So, I made my declaration that I was grieving my old life, but I would "choose to dance" with this condition (PMR) , and stop pushing myself to recover faster, and learn acceptance, etc... So many fabulous replies and support. Thank you for that!
Last week saw my rheumy and he agreed that physical therapy would be good for me to regain some strength as I have become deconditioned, but won't clear me to return to work yet. I also decided that I have gained enough weight and the carbs gotta go. Doc said to walk 30 mins a day... Even if I had to break it up in increments. I was Rarin' to go.
On Sat hubby and I went for a long walk in a park, it was lovely and we decided we would start walking together and build strength so we can take hikes! So excited! Sunday we took another, much shorter walk near the beach, on a wide, even, easy trail. The views of the ocean were glorious, the weather was Divine.... And I'm feeling so UP!!!
Until I wasn't.
My Right foot found a hole that my eyes did not see. Well, what followed wasn't pretty. Wiped out in grand fashion, took all the skin off my left knee and various abrasions down the entire leg. I was shocked but I could stand after a few mins, and I could walk, although gingerly....
Managed to finish the trail and return to car .... Got home and cleaned it up and put the ice on etc.... The bump was just was huge (hematoma - blood under the skin causing swelling). I'm a nurse, so I wrapped it with an elastic bandage,.. And The next day haLf my foot was black but the swelling had gone down.
I had appt on Monday am, and I went, hobbling along, thinking I guess I'm going to need a splint... Because I'm pretty sure I wrenched a ligament or something. So I go to an ortho clinic ( walk in)... Long story shorter?
Broken foot.
Had to call hubby to come for me bc I can't drive home - and won't be driving for 8 weeks!!! My body strength was already poor and now they want me to hurtle this body along with these aluminum sticks under my arms. As I write this it's been a bit over 24 hours since the first cast was placed. I believe I have had to pee at least 16 times. That's 16 trips down the hall to the bathroom, banging along the walls in the hallway. Almost impossible to follow strict instructions of NO WEIGHT BEARING. And let me tell you, crutches are WAY harder to use than they look!!!
My cats can't get out of my way fast enough, they are terrorized, I think. I drag myself to the kitchen... and see that it needs attention... And I pick up a glass to carry to the sink. Wait! I can't carry a glass while manuerving on these aluminum torture sticks! I can't do anything with my hands while I'm standing!!!! Actually, just about now my hands/ wrists make it exceedingly clear that if I don't sit down immediately, they are going to betray me right here on the kitchen floor!!!
Honest to God. I'm not in pain... Uncomfortable but not in pain... Have to lie down most if the time in order for my foot to be elevated enough. Am absolutely worthless for contributing to the household.
So here I find myself again... Can't very well continue to fight anxiety with thinking I should be back to work... Because, well, I can't even bathe myself!!!
Seriously? Taper? What's that? Oh yeah I have PMR, Too.... I'd laugh but I think I'd end up hysterically cackling. The Universe is determined that I am going to slow down. Dead slow.
Stay tuned. You never know what's next!
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Zacsmimi
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Oh dear - what a time you've been having! You poor thing. On the bright side, at least no one can say you look fine... there may be some bizarre advantages to having a visible ailment after all the invisibilty of PMR.
I am recovering after breaking my tibia and fibula above my left ankle the end of March. During the 2 months that I could not bear weight, I tried crutches to little avail around the house. I rented a scooter that I could push with my right foot. This scooter had hysterical moments as our home is very small so corners were a challenge. However, scooter and me finally became pretty good pals and usually worked together pretty well. I used a wheelchair when we went out anywhere, using the crutches to help me get In and out of the car. I sat in the back seat while my dear husband drove me everywhere. A woman friend came several mornings a week to help me bathe, get dressed, fix breakfast and encourage, laugh and cry with me. I am now walking without any assistance, and just have plates and screws holding the bones together. It's been quite a ride on top of PMR/ GCA, plus my 97 year old father dying. . Take a day at a time, and get out every day you can just to smell the flowers.
I wish you the very best in your healing and journey.
