Bear's Ramblings

Pet peeves plus

2005-12-16

Joys of Arthritis

Wow,

I remember hearing people say, "If I had any idea that I would live so long I would have taken better care of my self".  Well, truer words were never spoken. 

When I was much younger than I am today, I thought that I could do about anything physically.  I did things that I now know were going to cause me great pain and difficulty as I neared maturity.  I used to toss 94# bags of rock up on to roofs so that I would not have to climb up ladders.  (Because of problems from a motorcycle accident).  At times I would carry 3 bundles of shingles up a ladder or carry 2 kegs of asphault at a time so as not to have to make so many trips.

Boy were those things dumb or what.  My knees are shot as are both of my shoulders.  I have had surgeries on all of them(one shoulder twice this year).  Now I am looking forward to having one of my knees replaced because the pain is even preventing me from driving for any distance.  And that really puts a strain on my poor wife who has to do all of the driving if we go any where further than a few miles.

Right now with the below normal temperatures that we have been having I am having so much pain in my index fingers that at times they are nearly usless.  They often don't bend and when they do, it hurts like the dickens.

Since I don't want to take pain meds all of the time I usually just grin and bare it, but that is very difficult at times.  My Doctor will keep me supplied with vicodine, but I stretch a 1 month supple to 4-5 months.  They say that the are addicting, but I think they are like any other drug that is considered addicting and that is that they are not addicting to everyone.  Just the unfortunate ones of which, fortunately, I am not one.

In a few days I am going to talk to my Orthopedic Doctor about getting the knee replaced (largely do to my wifes concern). We will just have to wait and see.


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