Struggling because of arthritis ...

[Farmer_Gyles]

a few weeks ago i was struck down fairly suddenly with arthritis .... i'm normally fairly fit and active, so it's hit me quite hard .... and it started just a few weeks after i recovered from a 5 week dose of food poisoning .... and i'm still only 39 ....

treatment is ongoing, had steroids, waiting for MRI scan and appointment with rhumatologist at hospital .... still quite painful in toe, both knees, hip, back, elbow and wrist .... struggle getting upstairs to the toilet sometimes, so gardening isn't easy .....

i have managed to keep most veggies at home growing ok .... most of it was planted out before the arthritis kicked in .... managed to pot on quite a lot of stuff to keep it going so i can plant it on the allotment when i'm fit enough .... but allotment is rapidly getting lost in weeds and 6ft tall grass .....

made it to the allotment today, pulled up 2 carrier bags full of onions and dug up a row of new potatoes ..... and i'm in effing agony now .....

i don't have an OH to help, my son is too busy with tennis, football, golf and xbox, friends want the veggies but don't want to help ....

but i'm determined not to give up .... won't let it beat me ....

any tips or advice for coping with an allotment when semi-disabled like this?

[NSB]

Oh is it definatley arthritis? sorry to hear your not well. Ive got a high RA level at the moment and have a rheumatology appt in 2 weeks time, so I can sympathise with you, but thankfully only aching joints.

Hope you feel better soon.

[jackie j]

Can you find someone who is waiting for an allotment that would be prpared to help you. Or ask a fellow allotmenteer for help. I am sure your site manager could find someone.
Hope you feel better soon.

[shirlthegirl43]

What a bummer. I don't know how I would cope with a lottie, I struggle with the garden most days but use it as therapy. I am seeing the rheumatologist on Friday to hopefully find out the reason for the pain I suffer. I can only suggest trying not to feel guilty if you haven't achieved much. Better to only do a little and be able to do that every day.

Hugs to you and hope you find a method of managing it all.

BTW - give your lad a kick and tell him you need an hour's help each day.

[Nippy]

Really sorry to hear this FG, hope you are feeling better soon and that the rheumatologist can sort you out.

I am going for a hip replacement on Wednesday but I do have a hubby to help me.

[shirlthegirl43]

Really sorry to hear this FG, hope you are feeling better soon and that the rheumatologist can sort you out.

I am going for a hip replacement on Wednesday but I do have a hubby to help me.

All the best for that Nippy - I have a friend who has had two knees replaced and he said it makes a huge difference to your life.

[lizzylemon]

Sorry to hear you're very unwell at the mo. And for it to be so sudden, what a shock (understatement I'm sure)!

Perhaps you could try calling your local Voluntary Service and ask if they have anyone offering gardening skills. They'd probably jump at the chance of sharing the lottie with you. They could do the heavy stuff whilst you do the plant management side of things and with nice fresh veg to share, it might work.

Explain to son (and siblings if any) that things have changed and you need help this time round and that you're not just being a parent this time.

And use us for ranting, moaning or whatevering at when you need to as well, collectively we have very broad sholders

[bramble]

Hi F.G.
Sometimes kids have to be reminded that theres other things in life besides enjoying themselves all the time.
Tell him you need help now and i'm sure he will oblige.
Perhaps some of his mates might get involved as well until you bhegin to feel better.
Wish there was something i could do to help.

[Two_Sheds]

but allotment is rapidly getting lost in weeds and 6ft tall grass ....any tips or advice for coping with an allotment when semi-disabled like this?

Use your shears to dead head the weeds as they flower .. that will save you a lot of weeding next year.
My neighbour's two plots are covered in flowering weeds, and I keep cutting them down, cutting them down ... or I did until I was hit by a car last week, now I need help myself

[SarzWix]

Sorry to hear all that Farmer Gyles I really hope the rheumatologist can help alleviate some of your pain, I know it can get very depressing trying to function through pain and/or the fog of painkillers.
For the gardening, it may take a little while to adapt your methods, but it is certainly possible to keep an allotment running. Try having a look at this thread http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ment_5573.html which is all about gardening by the 'no-dig' method, by a lady who also gardened with difficulties. Also Carry on Gardening, Thrive's top tips and tools for easier gardening and gardening with a disability who have some great advice, and also some tools that make gardeing a bit easier. I know money is short for loads of us right now, but if you can get one or two things that make things easier it should help.
Lastly, make sure you find out if you're entitled to any extra financial assistance because you're struggling with your health, if nothing else it could help you to invest in equipment to make it easier to cope.

Good luck mate, keep fighting

[MagicLady]

There's a lot can be done for RA Farmer Gyles. I've got a condition called Behcet's Syndrome, one complication of which is RA, but my consultant thinks it's pretty stable at the moment - I'm on Methotrexate which seems to be helping.

I'd try having a word with the allotment secretary, as this could be a temporary situation or may get under control with meds.

Hope you get your tests soon!

[Farmer_Gyles]

cheers guys
the no dig thing could be helpful - i already use black weed sheeting and have several bags of grass cuttings to use as a mulch elsewhere ....

doc says it's arthritis, says not rheumatoid and not gout - says could be ankylosing spondalytis (waiting on blood test results for HLA B27) or reactive arthritis ....

NSB - which hospital are you going to? i don't like mayday so chose st georges - would you mind letting me know how it goes for you ?

[jogette]

Perhaps if you contact you allotment committee and explain your problem they may be able to help with emergency measures.
On our site, if you are ill or have problems and are unable to cope very well, someone will go and strim the weeds or cover the plot or, if early enough in the year will help rotovate it for you (that was before all our equipment was stolen).

[Hilary B]

cheers guys
the no dig thing could be helpful - i already use black weed sheeting and have several bags of grass cuttings to use as a mulch elsewhere ....

doc says it's arthritis, says not rheumatoid and not gout - says could be ankylosing spondalytis (waiting on blood test results for HLA B27) or reactive arthritis ....

NSB - which hospital are you going to? i don't like mayday so chose st georges - would you mind letting me know how it goes for you ?

My son has Ankylosing Spondalytis (or somethign remarkably similar) it is NOT NICE. He takes powerful medication, which is harming his digestive system to the extent he may have to stop taking it (drastic heartburn), and if he can't take the medication, he will probably be wheelchair bound in another year. He's not 30 yet....

[murphy99]

I was struck down like you about 11 years ago, one day doing fine the next day I couldn't walk or get out of bed. I was not much older than you at the time.

After loads of tests I was diagnosed with RA, I had steriod injections in all the joints of my hands which got them going and then started on methetrexate, within a few months I was back to normal , but felt better each week . The steriods give you a great boost which is temporary but give the methetrexate time to get going. It took a while to get me stable but since then I have been great have a few mini flares occasionally when I burn the candle too much or am stressed. I can spot the signs now and slow down, have a sore knee at the moment. Because they got me in the early stages I have no damage to any joints and you wouldn't know I had this condition, they are getting much better managing arthritis nowadays, catching it in early stages and stopping the damage that can be done.

I would hope that once they have a diagnosis and they get you on the right treatment you will get back to normal and will be back in your garden as usual. Don't let it get you down, do what you can but not too much!, hopefully you will get help for your immediate needs but don't get stressed about it as that doesn't help either I know how difficult it is to stay positive and the pain can be unbearable and draining, maybe if you explained this to your friends/family they would help you in the short term.

I wish you all the best and good luck in getting the right treatment soon