Since stupidly messing up my steroid dose over Christmas I was just starting to fell a little better at the beginning of last week. As a result I did a little gardening over 3 consecutive days. Nothing strenuous just a bit of pruning and planting - the sun was out and it felt so good at the time. However I now have bad aching in both shoulders and upper arms. It hurts when I try to raise my arms above shoulder height. Neither Ibuprofen or paracetamol are helping and it’s getting worse. My question is do I hang on a bit and see if it is DOMS and improves or do I up the steroids for a few days. I’m currently on 10mg and supposed to by reducing next week to 9.5 on the instructions of my Rheumatologist. I’m delaying that by at least a week. After two and a half years with this illness I thought I would be clued up more with it but it seems that’s not so. As always your advice is invaluable. Thank you, Tiggy 70🌸
DOMS or a flare?: Since stupidly messing up my... - PMRGCAuk
DOMS or a flare?
If it is getting worse it suggests a flare - but it could be a mixture of both, Sorry to be a downer - but whatever you decide to do, only 10-15mins at a time to start. and NEVER on consecutive days!!!! The rest is as important as moderation of the activity.
Thanks. I guess I thought an hour was nothing as pre PMR I could easily have worked in the garden for 6 hours or more. I did worry a bit about doing it on consecutive days though but the weather was sunny and it was calling out to me. Another lesson learnt. If it’s DOMS that I’ve got how long after resting am I likely to be see an improvement? I’m thinking I’ll rest for another 3-4 days then if it’s no better I’ll up my steroid dose to 14mg for about 5 days and then back to 10mg.
Depends how bad it is - longer than it used to be but it can sometimes take weeks to really go. It ls why we bang on about pacing so much. This is a whole new world and a new normal. You can't ever go by what you used to do!
Point taken! I just wish I could get through this illness without constantly having to learn the hard way!
Er - read the FAQs and ask on the forum before trying something and you are likely to get the benefit of a community that has already been there and got the t-shirt! It is what we hope to do - pass on our hard-won knowledge.
Like so many others I totally rely on this forum and the knowledge and expertise you all pass on. Thank you, I’d be lost without you.
nottheT-shirt,morelikethefactory!Bless you.
Agree with my honourable friend -and 3 days on the bounce gardening is a killer!
I’ve thought about doing some gentle pottering in my garden especially when the sun is shining, it’s very tempting. I know that I’d overdo it though, just as I used to before becoming unwell. Perhaps I’ll set a timer for 10 mins, but I’ll need to be strict with myself and not ignore it. Even 10 mins would be an achievement. I hope you get some relief from the awful aching soon.
I think pruning is a particularly dangerous activity specially if you lean forward and bend a bit. Crouching to plant anything is also bad. I have suffered every single time.
Bending and crouching is out for me now, I think I need to modify my garden!
yes, I think we need to modify our garden. It’s not that big but my soil is not good for perennials so I have a lot of planting in the autumn and then again for summer colour. I also like growing tomatoes, cucumbers, beans etc on a small scale. Gardening is one of my mindfulness activities and I would miss it so much. Unfortunately my husband has no interest in gardening. He mows the lawn and helps me if I nag him enough😵💫😵💫
Mine is quite big, much too big for me to deal with now. Luckily my soil is very good for perennials, which I prefer. I used to grow tomatoes, runner beans and potatoes but didn’t feel well enough last year. I really missed it, it’s very therapeutic if you become absorbed in what you are doing. I have someone to mow the lawn and cut the hedges and am now considering getting someone for a half day overhaul. It works out quite expensive and is frustrating when I remember how (like you) I used to be able to maintain it myself.
Bending and crouching takes its toll on so many body parts. I avoid it if I can. When planting I skoot along on my bottom on a piece of heavy plastic sheeting. I’m beginning to think more pots and gravelled areas are going to be much easier to maintain.🌺
I used to think it was good exercise and was helping me to keep fit. I love your inventiveness, my problem would be getting down in the first place and then getting up again. I decided on more pots, but small ones need more watering and large ones are impossible to move once in position! I also thought about gravel but we have a lot of cats around here……. 😖My current thinking is (although I don’t like the idea) as much paving as I can afford. I haven’t looked into it yet but imagine it would be quite expensive.💷💷💷
@jinasc remodelled her garden with raised beds - and it doesn't have to cost a fortune.
flowerpotman.com/gardening-....
