You're too young for arthritis?
Millions of people all over the world live with arthritis.
It doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, religion or even age. Anyone can suffer.
I’ve been a ‘member’ of my local orthopaedic hospital since 2011, and I often refer to it as my second home. Most will dislike some/all hospitals. It’s the sounds and sterile smells that can make you feel uneasy, but that believe it or not, brings me comfort. It’s familiar, my safe space.
That hospital is full of various consultants, nurses, physiotherapists and even admin staff that I've grown to know and love. I know it must sound ridiculous to imagine a hospital could bring you any happiness, but it’s just normal to me and I’d hate to go anywhere else now.
I have femoral retroversion, which means the head of my thigh bones are tilted backwards. It’s caused significant damage to both knee and hip joints over the years.
I was lucky enough to have a healthy body for the first 15-20 years of my life, but I've now had 9 operations, 4 of which were to my joints, with another hip operation in a weeks time.
Unfortunately I am one of those millions, living with arthritis. I am now 36.
To be honest, if you saw me in the street, you'd probably never guess.
For the most part, in between surgeries, I am strong enough to walk my dog and go to work and generally look like I’m ‘OK’, but behind closed doors, as with so many of us, it’s a different story.
Thankfully, with the social media coverage it receives today, arthritis has received amazing support in the fight against the stigma, that only the older generation suffer, but I’m still faced with the confusion when others find out I’m a sufferer from it.
To have a home that is filled with mobility aids, when I walk around my house looking ‘normal’, just seems to baffle them. If there was a ‘through the keyhole’ programme, with the aids and my crochet box, they’d probably guess I’m well into my 70’s.
My surgeons are doing the best they can to preserve my joints, but it’s only a matter of time before all 4 are replaced, of that I am certain. It can overwhelm you if you let it, but I try to take each day or week at a time.
In the race of “which will go first”, my right knee is well and truly gunning for first prize. I never imagined that in my 30’s, I’d have joints that even my physio grimaces at. I only need to learn to play a brass instrument now, and I think we’d make a great one woman band.
Osteoarthritis most commonly affects adults in their 50’s or above, which is quite apt, given that I’ve never been early for anything in my life.
Unfortunately there’s no cure for my condition, not until I'm a bionic woman anyway.
I accepted a long time ago, that I will always live with chronic pain, but it doesn’t define who I am as a person, and I try not to let it dictate what I can and can’t do.
I’ve tried a lot of medication, from pain relief to muscle relaxants, but just recently I’m considering glucosamine.
Glucosamine is naturally found in the body. It's made up from glucose and an amino acid, glutamine. It's needed to produce a molecule used to help repair cartilage (and other tissues). I've read its success is truly dependant on how/why the arthritis has formed in the first place.
Because I have femoral retroversion, it means that my cartilage damage is caused by a friction of tissues, physically wearing it down, rather than a natural cartilage reduction, caused by disease. But at this point, I'll try anything.
Of course I know I can’t go running anytime soon, but there are plenty of things I can still do.
It doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, religion or even age. Anyone can suffer.
I’ve been a ‘member’ of my local orthopaedic hospital since 2011, and I often refer to it as my second home. Most will dislike some/all hospitals. It’s the sounds and sterile smells that can make you feel uneasy, but that believe it or not, brings me comfort. It’s familiar, my safe space.
That hospital is full of various consultants, nurses, physiotherapists and even admin staff that I've grown to know and love. I know it must sound ridiculous to imagine a hospital could bring you any happiness, but it’s just normal to me and I’d hate to go anywhere else now.
I have femoral retroversion, which means the head of my thigh bones are tilted backwards. It’s caused significant damage to both knee and hip joints over the years.
I was lucky enough to have a healthy body for the first 15-20 years of my life, but I've now had 9 operations, 4 of which were to my joints, with another hip operation in a weeks time.
Unfortunately I am one of those millions, living with arthritis. I am now 36.
To be honest, if you saw me in the street, you'd probably never guess.
For the most part, in between surgeries, I am strong enough to walk my dog and go to work and generally look like I’m ‘OK’, but behind closed doors, as with so many of us, it’s a different story.
Thankfully, with the social media coverage it receives today, arthritis has received amazing support in the fight against the stigma, that only the older generation suffer, but I’m still faced with the confusion when others find out I’m a sufferer from it.
To have a home that is filled with mobility aids, when I walk around my house looking ‘normal’, just seems to baffle them. If there was a ‘through the keyhole’ programme, with the aids and my crochet box, they’d probably guess I’m well into my 70’s.
My surgeons are doing the best they can to preserve my joints, but it’s only a matter of time before all 4 are replaced, of that I am certain. It can overwhelm you if you let it, but I try to take each day or week at a time.
In the race of “which will go first”, my right knee is well and truly gunning for first prize. I never imagined that in my 30’s, I’d have joints that even my physio grimaces at. I only need to learn to play a brass instrument now, and I think we’d make a great one woman band.
Osteoarthritis most commonly affects adults in their 50’s or above, which is quite apt, given that I’ve never been early for anything in my life.
Unfortunately there’s no cure for my condition, not until I'm a bionic woman anyway.
I accepted a long time ago, that I will always live with chronic pain, but it doesn’t define who I am as a person, and I try not to let it dictate what I can and can’t do.
I’ve tried a lot of medication, from pain relief to muscle relaxants, but just recently I’m considering glucosamine.
Glucosamine is naturally found in the body. It's made up from glucose and an amino acid, glutamine. It's needed to produce a molecule used to help repair cartilage (and other tissues). I've read its success is truly dependant on how/why the arthritis has formed in the first place.
Because I have femoral retroversion, it means that my cartilage damage is caused by a friction of tissues, physically wearing it down, rather than a natural cartilage reduction, caused by disease. But at this point, I'll try anything.
Of course I know I can’t go running anytime soon, but there are plenty of things I can still do.
I hear you, I'm on the same hippie boards and I've had 10 surgeries on hips, but now hands are going due to CMC joint Arthritis, and shoulders too. Hippie hugs x
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