Newbie From England
Options
Naj65
Posts: 2
Hi, My name is Naj and I'm 47. For the last 10 years I have struggled with trapped nerves in my neck which cause me to have severe balance problems, nausea and vomiting, and vision problems as well as chronic pain in my neck, shoulder and upper back. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees and it's now in my hips. I also have some lower back pain which is very severe when I have walked too far.
I now only work 3 days a week and I also have a 5 yr old as well as adult children. I am trying hard to lose weight ( I weigh 12st 12lbs - 180lbs) but on my 'dizzy days' it can be difficult to walk and I feel far too vulnerable to go outside alone. so exercise is hard to do. I have adapted my life a lot. I drive an automatic car now (stick shift is far more common in the UK) which is expensive both to buy and in petrol. I rest on a Tuesday afternoon before the start of my working week, and on a Saturday afternoon (if my daughters father takes her for the day) I don't lift heavy things if at all possible and I can't walk very far, 3 miles is about my limit right now and thats on a good day. Some hosuework I struggle to do and I have a cleaner to do my stairs and floors and the bath. I take codeine and pregabalin for the pain, although I'm concerned about how addictive it is so I am experimenting with lowering my dose from 600mg a day to 300mg a day. I take Stemetil for dizziness and nausea, omeprazole for my stomach, and naproxen for my joint pain and inflammation. I have put on about 40lbs since becoming ill.
I am also a single parent and have very little money to spare. In fact I am struggling to pay my bills at all so have had to cancel my weight watchers subscription which is why I came looking for an alternative and found this site!
Anyway on a positive note I have so far lost a reasonable amount of weight and am feeling the benefits already. Also I saw a new neurosurgeon on Thursday who disagrees with a past consultants opinion that I am inoperable and is sending me for a new MRI scan.
I did find the weight watchers meetings a huge help in motivating me as I do love to eat and cook and I need a nudge (ok kick up the backside!) to keep me motivated.
Good luck to everyone out there and thank you for sharing your stories.
xxx
I now only work 3 days a week and I also have a 5 yr old as well as adult children. I am trying hard to lose weight ( I weigh 12st 12lbs - 180lbs) but on my 'dizzy days' it can be difficult to walk and I feel far too vulnerable to go outside alone. so exercise is hard to do. I have adapted my life a lot. I drive an automatic car now (stick shift is far more common in the UK) which is expensive both to buy and in petrol. I rest on a Tuesday afternoon before the start of my working week, and on a Saturday afternoon (if my daughters father takes her for the day) I don't lift heavy things if at all possible and I can't walk very far, 3 miles is about my limit right now and thats on a good day. Some hosuework I struggle to do and I have a cleaner to do my stairs and floors and the bath. I take codeine and pregabalin for the pain, although I'm concerned about how addictive it is so I am experimenting with lowering my dose from 600mg a day to 300mg a day. I take Stemetil for dizziness and nausea, omeprazole for my stomach, and naproxen for my joint pain and inflammation. I have put on about 40lbs since becoming ill.
I am also a single parent and have very little money to spare. In fact I am struggling to pay my bills at all so have had to cancel my weight watchers subscription which is why I came looking for an alternative and found this site!
Anyway on a positive note I have so far lost a reasonable amount of weight and am feeling the benefits already. Also I saw a new neurosurgeon on Thursday who disagrees with a past consultants opinion that I am inoperable and is sending me for a new MRI scan.
I did find the weight watchers meetings a huge help in motivating me as I do love to eat and cook and I need a nudge (ok kick up the backside!) to keep me motivated.
Good luck to everyone out there and thank you for sharing your stories.
xxx
0
Replies
-
Hi hi! I have neurological issues as well, though not as severely as you, it seems. Virtual hugs to you. I'm in Nottingham. Codeine only worked for a short time for me. Have you tried acupuncture? Doesn't work for everyone, but it helped me.
You tube has some good workouts you can do with things like resistance bands - which you can use to support as well as provide resistance. It sounds like you're being very sensible.
Congratulations on losing weight so far. And fingers crossed for next MRI. They're not pleasant, but if doctors can help you, then all the better.0 -
Hi Squankmuffin! I take pregabalin for the pain at night or I can't sleep, and codeine helps take the edge off at work. I am hopeful though as I saw a new consultant neurosurgeon last thursday and if the scan I'm waiting for says what he thinks it will they will operate and hopefully free my nerves! I am so excited!
I've also been to see a physio today as I was having lower back and hip pain so fingers crossed the excersises he's taught me will help.
I'll take a look at resistance bands too as they sound like a good idea. I like to walk too and am trying to get out once a week for a three mile walk. It doesn't sound like much but with work and my youngest daughters after school activities it's surprisingly hard to find the time! I'm a bit scared of acupuncture to tell the truth as needles make me squirm but if all else fails I'll give it a go. I tried homeopathy as well, which helped for a while but I can't afford to carry on travelling as he was a 2 hour drive from me. I'm a single mum with a teenager and 5 yr old plus an adult daughter at home ( I'm supporting her through a doctorate in clinical psychology) so money is very tight.
You have lots loads of weight! well done! You certainly don't look overweight in your photo!
Take care x0 -
Hi Naj! So glad you found MFP. You won't be sorry you did because this is an excellent community of people and there's lots of tools here too to help you with your goals. My heart goes out to you with your challenges and I think it's great you do all that you do, including the weight loss!
I have several health problems which make me tired and are painful. Fibromyalgia is the worst one for me. When the Fibro is bad, my nerves burn and ache in many places in my body and sometimes my fingers and toes go numb, among other things. I rely on Reiki, acupressure, rest, ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds, and keeping my attention on interesting, positive things as much as possible to handle most of it. As I've lost weight and cleaned up my diet, I can see a definite improvement in my health. I've also been learning to do a better job of putting myself and my care first and that's making a big difference in my life too.
I'm currently reading the bestselling book, "The China Study", and highly recommend it to you. It will help you understand better how you can use nutrition to reverse disease and heal and is based on rock solid science. There is much we can do to take charge and help ourselves.
Best wishes with the treatment you're pursuing! I hope it works as well as possible and that you get relief soon.0 -
A three mile walk sounds like a very good effort to me. It may just be a case of trying things. There is a lot of information out there, and some of it will be helpful to you. Might be worth checking out libraries as well. You don't have to pay a lot if you don't have the money to spare.
Hope things are going well for you.0 -
Hello Naj, from another newbie from England, also with osteoarthritis. *hugs* for both the upcoming treatment and the continuing weight loss. All love, xxx0
