Moving house. 74yrs old and feeling it.

[Whippetygirl]

Feeling a little better at the moment, last Sunday I tried to pull a weed out but it was deep rooted and snapped, the pain at the top of my arm was excruciating and brought me to tears. A week on it is still painful, is this because of the PMR, also in the next two weeks I will be moving house, leaving my husband and moving nearer to both my daughters who will be minutes away from me and are very supportive.i am very isolated here terraced house parking permits, my daughters work full time so I can not see them during the day and they can not park here at night. Had operation for spinal stenosis last August then developed PMR then two kidney stones , I came out of hospital the day after the operation and that night husband went to the pub leaving me I pain and feeling very sick, had to phone him to come home and pick me up off the bathroom floor.Any advice on how to cope would be very much appreciated.

[HeronNS]

I've had upper arm pain. Something to do with rotator cuff, although not what they call a "torn" rotator cuff. I think this is a fairly common add on with PMR/pred. PMR makes it harder for our muscles to recover from exercise or injury, and pred can weaken the muscles, so it's sort of a double whammy. My physiotherapist gave me some exercises and also deep massage and some low intensity light therapy. Still not perfect but much better, the excruciating, tear-jerking twinges do not happen any more and I can use the arm.

The stress you've been under the last few months hasn't made things better for you, but I hope the end is in sight and things begin to improve once your move is behind you.

When you've finished moving, is there a chance you can see a physiotherapist? They can often really help with the add ons, and even a couple of visits with them giving you some treatment and a few exercises to take home can make all the difference. And having your supportive daughters near you will be such a relief.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Have you had the shoulder pain checked out? You really should.

Just hold on to the fact things will get better - even if it feels worse getting there.

[Marilyn1959]

Crikey Whippetygirl. You have an awful lot going on at present. Your emotional and physical well being are trully being tested and of course stress/angst perpetuates PMR symptoms.

In respect of your pain in your arm, if it presents in one arm, rather than both, then it is likely you could have strained a muscle. PMR does affect our muscles and, where pulling a weed pre PMR may have been possible previously, it can impact on us negatively when we have weakened muscles as a result of the condition. However if you have any Oesteoporosis present it could be a fracture. Personally I would get it checked out with GP, especially since you are not taking calcium because of your stones.

They say moving home is one of the most stressful events in life, especially so in your circumstances I would imagine. Your PMR will likely thrive on your increased stress levels. Are you being assisted with your packing, moving and unpacking?

If you do see GP let him / her know what is happening in your life so that he / she has the 'whole' picture and can then make an informed decision re meds. It may be that higher level of pred needs to be prescribed to help get you through this next month. Depending on when you last had your bloods done, it may be worth requesting blood test to support any decisions re level of pred as well as, with everything going on, it will be difficult to know if it is the PMR or other factors going on.

Wish you well with the move. Let us know how it goes.

[Whippetygirl in reply to Marilyn1959]

Yes I have my eldest daughter and two grandchildren in their twenties helping, youngest daughter in Australia with my grandson for two weeks. On 25mgs of Prednisilone at the moment and coping with that, I am also taking magnesium, vit K2 , Krill oil, a multivitamin and having a protein drink at lunchtime, plus paracetamol x4 daily. Other half a married bachelor, last month in Portugal, this month walking in the Peak District and at the moment in Croatia so at least it is peaceful here. I also have two dogs a whippet and a lurcher that I walk 3x a day so I am getting some exercise. I am moving back to my old house with a lovely garden and parking for two cars which I have been renting out 2 mins from one daughter and 5 minutes from other. I know when I have settled in I will be fine and looking forward to it. Then the financial battle will begin, we have been married for twenty years and I did not think it would have ended like this.

[Hidden in reply to Whippetygirl]

💜

[Marilyn1959 in reply to Whippetygirl]

Sounds like you actually have things under control in so far as is practicable and possible. It is very fortunate that you have a home to go to that you are familiar with and is close to your daughters.

My sister went through similar two years ago, though she found out her husband had been cheating on her after twenty years of marriage. It was a month before her daughter was getting married and two weeks after our Mum's funeral. So awful timing, though I guess there is no 'good' time for the break up of a relationship.

Obviously she struggled emmotionally at the time, especially since the 'other woman' was a friend. Something you don't envisage or anticipate in your sixties!

However she is coping well now and quite enjoying her independence in a strange way. She also enjoys the sense of peace and quite. She has a wide circle of supportive friends and is 'dipping her toes' into new experiences, even in dating websites! Whilst that may not be everyone's cup of tea it does demonstrate that as one door closes another opens.

It sounds like you are looking forward to spending more time with your girls and Grandchildren and enjoying your garden.

Stay strong and I hope that shoulder improves. I wish you well both physically and mentally.

[Whippetygirl in reply to Marilyn1959]

Thank you, you never know what life is going to throw at you, and it has thrown quite a lot at me in the last ten months. Quietly moving forward, making the most of oh being away makes things much easier. My heart goes out to your sister it must have been such a shock, but pleased she is moving forward, not easy at this age, I admire her courage.

[Hidden]

You have taken positive steps to deal with the aspects of your life that you believed needed changing and that's no small thing. It's no easier when you have health issues going on.

Try to rest the arm, but not immobilise it. Try icing it and when you sleep support it on a pillow. You do need to see someone to give you treatment and correct exercises. I presume you have taken paracetamol or similar?

Overall it's not going to be easy until you move. But when that's done I can see you sitting and taking some nice deep breaths of relief and you can start looking after you, and having your daughter's nearby will be lovely. 🌻

[5lupins]

It's never too late to find peace in your life, and two daughters nearby will be good. Good wishes for your future happiness. Jen.