Davyc
I am who I am
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
For many there is very little joy in getting older - age brings a whole host of issues and complications. When I was younger I never thought about the complications of getting old, far too busy enjoying myself to think about such things. It's something that you never really think about when you're young, fit, healthy and having fun, but there comes a time when the dreaded phrase that doctors love to use when they can't help you "it's an age related complaint". There's no doubt in our minds that age is at the root of many ailments and issues.
There are a whole host of issues that people can see; broken legs, arms, hips and the physical manifestations of liver spots, swollen arthritic joints, loss of balance and many, many more. When we 'see' these things we sympathise and console and offer help where it's needed and where we can. There is one age related issue that goes unnoticed by many; pain.
When someone is in pain it is possible to see it in their facial expressions when it strikes, when they cry out. Many people attempt to disguise it, hide it or simply acclimatise themselves to it and resolve to just accept it. But when people can't see this invisible enemy they believe there is nothing wrong with you, even when you tell them how horrid it can be they don't know how to respond, unless they suffer similar levels of pain.
Pain is the body's alarm system to alert you that there is a problem, but unlike a burglar or fire alarm it can't be turned off. Pain is draining and debilitating and can be caused by numerous issues, such as arthritis. But there are many other pain related complications.
I mention this because as I sit here typing this I am in pain - it's caused by an issue called Peripheral Neuropathy. This in layman's terms is nerve damage and there is a list of possible causes as long as your arm, so it's not particularly easy to pinpoint the actual cause. Nerves are one of the elements within the body that cannot heal themselves and, as yet, there is no manmade cure either. There are medications that can help to ease the sensitivity of damaged nerves, such as the medication I am on called Pregabalin (a class II drug here in the UK) and I'm close to the maximum daily dosage.
It starts in the extremities, mainly the feet, with a tingling sensation similar to that you would feel from a mild dose of electricity. As the nerve damage increases that tingling converts into sharp pain - there are times when walking it feels like my feet are being shredded by broken glass. It can spread to any part of the body such as fingers, wrists, joints, behind the ears and it can also eventually over time (as it is a progressive issue) affect your heart rate and blood pressure.
Quite often there is no warning as to when it will strike, unlike an ache that gradually gets worse over time. I liken it to someone sticking you unexpectedly with a cattle prod and it can happen any time, anywhere. No one can see it, but it's there and it can drag you down like fast quicksand - one moment you're not so bad, then next you're in agony and the harsh pain can be fleeting, lasting only a second or two, other times it drones on and on.
So the next time someone tells you they are in pain, don't ignore them because you can't see it - we are all familiar with pain, under normal circumstances it's rare and can fade quickly, but for some, they have to live with it daily and for many there is no respite from it. I can remember asking my mum one time "if you could have just one wish, what would you wish for?" a simple hypothetical question that we have probably asked and been asked many times. Her answer surprised me when she said "to just have one day where there was no pain". I knew my mum suffered from pain related issues due to her age, but because I couldn't see it I assumed it wasn't so bad; how wrong I was.
There are a whole host of issues that people can see; broken legs, arms, hips and the physical manifestations of liver spots, swollen arthritic joints, loss of balance and many, many more. When we 'see' these things we sympathise and console and offer help where it's needed and where we can. There is one age related issue that goes unnoticed by many; pain.
When someone is in pain it is possible to see it in their facial expressions when it strikes, when they cry out. Many people attempt to disguise it, hide it or simply acclimatise themselves to it and resolve to just accept it. But when people can't see this invisible enemy they believe there is nothing wrong with you, even when you tell them how horrid it can be they don't know how to respond, unless they suffer similar levels of pain.
Pain is the body's alarm system to alert you that there is a problem, but unlike a burglar or fire alarm it can't be turned off. Pain is draining and debilitating and can be caused by numerous issues, such as arthritis. But there are many other pain related complications.
I mention this because as I sit here typing this I am in pain - it's caused by an issue called Peripheral Neuropathy. This in layman's terms is nerve damage and there is a list of possible causes as long as your arm, so it's not particularly easy to pinpoint the actual cause. Nerves are one of the elements within the body that cannot heal themselves and, as yet, there is no manmade cure either. There are medications that can help to ease the sensitivity of damaged nerves, such as the medication I am on called Pregabalin (a class II drug here in the UK) and I'm close to the maximum daily dosage.
It starts in the extremities, mainly the feet, with a tingling sensation similar to that you would feel from a mild dose of electricity. As the nerve damage increases that tingling converts into sharp pain - there are times when walking it feels like my feet are being shredded by broken glass. It can spread to any part of the body such as fingers, wrists, joints, behind the ears and it can also eventually over time (as it is a progressive issue) affect your heart rate and blood pressure.
Quite often there is no warning as to when it will strike, unlike an ache that gradually gets worse over time. I liken it to someone sticking you unexpectedly with a cattle prod and it can happen any time, anywhere. No one can see it, but it's there and it can drag you down like fast quicksand - one moment you're not so bad, then next you're in agony and the harsh pain can be fleeting, lasting only a second or two, other times it drones on and on.
So the next time someone tells you they are in pain, don't ignore them because you can't see it - we are all familiar with pain, under normal circumstances it's rare and can fade quickly, but for some, they have to live with it daily and for many there is no respite from it. I can remember asking my mum one time "if you could have just one wish, what would you wish for?" a simple hypothetical question that we have probably asked and been asked many times. Her answer surprised me when she said "to just have one day where there was no pain". I knew my mum suffered from pain related issues due to her age, but because I couldn't see it I assumed it wasn't so bad; how wrong I was.