid-twenties has helped me a great deal. It is noticeable that when I don't exercise my back does start to twinge so I do lots of hyperextensions on a machine for my lower back and a combination of exercises for my upper back.

I am very careful when I exercise now not to overdo things though and subsequently the amount of weight that I lift during sessions is decreasing rapidly, which I find irritating especially when some bright young thing near me is pummelling the weights!

What I am merely putting up with pales in comparison to your problems and it must be absolutely awful for you to be unable to even limp to a gym or exercise.

I never had been able to get on with anything that involves balancing, especially skiing and ice-skating due to my lack of a sense of balance! It's weird because I'm not too bad at balancing in Yoga so I assume that I am just lacking in confidence as I am accident prone at the best of times and even as a child always worried that I would hurt myself (I usually did too!).

"lots of hyperextensions on a machine for my lower back and a combination of exercises for my upper back."

Could you explain more about these? I'm not very up with the machinery aspect of things. I have never been near any gym or exercise set-up in my life

I suppose smoking doesn't help me much - will give up when I'm rid of the Art Society stress

Weight - ah! I look at a & instantly a pound goes on! Must admit though the diabetes doesn't help too much, it is SO easy to put on weight with it - must be something to do with the metabolism, as I don't eat much anyway! I remember when my 1st marriage ended, I used to binge at my mother's fridge last thing at night. Then someone at work took a photo of me when we were out. That did it - double

I lost weight & have struggled to keep it off since - it ain't easy, especially when I don't do much physically.

Like you, I've never been competitive: at school playing tennis, I preferred to keep the ball going, rather than try to win It must have been a good feeling to beat yourself

It is annoying to see "the young things" isn't it? Especially when they begin wearing cheap imitations of fashions you used to wear when you were younger ... & which you can't now because it's not "the done thing" ... hang it .... I'll go get my hair dyed green & wear skimpy little frilly things