I recently had some trouble in my left hip; I was getting regular 'stabs' of excruciating pain.
My initial home-diagnosis was arthritis, and a depressing picture of inactivity stuck in my mind for several days. I imagined being confined to the house, not being able to complete all the work I've undertaken, not even being able to saw and split logs for the fire. To be honest, I thought I'd come to the end of my useful life, and my future was simply to vegetate and grow old. It was all extremely depressing.
However, the pains have now subsided, and I am left with a small ache, which suggests that my alternative self-diagnosis of a pulled or torn muscle was probably what had happened.
Having only recently been given considerable encouragement about my diabetes control, this was a severe shock to my general medical-state confidence. I had begun to feel like the illustration above, and I didn't like it one bit.
It doesn't take much to make one extremely depressed, and it doesn't take much to have that depression lifted, but every time I have a new ache or pain I know that the time is approaching when I will no longer be able to do all the crazy things I now do.
So, top of my Christmas wish-list this year is a stay-young-n-active pill. I still have so much to do and I can't afford to be either weak or immobile for quite some while yet; if ever.
Stay away from self diagnosis via Google. No good can come from that !
ReplyDeleteMine came from within. No help was needed, which was probably why I was wrong.
DeleteI can understand that. For me also every pain is terminal untill it passes.
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling!
DeleteI think it's very easy to fall prey to sad, morbid thoughts and worry this time of year. I'm sorry to hear you've been feeling so bad.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you, but I think a few bright, sunny, warm summer days would fix me right up! Too bad it will be months before that's possible.
I do suffer from Winter depression, maybe this was just part of it.
DeleteFirst Stephenson and now you. I am surrounded by old crocks in blogland.
ReplyDeleteOld Cro-cks?
DeleteJust Winter blues...remember how great you feel being out and about with the dogs/kids in the sunshine of Summer.
ReplyDeleteAnd only 6 months away.
DeleteSnap! I had the same but I knew immediately what it was. I even felt and heard the crack of the tendon when it happened. Now it has settled to an ache, which I can control and live with. Same happened with my shoulders which are now OK after some physio. Doctor wanted me to have op but I refused and I'm glad I did. When I had an op on my knee one about 20 years ago I asked the surgeon why I had to wait 12 months and he said that in 12 months 50% of people find they no longer need an op as the problem has by then gone away of its own accord.
ReplyDeleteI've had knee trouble too, but it's now just a very occasional problem... thank goodness.
DeleteOMG more..
DeleteThis is beginning to sound like an Out-Patients dept.
DeleteNext!
DeleteSomething similar happened to me a few years ago - my whole body seemed to go into meltdown - really scary particularly as the doc had no idea how to help - my worst fear was that I wouldn't be able to look after the garden any more - but as quickly as the symptoms came they eventually left of their own accord but it took a couple of years - I can't tell you the relief I felt when I returned to normal - I'm not ready for the bath chair just yet.
ReplyDeleteNor me Elaine.
DeleteJust the inevitable consequences of advancing years. There is an alternative but I like that even less.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing ya, Cro! I've been hobbling with what I was lead to believe was an imminent hip replacement but now seems to be a 'glute' problem which I'm hoping will be sorted with physiotherapy, dry-needling and cortisone.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too far off retirement (having worked at a desk job most of my working life) and I will be really, really miffed if I can't tend my veggie patch, which is my passion and sanity.
No bath-chairs for me, either!
We should all keep active for as long as possible.
DeleteThere is a lady in her nineties in our exercise class and she is byfar the fittest. She says she never thinks about age or dying and she walks up to the class whatever the weather. An example to us all I think. Keep going - there is no alternative.
ReplyDeleteGod ….. this getting old thing isn't the best is it Cro ? So far, I'm pretty well free of aches and pains { I know that writing that down will be tempting fate !! }
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased that your initial diagnosis seems to have been wrong and that you have probably pulled something….. considering the amount that you do, I'm suprised that you don't pull something more often !!!!!!
Take care …… we all need to slow down just a little as we get older I'm afraid. XXXX
Yes, but I like to think that I'm 25.
Delete…… so do I !!!
DeleteWhenever D. and I have a health blip we get cross with ourselves and say, like you, that we have too much to do yet and haven't the time to be be ill. we continue to stagger on. I hope to be found keeled over in the bean row aged 95.
ReplyDeleteWell done - the same thing happened to me and was also misdiagnosed before it subsided - as I have been ranting about for some time now...
ReplyDeleteStone cutters/carriers ailments.
DeleteThe years creep up on us and so do the pains and aches.
ReplyDeleteI was annoyed to realize the other day that my arthritic hip hasn't bothered me once since I broke my toe three weeks ago and have been unable to exercise.
ReplyDeleteBefore, I had been faithfully going to the gym to keep aging joints going and now it appears that real secret to a pain-free hip is to not use it at all.
That does seem to go against all accepted wisdom.
DeleteCro, in the advice of my Dad, I'm never going to get old. My theory for old is 20 years older than I am so old now would be 87. When I reach 87, old will be 107 so I'm never growing old. However as most know from the blog comments the body doesn't follow that course at times. Another piece of advice my Dad always told me was if you don't use it, then you will lose it and probably not get it back. So if I keel over and meet my maker out in the tomato patch, it will be a good ending to this life. I too had to work through some health issues this year. Some required the knife and others required needles. Life is back to normal now.
ReplyDeleteHave a good health day. Glad to hear you are on the way to recovery.
We once had an elderly gardener who died in our garden, slumped over his spade. I remember Father feeling rather guilty about asking him to dig!
DeleteThe enemy of all old bloggers
ReplyDeleteWear and tear
So true John.
DeleteThere have been some great strides made in stem cell research lately...it may turn out to be the actual 'fountain of youth' we are all looking for.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're feeling better. Pulled muscles still hurt a lot.
ReplyDeleteMy advice is never go near a doctor unless you have to.
ReplyDeleteSomeone once suggested a 'Rule of Two Weeks'. If something niggles, give it 2 weeks. If it's still niggling go see a doc. In tend to call it 2 months.... but otherwise...
DeleteGlad you're feeling better. When I've had some inexplicable pains, I've also tended to think it was something dire and am always relieved when it clears up.
ReplyDeleteGlad that the pain has subsided Cro, I know what it is like to live with excruciating pain and not being able to do much about it. Several years ago I ruptured a disc in my lower back... I never thought I would be able to live with the pain it caused me. However, despite my initial fears, my body learned to live with the pain and bear it. I was amazed that this was so but that didn't mean I wanted to live with it permanently. The long and the short of it was the Specialist wanted to operate and remove the protruding disc....I did some research and decided I wasn't having any of that so guess what I did..... I did nothing. I waited and waited and eventually my body reabsorbed the disc protrusion. This took about 5 months in all and I was off work for all of that but it meant that I learned to do things differently to avoid extra pain and therefore minimise the chance of a reoccurring injury! Now I am older I really cherish being well and able to do things..and long may that reign!
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland, NZ
It's surprising how self-healing the human body can be. Pity it doesn't work in all cases. Good to hear you're over something that sounded quite nasty.
Delete