When I was on crutches I got so frustrated and it hurt too much to use them but then I found on line that you can hire a small wheelchair by the week which allowed me to move round the house and got my independence back
I know what you mean about the crutches! I too did the marathon hop, stagger etc to the kitchen on day one, made a cup of tea and then felt really silly looking at it realizing I had to stand and drink it there. I laughed at myself in case I cried. Laughter really is the best medicine but there are lots of aids to help you. The long grabber thing is just great for retrieving dropped newspapers, tv remotes etc, even prodding awake snoozing other halfs for cups of tea. Good luck and get well soon.
Oh dear, Zacsmimi, no, it's so not funny but whatever you've done to your foot, you haven't dented your sense of humour. But, ouch! Poor you.....and poor pusscats! We're normally recommending people to take it easy on here, but you haven't got any choice, have you. The important thing now is that you heal really well and soon....and keep smiling through it all. Lots of good luck wishes.xx
I can really relate to it! I use a walker and Bank holiday Sunday, out for a walk with family and trying to manoeuvre said walker down a kerb, I hit a loose stone. Went face down on to a concrete road surface. I was in a panic - with two joint replacements falling on to concrete was not the best idea!
Thankfully I got off very lightly considering, as the walker itself broke my fall. So, one arm grazed and bruised, ditto one leg. But the other leg is a sight to be seen...........10 days later I still have an enormous haematoma on right leg - it looks as if I'm wearing half a plum on it! And it is very painful and sore. The strut on the walker broke my fall (if it hadn't, don't think I would be writing this today) so mixed luck that day.
All the medics I have seen have said the same thing - try not to break it, so I'm trying, I'm trying!
Don't even think about reducing the dose for several weeks. Shock can take a long time to make it's presence known and your body has had a traumatic time in any case. Hope the 8 weeks goes quickly for you.
Oh dear, you have been in the wars! Maybe a painful and frustrating reminder that, with PMR, our bodies are much weaker and more prone to strains and sprains (if not worse things) than before? And, of course, the dreaded steroid-induced Brain Fog doesn't help.
I've had a couple of similar (but not as bad as yours) set backs as a result of over-doing it when a frail body can't keep up with an eager brain. First, a badly strained calf muscle and then a strained achilles tendon - in both cases due to 'running before I could walk', (excuse the pun).
Fortunately, neither injury needed surgery and I managed to hobble around without sticks or crutches by adopting a John Wayne-style swagger. But both injuries slowed me down (even more) for a few weeks and made me feel quite miserable beneath my fiendish, defiant grin. One step forwards and two back...?
At least you can see the lighter side of things, and your post really made me smile - thank you! I'm sure a SOH helps some of us, at least, to get through the tough bits with this illness and all of the co-lateral damage it brings.
On the positive side, things often do improve, albeit slowly and despite the setbacks. I've just spent a couple of days doing some quite strenuous practical jobs around the house that I wouldn't have had the strength or confidence* to attempt even a few months ago - lifting, stretching, bending, climbing ladders etc (*especially climbing a ladder). And strangely, rather than feeling wiped-out afterwards, I feel 'nicely' tired, relatively un-stiff, and with a sense of achievement. MB 1, PMR 0 - Result!
So, the moral of the story? As you and others here suggest, we have to let go of / grieve for some of our 'old' self, and pacing ourselves physically (and mentally!) is difficult but still important even when feeling that bit better. But we can still 'dance' with PMR - i.e. by looking forward to and cautiously attempting to do some of the things we enjoy, to gently explore / find our new and hopefully improving limits. That must be good for the self-confidence as well stimulating those sleepy adrenals slowly back into action..?
Looking forward to your updates, and fingers crossed you're back on two feet again soon.
Now, where's the car washing kit, I have the family 'fleet' to maintain!
