Chronic Pain: How to live a normal life
Living with a chronic illness or condition would be so much easier if you a butler, a cook, a cleaner and generally didn’t have to function to any sort of expectation day-to-day. They say money doesn’t make you happy, it would certainly make my life more tolerable at the moment. So lottery fairies if you’re listening, I’m ready for my windfall!
I have femoral retroversion, it’s a hip condition that means I struggle to sit in chairs, and since my last blog I finally have an operation on the cards. It’s impossible to explain why this is a feeling of joy or need for celebration, those that have been here will understand. It was extremely unlikely that my condition would ever have fixed itself, and whilst physiotherapy did help, it’s not going to ‘get better’ now without intervention, so we were left with limited options.
I’ve decided to wait until after Christmas, I want to enjoy it, I’ve been through too many operations now to allow myself to be fooled by the prospect of a ‘quick fix’, that’s as mythical as a unicorn.
My surgery involves fixing a labral tear (tissue in the hip joint) and shaving the head of the femoral bone. Believe it or not, this was actually the less evasive of the surgical options.
Of course I am nervous, there are a million and one things that could go wrong (I’ve had the pleasure of having them all read out to me recently), and recovery is harder than anyone could possibly imagine but I’m ready to pretend that nothing will go wrong, and I will start to get better. Then it’ll be onto the left hip no doubt. *sigh*
My main challenge now is trying to live a normal life in the meantime if my surgery isn’t until January. Because I have a tear, every time I sit down the femoral head (the ball in the ‘ball & socket’ relationship) is merrily rubbing against said tear, whilst continually making it worse, and p#%sing me off in the process. To put it into context, imagine you have a bad bruise, and there’s that one annoying friend everyone had as a kid that keeps poking it for fun, you get the gist!
But how do you live that normal life, and what is normal now anyway? I can’t remember any different.
I hate being a burden on people, or for this condition to affect anyone else but me, whether that be my family, friends or even work colleagues. It’s a horrible feeling to know you’re a thorn in their side, whether they even realise that or not.
I’ve always tried to be the best at whatever I put my hand to, and I’ll always try to do my best, but when my body feels like it’s flashing 20% low battery all the while, your best is quite possibly now your worst, and you don’t even realise.
Getting washed and dressed, driving to work and painting on that smile does begin to grate on you, but there are times when that just isn’t helping either of you. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to ask for help, I cannot continue anymore like I am, and I’m so glad I did. You will only get help if you ask for it, life isn’t full of guardian angels to sweep down and pick you up if you’re down, pretending everything is fine when it isn’t only hurts you more, mentally as well as physically.
Of course there are some days when my pain is just a flickering candle, and there are times it’s like a roaring bonfire, although apt for this time of year, bonfires are all I seem to be getting at the moment.
We’ve recently had a new puppy (I know you’ll think we’re mad), he’s a Jack Russell called Hughie. Since physio I seem to be better at walking so taking him for a stroll doesn’t seem too bad, he’s only little so doesn’t require regulated exercise at the moment, much like myself.
He can be hard work, and I rely heavily on my husband to do the bulk of the work, but generally his little puppy face lights up my days and can often make me forget all the worries and pain when we have a little snuggle on the sofa, his love really is the best medicine.
How can I live a normal life with chronic pain? The answer: don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
I have femoral retroversion, it’s a hip condition that means I struggle to sit in chairs, and since my last blog I finally have an operation on the cards. It’s impossible to explain why this is a feeling of joy or need for celebration, those that have been here will understand. It was extremely unlikely that my condition would ever have fixed itself, and whilst physiotherapy did help, it’s not going to ‘get better’ now without intervention, so we were left with limited options.
I’ve decided to wait until after Christmas, I want to enjoy it, I’ve been through too many operations now to allow myself to be fooled by the prospect of a ‘quick fix’, that’s as mythical as a unicorn.
My surgery involves fixing a labral tear (tissue in the hip joint) and shaving the head of the femoral bone. Believe it or not, this was actually the less evasive of the surgical options.
Of course I am nervous, there are a million and one things that could go wrong (I’ve had the pleasure of having them all read out to me recently), and recovery is harder than anyone could possibly imagine but I’m ready to pretend that nothing will go wrong, and I will start to get better. Then it’ll be onto the left hip no doubt. *sigh*
My main challenge now is trying to live a normal life in the meantime if my surgery isn’t until January. Because I have a tear, every time I sit down the femoral head (the ball in the ‘ball & socket’ relationship) is merrily rubbing against said tear, whilst continually making it worse, and p#%sing me off in the process. To put it into context, imagine you have a bad bruise, and there’s that one annoying friend everyone had as a kid that keeps poking it for fun, you get the gist!
But how do you live that normal life, and what is normal now anyway? I can’t remember any different.
I hate being a burden on people, or for this condition to affect anyone else but me, whether that be my family, friends or even work colleagues. It’s a horrible feeling to know you’re a thorn in their side, whether they even realise that or not.
I’ve always tried to be the best at whatever I put my hand to, and I’ll always try to do my best, but when my body feels like it’s flashing 20% low battery all the while, your best is quite possibly now your worst, and you don’t even realise.
Getting washed and dressed, driving to work and painting on that smile does begin to grate on you, but there are times when that just isn’t helping either of you. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to ask for help, I cannot continue anymore like I am, and I’m so glad I did. You will only get help if you ask for it, life isn’t full of guardian angels to sweep down and pick you up if you’re down, pretending everything is fine when it isn’t only hurts you more, mentally as well as physically.
Of course there are some days when my pain is just a flickering candle, and there are times it’s like a roaring bonfire, although apt for this time of year, bonfires are all I seem to be getting at the moment.
We’ve recently had a new puppy (I know you’ll think we’re mad), he’s a Jack Russell called Hughie. Since physio I seem to be better at walking so taking him for a stroll doesn’t seem too bad, he’s only little so doesn’t require regulated exercise at the moment, much like myself.
He can be hard work, and I rely heavily on my husband to do the bulk of the work, but generally his little puppy face lights up my days and can often make me forget all the worries and pain when we have a little snuggle on the sofa, his love really is the best medicine.
How can I live a normal life with chronic pain? The answer: don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
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