Monday, February 25, 2013

yep, I'm still here

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Ok, here's the deal.  I haven't been posting lately because I've been dealing with A LOT of joint pain and every time I started to write something, it sounded either bitchy or whiny.  I mean, I know I call myself Bitter Hag and all, but I don't really like to sound bitter. At least not all the time. Just for special occasions.

Aaannnnyyyywhoooo....

Here's how it all went down.  I saw my ob/gyn for my annual and mentioned that I'd been having serious joint pains in both hands, both knees and both ankles and the knee pain in particular has been making it incredibly painful for me to run....I first noticed the hand pain to September 19th (I know this only because I was getting a dye job and hair cut. I measure many milestones in my life by their proximity to haircut appointment dates.)  So I was talking (and probably gesturing wildly) to my hair dude, when all of a sudden my finger joints were KILLING me.  It was really weird.  The severe pain lasted a few weeks and then subsided quite a bit to a mild, dull ache. After that, I started having pains in various joints that would come and go with varying pain severity levels, but the knee pain really took off in early January and hasn't let up.....  So my ob/gyn suggested I see my primary care doc....

My primary care doc looked at my red, swollen joints and said that obviously, something is going on. She drew a bunch of labs and said that even if all the results are negative, she was going to send me to a rheumatologist because my joints look so unhappy......Did I mention that I have newly emergent bone spurs on some finger joints, too? The end result is red, raised lumps on my joints. Guess I can give up the dream of being a hand model...

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Back to the saga......I finally got to see the rheumatologist last Friday.  He spent an hour with me, flying through a bunch of review of systems-type questions (Do you have ringing in your ears? When was your last period? Have you had feelings of depression in the last two weeks?), asking about my family history, and then said, "Well, your labs are all normal, there is no inflammatory process going on. You're healthy. You're just old. You have arthritis."

Yeah, I'm 47.  Turns out, 47 ISN'T the new 32. Damn.

So I asked about the sudden onset of pain in BOTH hands, BOTH knees, BOTH ankles.  I mean, I've had my share of running related injuries, and I'm used to the general sorts of pain associated with running, but this is totally different and gee, the last time I checked, I don't rely on my hands much during the running process.

His response to the question of sudden onset? "It wasn't."

Huh?? It wasn't?  Oh good, I'm glad he cleared that up for me.

He then went on to say, "People always ask me, "why me?" "why now?" and I tell them "because that's the way it happened" and "because you're getting old."  Is he for real?? I was so frustrated when I left his office.  I don't know what I was hoping to hear, but I guess thought (or was hoping) that I was going to walk away with some type of action plan that would help me get back into running. I also realized that he never asked me why I was there to see him.  He didn't seem at all interested in hearing what my concerns are, and definitely didn't get what a big deal it is for me to NOT be able to run.

Whoops.  I guess this post ended up sounding both bitchy and whiny.  Sorry about that!  My next post will be all about what I'm going to do to try to combat my pains. I promise it won't be an ongoing bitchfest, I'll keep it positive!

8 comments:

  1. Complain all you want because that sucks. I'll say it for you too. Ahhhhh! My running partner is early 40s and just found out she has arthritis too. What the heck?! Is there some type of voodoo magic to avoid it because I'm willing to try anything.

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    1. Thanks Lisa! I wish I had a magic bullet to prevent arthritis but I got nothin'. Bummer for your friend. Is she getting any good answers on how to manage the arthritis?

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  2. I have that in my hands. After a few years of experimenting, I find that foods can affect whether or not my finger joints hurt. The most influential is sugar - when I indulge in too many sweet things my fingers start to ache and the joints get warm, swollen, and red. Dairy also, and gluten. You can find the answers you need in alternative health sources - lots of info is out there... there is a lot you can do to help yourself. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks for the suggestions! I am going gluten free (I'll be posting about that soon. Do all sugars affect you the same way? I have been using Sugar in the Raw in my coffee for 10+ years....what about other sugars like corn syrup and fructose? Do you react to them as well?

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  3. What a jerk! It sounds like he just wanted to get you in, tell you what he had to say, and get you out. Obviously he needs some work on his bedside manner. Sorry about all the pain and surely there must be something to make it better.

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    1. Thanks for the support! I agree, although he was a nice enough guy, he was a horrible listener. Funny thing: the clinic just sent me an email asking about my experience. You can bet I'll be providing feedback!

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  4. I'd say go to another doctor and don't leave until they actually listen to you! And crap, I'm 46 and I don't feel so old. Hope you find a solution and a new doctor.

    Take care Nora!

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    1. Thanks Sue. I don't think of myself as old either!!

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