Paolopaul wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 3:55 pm Hi all, first time posting on this thread. I post a bit on the main pages so some of you might recognise my name.
I never know where to start with this stuff but my issues are around anxiety, depression and chronic pain, with each affecting the others.
Around 5 years ago I injured my knee playing football, and was in constant pain for around a year whilst scans and physios couldn’t identify the cause. Finally found a good physio who helped me understand any initial injury had long gone, but the pain remained. Things came to a head just before lockdown as the pain spread and I had a brand new baby to look after.
Lockdown simplified my life and saved me, along with a brilliant pain therapist and some medication (duloxetine). I still get flare ups though, and in the middle of one now. Despite being experienced in this it still massively affects my mood every time, I wish I could do better with it but it’s there every second of the day and I get in such a muddle working out when to exercise and when to rest.
Hope I haven’t gone on for too long, appreciate any of you that have taken the time to read this. It’s really great to have a thread like this to share things amongst fellow Hammers.
We all take our health for granted ....then bang , something happens and it can all change just like that -
My wife had a whole knee replacement but she's still in as much pain with it as before - I keep telling her to go back to see the Surgeon who performed the operation but she just says ' What can they do ? ' so she puts up with it and takes the pain killers .
I went through similar with my back - my GP thought I was swinging the lead until the Consultant said it was time to operate and quick - I don't know whether I did some silly exercise trying to get back to work early or whether it would have happened anyway but things got worse for me afterwards too - anyway this ain't about me , it's about you [ if you think you can go on , meet me ] - I went to a Pain Clinic , waste of time but they did confirm I also had osteoarthritis - Surgeon put me on 3 x diclofenac per day and within 7 months I had kidney failure which led to sepsis - what actually helped my back was lying in a hospital bed for 3 months . Anyway that was years ago - I'm still on painkillers every day but as you probably know , movement and exercise are the best remedy and though I am as stiff as a board afterwards the boost it gives my mental health is immeasurable .
I take it you've been to a Pain Clinic ?
If not , they may be of use .
Depression and anxiety - pain will do that to a man especially if you are unable to do things that you were able to do previously , it can take a while accepting you are now leading a different life . You could speak to your GP , treatment is available whether cognitive or tablet form .
Swapping stories on here also helps .
Choosing the correct exercise will be crucial - sometimes we have to push through the pain barrier and crack on with the exercise - in my case I walk whatever distance I can manage , sit, rest then walk some more - I choose my place of exercise carefully some days , where there are benches or a low wall , other times I just sit on the floor . The longer I walk the easier it gets . Ten years ago I couldn't walk more than 30 paces without having to sit some days , now it varies , it's always shorter at the beginning then the gaps between having to stop get longer .
I was on 120 mg of dihydrocodeine twice a day until a Hospital Nurse visibly gasped when I told her what my GP had prescribed so I gradually cut it in half , then over these past 6 months I've been trying to reduce it again - some days it's 60 mg [ 1 tablet ] others it's 1 and a half tablets .
I do tend to go on a bit , sorry .
Best of luck , but don't let things get to you , we're always here .