Oh my goodness, what a time you are having. I can relate to all of what you say. I have had to give up crutches now but I remember how hard that was when I broke my ankle some years ago and that was without the PMR and other problems! I now use Nordic walking poles and reckon I probably hold the record for the slowest Nordic walker ever! Would Nordic Shuffle be an appropriate paralympic sport perhaps BUT that being said, they do help me keep upright and take some of my ever increasing weight off my poorly knees. Cats, the world's greatest zen masters, except when confronted with my poles or rollator, my large orange fluffy eyes my aids suspiciously and as soon as I move runs for the hills. He just doesn't realise I wouldn't have a hope of catching him. As you can tell, humour is my salvation. This week has been bad, went for a shuffle on Monday which has physically wiped me out. Mentally I am at sixes and sevens as I have a "Work Capability Assessment" for ESA benefit (the torture the British Government has inflicted on the sick and disabled) on Saturday. Dreading it! So you have my empathy and its so good to share. Hope you heal well and can get back on the road to recovery. xxx
As a Nurse I am sure you will be able to manage, but just in case you are one of those nurses who do not take care of themselves................
Contact Social Services and get a bedside commode.
I had an op for a snapped tendon and NO WEIGHT BEARING FOR MONTHS, if there had been any, I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life as the foot would have turned out 45% and complete loss of balance.
So bedbound for two months and then crutches, zimmer frame and wheelchair. Plasters renewed every two weeks.
Op in 9th January - learning to walk again - end of August.
Hire a wheelchair (Red Cross loans them out - I gave them a donation as they do good work). Used that chair to get from bedroom to bathroom. Had a plastic garden chair in the shower and a large plastic bag taped over the said foot up to the thigh (bin bags were very useful - the strong ones).
Arnica tablets to help clear internal bruising. Double base gel (can be got on prescription - use all the time ie before showering and after showering - helps you thinning skin (Great Ormond use it all the time).
Do not worry about housework - you dust - which just shifts it around and it settles back about 15mins later.
Finally learn to become a precious princess (I know one of those and copied her and it worked - she had PMR also) You will soon be back to the hustle and bustle so treat this as a bonus in your life. Your future patients will bless you when you finally get back to nursing as you will have learned so much from this experience.
Oh dear - I can empathise with the non-weightbearing bit except when it happened to me I didn't get a cast (in Italy. Don't ask!). Though in the UK they DID give me a cast and TBH I thought that was far worse. It weighed a ton - but it was full length.
You will definitely be slowing down - and do be careful. I have used crutches since I've had PMR too but they were elbow ones. My arms and hands got VERY sore. Leave it all to everybody else - and keep being energetic for the loo trips!
Strategically placed tables and other such resting places work to transfer cups of tea from the kettle to the seat. And a stable wheeled trolley is easy to shove and follow. Can I remember the other wrinkles I worked out?????
O my goodness. What bad luck. I do have a little tip for you, however. You are immobilized. Only you aren't. You can do some isometric exercises while seated. When I had my broken leg that's what the doctor told me to do. So I just tightened and released muscles, particularly in the injured leg which couldn't bear weight for five weeks. After two weeks my knee splint (I had a removeable splint not a cast) was "unlocked" so I could bend it again, but still had to keep weight off. I know what you mean about transporting liquids while on crutches. I got quite good at moving a glass of water or a cup of tea from surface to surface, making its way from kitchen counter to living room side table. Mind you, PMR didn't make its nasty appearance until shortly after I was back on two feet again, so I quite enjoyed the enforced rest. It was diving into everything 100% after knee declared knitted which did me in I think.
The hardest thing was trying to feed the cats or change their water without major spillage. 😹😼
When I broke my ankle had to use crutches before my PMR days went into kitchen made cup of tea then like you how do I carry it, then remembered I had a thermos mug with a lid on poured tea into that and managed to carry it by handle to armchair, if I wanted a sandwich wrapped it in cling film on plate and put it into my shoulder bag or anything else I wanted to eat, hospital gave me a commode left it downstairs in day time while on my own and by the side of bed at night, goodness knows how you manage with having PMR as well, hope you feel better soon. Val
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funny old week
Almost a month since diagnosed with GCA/PMR
Still on Prednisone after almost 3 years will I ever be off it
I was almost there
