chronic pain

Topic: chronic pain (Read 2166 times) previous topic - next topic

chronic pain

April 19, 2015, 02:47:38 AM

I've got a lot of pain in my hip, ankles, left knee, and now my left wrist has been bothering me. I'm actually fairly fit, but now my wrist has so much pain that it's impossible to lift more than a few pounds with my left hand. A full gallon of milk is no bueno. I hate taking pills...well, not really, I could easily turn into a drooling foo via hydrocodone, but I hate being numb and I hate being addicted to things even more.

Earlier today, I tried to sharpen my lawnmower blades...between the pain and the lack of strength in my left hand, I couldn't do it. Progress is accordingly non existent on most of "want to" projects, but I'm soldiering through with as much of the "have to" as I can. I don't know what I've done to it...awhile back I was wrestling with the kids and fell on my left hand, bending my wrist and hand into my arm. It hurt for a couple of weeks, then it cleared up. That was 2 months ago and now it's much worse...some swelling. Heat and ice do little, and managing the pain with ibuprofen and aleve.

I suppose if it's this sore Monday or Tuesday I call the doc and get an appointment. It's sort of taken for granted what you use your hands for...when suddenly the mundane is switched up because you can't do something like you may have before. Getting a cup of coffee... sure can't hold the coffee pot with my left hand, not when it's full anyway. It sucks.

I've always had some pain, but this wrist and hand is beyond anything that's what I consider my normal. At rest, it's probably around 2 or 3, when trying to hold something heavy, 6 to 7, on the lovely scale of 1 to 10.

The left wrist also has a large knot with two prominent bumps where the meaty part of the palm and thumb are...they're a bit painful when touched too. They're not hard like bone, but rather more like cartilage. I wonder if something is displaced in my wrist...

As for ankles and left knee....that's typical pain since I was 14 years old. Always just a slight nagging sting, snow and rain makes it a little more so. The hip is something else entirely. I can go cut wood for a couple of hours...the next day I can barely stand up straight or walk without a limp from that side.

shiznit sucks, causes me to not sleep so good. I had a bad experience with a doctor in '99 when I blew my shoulder...he got me hooked on tramadol. Coming off of those was horrendous. I was young, didn't know that quitting prescription pain meds cold turkey can kill a person...I felt like I was going to croak off, and wanted to for several days.

I've been sober for enough years now that I have no desire to rely on pills to function or get by, I know there's some folks here who feel the same way.

I know it's obvious i need to see a dr sooner rather than later (or never), this pain is getting to where it's more of a hindrance to doing everyday things.

Right now, I couldn't lift an iron 5.0 head with both hands if I had to. ed annoying.

chronic pain

Reply #1 – April 19, 2015, 07:31:24 AM

Welcome to the Land of Old. We've been expecting you

It sucks, I know. I used to brag about being able to pick up a car battery by grasping the top of it with one hand, and used to carry one gallon paint cans the same way. Now I can hardly wrap the top of my hand around something like that, much less grip it strong enough to lift it (although I still occasionally pull a battery out of a Civic like that, but that's just a Civic). You might see a doctor about Arthrotec (probably spelled wrong). I started taking it a few years ago and it has worked wonders. It's not a painkiller and isn't addictive, it just works for arthritic joints

chronic pain

Reply #2 – April 19, 2015, 10:52:40 AM

I'll look into it.
This morning, it's stiff, sore, and I don't to use it. The hand, that is...lol.

Saw this phrase on a No Fear t shirt some years ago..."The older I get, the better I used to be"....it ain't so funny now. It's a gloriously sunny spring day, that makes things seem better.

chronic pain

Reply #3 – April 19, 2015, 08:53:10 PM

Hope you feel better soon. My wife bought me a shirt that says "Old Man Garage" with a picture of a Highboy on it. I've gotten comfortable enough with my age that I wear it without any issue.
For me, the problem has been my back. 3 years ago it was the worst it's ever been before or since. I added barbell squats into my workout routine. Best thing I ever did. When I was younger my jobs involved a decent amount of heavy lifting. My current job involves a lot of......sitting in a car.....Gotta make up for it somehow.

chronic pain

Reply #4 – April 19, 2015, 09:36:54 PM

I'm definitely in need of some weights...I'm packing around more mass than I've ever had. I've dropped a few pounds, but I went to a wedding last weekend, and picked 'em right back up and then some. Can't blame on the half of the one drink I had while we were there...and while I'm on that subject...the bartender, while cordial enough, didn't know if she was mixing drinks, or a cross between jet fuel and paint thinner lol. And I always did like my drinks a wee bit on the strong side. Usually straight out of the bottle was acceptable.

Today was much better, slept the whole night through and the hand pain isn't nearly as bad. I have been going easy on it in case it's sprained or bruised though.

chronic pain

Reply #5 – April 20, 2015, 05:07:37 PM

Thunderbirdsport302 read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganglion_cyst

I had this for several years and the pain is horrendous. I finally went and had the surgery (wish I had done it years ago) and it has never given me any pain since then.

you can actually wack those bumps with a hard book.....lol and pop them (i did this several times but they always came back).

chronic pain

Reply #6 – April 20, 2015, 06:11:31 PM

Go see a doctor. You never know what it can be.

chronic pain

Reply #7 – April 20, 2015, 07:06:33 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganglion_cyst#/media/File:Cyst_Profile2.JPG

This is about mine look like, except on the left wrist, but same relative location. I have two...they look like two igloos connected at the entrances...and they're not too painful, but the pain that really bothers the hand is along a line extending from my pinkie finger up into my wrist, mostly centered in the wrist itself though.

Going to get seen wednesday, as usual, I'm already thinking it's likely fatal...just kidding, although I always fear the worst.

It's painful today, but not as bad as a couple days ago. Thankfully it's my left hand/wrist, as I am right handed. :)