Keeping Chickens When You Have Arthritis.

[Kfults]

Thanks everyone. I am hopeful they will find a combination that works. The pain is irritating but it is the flu like sickness and fatigue that completely is disabling to me. If embrel brings down my CRP and sed rate- those symptoms should subside. So much I want to do, tired of missing out on family trips..... I know the dangers of prednisone.... the dangers of embrel don’t sound any better. I might be trading one ailment for another.... the cancer risk with these drugs scares me. Doing my best to live in faith and trust God is in control. He has never failed me yet

 

[pennyJo1960]

Keep knowing that day to day I can depend he will give me just another day
We are not church goers but all strong in faith I... rain here kills my arthritis
but nothing like RA pain .. I pray for you to have relief

 

[microchick]

The description of how you feel with a rheumatic arthritis is pretty much spot on.

Imagine how you feel the day before you think you are getting a cold. Kind of achy all over. Feverish but not feverish enough to put you flat but you know you are running a low grade temp. You just don't feel well. And that feeling doesn't go away.

It gets pretty miserable and pretty old real fast.

Yeah Penny, I have the bone barometers also. Darn it!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I was told like 12 years ago how great my bone density was like grand scale .. now post prednisalone I am osteo arthritic bone density is not good frustrating for all of us

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hello fellow sufferers.

I have had arthritis since my early 30's. Regular old arthritis probably brought on by juvenile diabetes and too much farm work as a kid. I've had both shoulders replaced back in my 30-40's. My back is a mess, I had my left knee replaced two years ago and hopefully will get my right one done here in about a month.

I try to keep active. My husband helps me with the big stuff. Otherwise I take my time, carry smaller loads these days, and I'm not in no big hurry. I too have neuropathy from going through chemo. So @penny1960 , I feel that pain too.

My critters get me outside and keep me busy and optimistic. It's hard to keep me down.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I understand my BF would say stubborn as a mule here also, I have said many times if I fall I will do everything I can get up myself .. do not tell me no I have to try .. yes you can carry the feed in I will open the bags, The feed I use is a mash made local organic non whatever the birds like and lay good when they get it have used it the last 2 years..
I keep a hose in the main coop one just outside on the silky land two outside water tanks also my main coop is huge 17 square feet diameter so food, grit, 2 roosting tables plastic 30 gallon tubs from walmart fronts cut out for nesting boxes 5 of them so use a snow shovel and putty knife clean tables daily but setup for my benefit

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does help to have everything close. I'm lucky as I have a 40 by 40 shed for most of my critters. Lots of room. A water hydrant close by too.

I'm very stubborn too. I fall occasionally but get up after some crying, and figuring out how to get up. Stupid neuropathy make a person feel like they are wearing clown shoes and oven mitts, except you can still feel pain, lots of it.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I was accused of being a drunk I was sent to alcohol counseling well when people accuse I tend to sarcastic that did not help blasted neuropathy

 

[microchick]

Welcome @oldhenlikesdogs! You sound a lot like me also Stubborn.

I spent way too many years pushing myself to act like a 'normal' person when in reality there isn't anything normal about me. Now with the new diagnosis of OA and RA I'm learning to slow down.

I have gotten a lot of good ideas here on this thread and implemented some of them already, things like moving my feed containers (garbage cans) to the coop so I'm not making so many trips back and forth to the shops feed room with buckets. I'm also asking DH to drive the feed bags from the feed room up to the coop with the tractor and he helps me unload them. Me asking for help has been the biggest habit to develope and hang on to.

Yes, I fall too at times. Mainly because I have birth defects in my feet that resulted in very crooked bones. I stumble a lot from that and from my bad back also and if I catch my toes right, down I go.

I too try to keep active and my ever growing flock of bantams helps me do that. Got plans for a new room in my coop as soon as we can get our Diesel fuel tank moved from the area I'm planning to convert. After 4 weeks on Methotrexate (oh goody, tomorrow is shot day) I'm beginning to see some improvement in my overall flexibility and pain control so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my Rheumy will increase my dosage next week and my side effects won't worsen.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I will pray that happens for you micro sent a message to my Doc asked him refill my tramadol he gets to do it on his smartphone now go figure put all these controls on then let him do with his phone... can recall hand carry the script from doc to pharmacy