Seeler's complaints

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It's hard to explain my arthritis. I'm not sure I understand it myself yet. I have pain almost continuously, made bearable by medication. It started over a year ago with the spasm, or kink, or cramp. What I would call a 'crick in the neck', pulling my head sideways and causing pain, especially sharp and painful when I moved, tried to turn my head, with my arm over my head, reach out, or lift anything. X-rays and an MRI showed arthritis in my spine, and three bones of my spine fused together, possibly pinching a nerve that resulted in the pain.

Instead of relaxing and letting go, as I expected from a spasm, it got worse. And I developed an aching pain in my upper spine. Sometimes it spreads from my neck and spine to my shoulders. Sometimes I can actually hear the bones rubbing together. Sometimes, with medication, if I'm sitting still or concentrating on what I'm doing, I can ignore it, or it goes away; but I am always aware that it will be there the next time I move. Since the Parkinson's tremor is almost always causing a bit of movement, my neck is always being irritated.

Heat, massage, physiotherapy, all feel good at the time, but do nothing long term. My doctors have considered and rejected ideas about injections or surgery. Apparently I am not a candidate at this time for in this invasive treatment. Presently we are simply treating the symptoms with pain medication and learning to live with it.
 
That sounds perfectly awful, @Seeler

Some people with chronic pain do remarkably well with mindfulness meditation. It almost seems counter-intuitive but I have heard this testimony many times.
 
I don't think I'm ready for a scooter or wheelchair, or even walker, at this time. Although I am slow, and easily fatigued, I have no problem getting around. My legs are strong and my balance good – the arthritis is in my neck, upper back and shoulders. The recent therapy that I took for my Parkinson's showed me how to walk confidently pushing myself to stand straight, and put an effort into keeping my speed up to what most people would consider normal walking speed. Parkinson's people tend to lean forward, and shuffle along. No more of that for me. Walk BIG - head up,
Stepping but seems briskly to me, but would be normal speed for most people.

The problem with the conference is that is held on campus that is both hilly and spread out, and we will have limited time to negotiate between buildings.
I told the minister that I would be unable to attend and she understands.
Perhaps the next regional meeting will be at a different location. Apparently I am not the only one who finds this campus difficult.
 
Seeler said:
Apparently I am not the only one who finds this campus difficult.
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That is not surprising at all.

Maybe in the future someone needs to consider the average age in our congregations when planning these events. But I guess the other side of the coin is the price point. University campuses are so much more reasonably priced than hotels or big convention centers.
 
paradox3 said:
That sounds perfectly awful, @Seeler

Some people with chronic pain do remarkably well with mindfulness meditation. It almost seems counter-intuitive but I have heard this testimony many times.
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I find meditation useful. Sometimes, by putting my attention on the pain and why it is there, it actually goes away. I ask the pain what it wants to feel better. Sometimes it is an adjustment in body position, sometimes intentional stretching and relaxing of a muscle elsewhere.

I think I'll go and get some breakfast now as I imagine you all confirming your opinion of me as a 'nutcase'.
 
KayTheCurler said:
I think I'll go and get some breakfast now as I imagine you all confirming your opinion of me as a 'nutcase'.
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Not at all!

Some people talk about focusing their healing energy on the pain. Others have said mindfulness meditation does not make the pain go away but the pain bothers them less.

In my last job (mental health field) we used mindfulness meditation with our client group. Pain management was not our focus but clients who had been exposed to it for this reason would talk about their experiences.

Many people thought the purpose of mindfulness meditation was relaxation but we always emphasized awareness as the goal.
 
Laughter works ... but medical professionals find it no laughing matter that could interfere with their practices!

Beyond me ...
 
paradox3 said:
That is not surprising at all.

Maybe in the future someone needs to consider the average age in our congregations when planning these events. But I guess the other side of the coin is the price point. University campuses are so much more reasonably priced than hotels or big convention centers.
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Universities also are fairly accessible for mobility issues, things just tend to be spaced out. I would help if things were all planned in the same building. University catering doesn't have to be used for lunch - although most places will deliver to any building. It's possible to get outside places to deliver on campus too.
 
paradox3 said:
That sounds perfectly awful, @Seeler

Some people with chronic pain do remarkably well with mindfulness meditation. It almost seems counter-intuitive but I have heard this testimony many times.
Click to expand...