Oh, very interesting. Will definitely take a look at that. Thanks very much PMRpro. 🌸
I got some not very high raised beds and it made a huge difference, not least psychologically. Smaller area to tackle at a time and not so over whelming. They can be raised higher as the need increases!Having said that, on a dry day day (rare) last week I gathered leaves from a path no longer than 10 metres and am still paying for it.
Not being able to do things that gave so much reward and pleasure takes a lot of adjustment.
I think raised beds may be a possibility for me too.
I used to spend hours in the garden every day and have found nothing to replace it. It’s been part of my life for sixty four years so has a very strong emotional attachment for me.
Agreed, adjustment takes time. I think it’s about the realisation and acceptance of our capabilities, not easy.
The raised beds took some initial work where help was needed. I had a lot of my own compost which went into the beds. I top them up each year, so do not need to dig. The beauty is that if you work on one section at a time (probably over time) so you can where you have been! Nothing worse than a lot of work where you can't see where you have been.
I have also joined in with a neighbour when needing compost/whatever from a garden centre. The combined order qualifies us for free delivery so no need for getting it in and out of car boot. If I am really lucky and it is the right driver, he will even put the order in the garage. Makes a lot of difference.
Great idea not having to dig.
You really seem to have things under control, I know I will get there if I apply myself.
the 'control' sounds better than the reality but it helps a lot!
Rachmaninov2 we have tried to 'age proof' our garden over the last few years. The front lawn was very steep so we had it terraced with sleepers and covered with bark. We have replaced the flags on our patio with decorative stone because the flags were always needing jet washing. The small rear lawn is now also covered with decorative stone. We have lots of cats around but no problems with this. We have pots instead of beds, and around the perimeter the OH built a stone wall which is a sort of raised bed with bushes in. Lastly, we talked the neighbours into cutting back their very tall trees so that there are far less leaves to deal with! I hope that you find a solution that allows you to continue enjoying your gardening, albeit with less effort.
Thank you for describing how you have ‘age proofed’ your garden, I can picture it in my mind. I imagine the shape to be similar to mine apart from the steep front lawn.
Well done in managing to talk your neighbours into getting their trees cut back. I wonder how you went about that as I know it’s expensive. Some years ago I paid to have a neighbours tall Leylandii tree cut back as it was overhanging my garden and blocking out the light.
I appreciate your good wishes, thank you.
To be honest it wasn't that difficult. The neighbour's son has been doing a bit at the bushes himself, and from time to time he has had someone in to cut down or trim down tall trees. However he never seemed to do the ones that were annoying us! We were spending forever picking up their leaves up in the autumn. So we just had a word and asked would they mind if we cut back the parts that were overhanging our garden. We did do a bit of that, but suddenly the son appeared and did loads of thinning out, even coming on our side and asking what we wanted. Wish we'd asked years ago! Mind you, I did lay it on a bit thick about getting too old to deal with it all! 😉
Ah, yes I might try laying it on a bit thick too.
They have some very good ideas, I like the idea of using sleepers to make raised beds. I think this link will be useful to others too.
Will definitely look into it. Thanks again.
I have the same problem; getting up and down to plant. I bought a fold up garden stool. It’s tubular metal frame with a canvas seat. Light to move or carry but sturdy. It made a huge difference. I can sit, bend from seated to plant and then move it two or three feet. I sit at a garden table to do most of the potting etc. it’s rewarding to find ways to adapt! Good luck.
The garden stool sounds perfect, I’ll look into it. Like you, my garden table is also my gardening table.
Thank you for the tip and your good wishes.
How about a good ground cover rather than pavement?
