newly diag with OA - driving question

What meds did the doc put you on? I get rather stiff fingers too and have had trouble in the past with the steering wheel. I've had to loosen my grip, or move it around the wheel to help out at times...if it is cold, I've tried driving with isotoners on since I didn't have the grip I needed, it gave added warmth to the fingers, some support to the pain (though that can backfire on me at times), and put a little more grip on the wheel that I physcially could not give.

I sometimes get a funky pain in some fingers that really is irritating - sometimes a heavy dose of Motrin helps that out a little. Speaking of.....I think that bottle is calling right now and the old fingers are telling me to stop typing.

Take care. ***

Once you get the right med combo in you, hopefully, the pain will ease up considerable and/or go away. You may still get flares, but as long as you can relief for the most part, that will make a big difference. I've found that my 'new pains' are often at their worst in the beginning - unfortunately lasting quite a few months at a minimum......I don't know if I just get used to a certain level of pain after a while and the flares make them noticable or if the pain actually does subside quite a bit (which, I think is the most of the cases) - but I do seem to have really bad pain for a while - like the problem is 'breaking in' that new joint for a while then it's just a maintenance thing. Very strange.

As you may have seen in the other post regarding hands - some people offered some good advice on what they use to soothe their hands, such as a parafin machine (which I may have to ask for as my birthday present this summer!) I've never heard of piroxicam - good luck, I hope it kicks in soon and gives you much relief!

It sounds like you are getting support at work, that is awesome. My husband has worked for a grocery store for 19 years now and it's taken quite a toll on his body. He has a few knuckles that are really awful and swollen all the time.

Take care....***

I have psoriatic arthritis. I was diagnoses with Juvinile Rhuematoid Arthritis (JRA) at age 11 (I'm 35 now.)  My mom said I started complaining around age 7, but it took years of doctors and testing before they figured out what was wrong. No one could figure out where I got it from. I had rubella (German measles) as a child, my guess is that is the culprit. It was suggested to me in 96/97 by a doctor that I had psoriatic arthritis, or at least rhumatoid with autoimmune disorder. The psoriatic arthritis was later confirmed by a rhuematologist in either 2000 or 2001.

Currently I'm taking Plaquenil. It is helping me a lot - I wish I didn't have flares, but what can you do?  Drugs like Feldene, Voltaren, etc., never did much for me, however NOW I do get some relief from ibprofin since a lot of my problems cause muscle and tissue pain as well.

I have issues with my immune system and was unoffically diagnosed (unofficial I say because they never did a biopsy of my liver) with autoimmune hepatitis.  Because I'm what my doctor calls immuno compromised topped with the sensitive liver, I get sick very easily and very often. I was supposed to start Enbrel a few months back, but constant illnesses have kept that on hold. Much of the severe illness issues started when I was pregnant w/my 2nd child 5 years ago and then reappeared 3 years ago after I was hospitalized for an acute case of Mono/Epstein Barr Virus that had thrown my liver enzymes off the charts and caused me to almost loose my spleen.

I understand the feeling of uselessness - don't let it get to you, you'll get through this. If you work days, won't that mean you'll be on a register more? Beware of doing that to yourself - the repetitive motion like that may get to you faster than normal because you are not doing well at the moment. My husband can no longer work the physcial jobs and does the register, it gets very painful - luckily, he can still do some tasks and that helps him get some relief/change during his shifts....but on the days he's strictly on the register all night, forget it, he's in a lot of pain!

Take care. **

It was really interesting to read your posts as I just am getting caught up on all of them.

Awe, I know what ya mean with the hand pain.  I've RA and Crohns related arthritis as well.  From 1996 till just this past May you know what my part time job was?

CUSTOM FRAMING!  So I totally empathize the labor intesive part of the hand pain. It got so bad I couldn't even write or hold a pen anymore.

Being with a company for almost a decade brought a lot of understanding.  I wasn't physically able to "do" my job...but I dealt with all the clients in the end...no more using tools, drills, hammers, screwdrivers and all that fun stuff. I miss it a lot.

Hah!...but there I went and threw myself into my passion (medicine!) and went into nursing. Can't do the standing for that neither. But I hope for a remission & I know in my heart I will have my career back & will be able to work a regular nursing shift someday.(I really wanted to go pre-med but I knew that becomming an MD would be impossible due to the arthitis problems....pulling a 24 hour shift? There are things I will accept!LOL) My stubborness didn't interfere with that decision in dropping the Dr. idea. LOL

To make you laugh...I don't have a car, I'm a terrible driver. So there's one arthritic off the road! LOL. I failed my driving test 3 times because I couldn't back-up you know? Couldn't turn my neck around & put my arms around the passenger head piece to go in reverse properly (or the way they want you to do it) hah!...Hey...isn't that disibility discrimination??? LOL.

take good care.

erin  

yeah, you'll find that with OA rest will help with pain. or say rather not using the joints all day will prevent OA pain from flaring up.

i really empathize with you.  i'm pretty much total bed rest a good 4 out of 7 days a week. not doing well & WHEN i get a good day where i can actually walk and stand for longer than 15 or 20 minutes with tolerable pain...I GO NUTS! 

Sunday was like that for me. went food shopping w/ my honey, showered, and cooked for about 3 hours and made a nice dinner. that is like EPIC activity for me. and thus today, very bad hip and hand/elbow pain.  but those days i cherish.  he says, slow down or take it easy...and i can't, because i never know when a good day will happen again! so i tell em "take advantage of me when i'm like this PLEASE!" LOL.

even when i'm on total rest...doesn't matter, same amount of mobility issues and pain day after day.

most days of the week, if i shower & get dressed that's A LOT.

i was quite an athlete...and i really think i'll be functional again. maybe not soon...but it will happen... 

so i can earn lots of money & get a car & not stink at driving! hah.

take good care.

erin