I have chronic back pain, exacerbated by the standing I do at work now, and easily made pretty intolerable by shoveling or gardening.

There's quite a few mindfulness meditations specifically for pain relief on Youtube; I have a few favorites I use often, and find them helpful.
 
I sometimes use my bowling average as an indication of my physical condition. I no longer expect to be in the high 80s, or even in the 70s, this year has been a struggle to stay above 60.

Friday I started off pretty good, with a score of 64 in the first string. I ended pretty good to with a 76. Unfortunately my middle string was one of the lowest ever with a score of just 35. No explanation for that sudden dip, or for the recovery. But can you imagine someone throwing three gutter balls in a row?!? And doing it several times? Anyway my average for the day was under 60, but I don't think it will pull my overall average down this late in the season

The last few days have felt like spring here in New Brunswick. Streets and sidewalks are dry enough that I can walk without fear of falling. Temperatures are in the teens, with the sun shining. My kind of weather – light jacket, shoes (not boots). Today I slept in until 7 am. And woke to sun shining in the window. Almost pain free, without medication, two hours later. It's going to be a good day.
 
Seeler said:
But can you imagine someone throwing three gutter balls in a row?!? And doing it several times?
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I think there may have been a brief tilting of the earth that day, or realignment of the planets that caused such a thing!! Wasn't noticed by most humans - just some of those who were bowling at that precise moment!! o_O
 
Mom and Dad both bowled when I was growing up, as did I on Saturday mornings as a kid/tween. I remember being quite excited about moving from dance - at which I was extremely clumsy/disoriented - to bowling, at which I was less bad (I have lifetime vision issues, being legally blind in my left eye, which just distorts stuff a bit, even when corrected). There's probably still a few trophies around somewhere. Gave it up in my teens. My ex-husband was a bowler in Toronto, but not after we moved back here. The local alley was torn down for a condo development, a few years ago.

There was a slightly important lesson in it, though, and that was the concept of "looking at where you want to end up", which I found curiously helpful when learning to drive.
 
Carolla said:
I think there may have been a brief tilting of the earth that day, or realignment of the planets that caused such a thing!! Wasn't noticed by most humans - just some of those who were bowling at that precise moment!! o_O
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This story is sure to go round in the mythical sensi ...
 
I wonder if regular physio could help your arthritis pain. All the various topical o8ntments can be soothing though short term. Voltarin in one I have used for pain

Keeping limber I think is an important part of health. Easy to wiggle fingers to keep them limber. Harder todo the same with back and neck issues. But gentle yoga maybe?

Sorry you are coping with these conflicting health issues. Keep walking. Keep moving. Keep busy. All helps
 
I believe that MOVING alleviates at least some of the pains of ongoing disease and injury. There seem to have been endless studies to prove that gentle exercise helps those with many issues. This has me beating my head against our Health people trying to get a programme going. I dream of a fun, friendly, supportive group of folks with arthritis, Chronic Fatigue, MS, Parkinson's, COPD etc gathering together to be encouraged to move about. Chair exercise, tai chi/yoga, simple ball games, movements that involve a wall - stretchy bands - holding onto the back of a chair - balance - I'd lead it myself if I could move about and talk at the same time!
 
KayTheCurler said:
I believe that MOVING alleviates at least some of the pains of ongoing disease and injury. There seem to have been endless studies to prove that gentle exercise helps those with many issues. This has me beating my head against our Health people trying to get a programme going. I dream of a fun, friendly, supportive group of folks with arthritis, Chronic Fatigue, MS, Parkinson's, COPD etc gathering together to be encouraged to move about. Chair exercise, tai chi/yoga, simple ball games, movements that involve a wall - stretchy bands - holding onto the back of a chair - balance - I'd lead it myself if I could move about and talk at the same time!
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Sign me up!
 
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