It’s a good idea, perhaps a combination of the two. I think I’ll sit down and draw some sort of design using all these helpful suggestions.
oh the siren call of the garden. It was “just a bit of pruning” we say. The trouble is that if one was used to whacking out a 6 hour stint, ten minutes feels pathetic and pointless. However, to start, ten minutes is what it has to be. And don’t get me started on shears and loppers, especially loppers; the work of the devil. I put out bamboo canes to mark the area that I cannot exceed to avoid the head down, tunnel vision fuelled, “I’ll just do this bit”. Three days on the trot 🤦
I can relate so much to what you are saying. I don’t usually let my garden get to the point where I need to play catch up with it but last year was difficult due to 2 shoulder surgeries in two months in September and November. I was actually planting tulips and daffodils last week which should have been in planted in the autumn. They were sprouting in bags in my garage and look so sad 😕. I’ve still got two borders to work on but they’ll have to wait until the spring now. I could probably afford to employ a gardener to do some of the work but it’s the actual physical gardening that I so enjoy - or did enjoy!
Same here, it was my soul food. I couldn’t do much for 4 years and had to beg my husband to do things and then watch while he did a hatchet job.
Sorry you are going through this Tiggy. It’s amazing how one small job can be too much. It brought to mind one sunny day last year when I decided to pull the weed out of the pond. The cold water was so good on my arthritic hands and because my back was hurting I lay down to pull the weeds out. All went well until it was time to get up. I just couldn’t! How can you not get up I asked myself! Half an hour later my husband rescued me. My poor body. It took more than two G&Ts to recover lol.
Hi, I hope things are improving for you. I seem to be learning the hard way with this damn illness. A G&T sounds like a great idea. I’m just off to get one as it’s gone past 5.00 pm 😜. Maybe a few crisps as well because it’s the weekend!
Just reading an article - tree nuts are far better for you!!!!!
That's the only problem with lighter afternoons - sun and yard arm and all that. Evening glass of wine at 4.00pm still feels right!
Oh this has been so interesting. I fear I have become allergic to gardening and fear the price I have to pay if I do the smallest amount. It is very comforting to learn I’m not the only one. So Tiggy apart from the G&T (the best idea) please let us know what you do do and how it works out.
hi Tiggy, I love my garden and have been gardening since I was a child. I too get so frustrated that I can’t be out there ‘all day’ so we have compromised. We have a small greenhouse, and my lovely husband has made quite deep raised beds for the veg so less bending. But the absolute best is we have a wonderful lady gardener who come every week for two hours even through the winter so everything is kept under control. I know we are blessed to be able to afford her and now she is our lovely friend and we make decisions together. When I am out there I don’t time myself but know when I’ve done enough and am breaking the habit of ‘just finish this bit’. the next day I rest. I so rely on this site for all the encouragement and advice and three years on I’m still here. Hang in there and enjoy what you can do not what you can’t do. Don’ t get frustrated and always remember to rest. Take care.
It is so good when we can see the funny side of this damn PMR! I have smiled this morning reading this thread 😃! Yes Tiggy please do let us know how you are getting on. I hope you recover soon. I always do that when I am having a good day. I was in the swimming pool three times last week and can hardly move this weekend. It did feel good though!
I would say you have overdone it, I make this mistake quite often. I start to feel good and away I go. I have had this dreadful condition for over 5 years, and am now on 5mgs of Pred. I can’t seem to get below this without everything taking a downward turn.
How are you trying to get below 5mg?
If not already perhaps try 0.5mg a time, and a slower tapering scheme, see here for examples -
healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...
.. and maybe make a concerted effort to stop doing this - ‘I make this mistake quite often. I start to feel good and away I go’ 🤦🏻♀️
I’ve tried every which way. My Rheumy is very helpful and understanding
Good to hear Rheumy is understanding …. Perhaps you are just one of the unlucky ones where PMR doesn’t want to go…
I think you might be right. My Rheumy said the same x
Thank goodness there are some who accept that!
Yes, I’m very lucky. He is such a nice man.
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