Hello all,
I haven’t been on this section for a long time, due to my many other conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis & newish one, Smouldering Myeloma affecting me. But I would be glad of any advice/contact on the Osteoarthritis.
I started with Fibromyalgia in my mid-late 40’s, now aged 62 & as the NHS was working a lot better then, a Rheumatologist examining me suspected there was something else going on. He had X rays done immediately, got a nurse to give me a steroid injection & announced I had severe Osteoarthritis in one hip especially & the other may get worse. I then saw a surgeon & had the left hip replaced at age 48. Unfortunately, over next few years, the other hip got worse, but the surgery I was at would not even send me for an X ray, fobbing me off. I would have kept pushing it, but with other life events, a different GP in same surgery diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis, I was so shocked, I left the hip situation.
Fast forward the last 2 years, the NHS in the East of England is much, much worse. My Rheumatologist last July said I needed the right hip replacement, went on a list for the surgeon, who saw me in December 2023. But it will likely be 12-18 months wait.
I moved into a small bungalow in a sheltered housing scheme, been getting around reasonably well with my walker/with seat outside, on buses. I tripped on dodgy paving outside 3 years ago, it was advised I should stop using just the walking stick. I adjusted to it fairly slowly & ok, independence is important to me. But in late March, for no known reason & no warning, I fell inside the bungalow, onto my side & bruised left arm, used the pendant alarm system here & 2 people came & got me up & sorted.
But a week or so later I was outside my small yard, by the wheelie bin, no phone on me & suddenly fell again, but this time fully on my back. I just knew it had knocked the dodgy hip/lower back, there was no bleeding. It was about 6 pm, know one around, but thankfully someone at the back of my place saw me & got her husband to come & get me up. I saw the GP (now in a newer, larger surgery) but after a few tests, no idea what had caused these. Late April, I was away for a week in Wales & walked more than usual on small, uneven surfaces & started to get pretty bad pain & struggled to move, even inside. I stayed in one day, took it slowly, but after 2 weeks home, I’m much worse. I can barely move round my home, with the walker & stick, tried to request a steroid injection from surgery, but they’re passing the buck to the hospital.
I did have co-codamol from ages ago, but ran out, even my usual Amitripyline/small dose of Morphine isn’t doing much. Tried to get help from Social Care & useless, waffling about befrienders & physio. On Friday the surgery booked me for a phone call with their pharmacist, but not until 24 Th of this month. Now, the other leg at the upper thigh is hurting, though not as much as the dodgy one, presumably to compensate? I’ve only been out locally to the co-op , last weekend what usually takes 30 minutes there & back. This time it took about an hour & 15 minutes, had to keep stopping to sit down.
Apologies for rambling on, but few people really understand what this is like, though one has offered to pick things up for me. Any suggestions/advice/what I’ve missed?🤔💊😢
I am new to this site and RA. For years I have suffered phases of extreme pain in my feet, hands and elbows.
Just another pain
Ultrasound guided hip joint injections 
Pain in Hands and Hips on Methotrexate
