Arthritis?

[PlaneMan]

Thanks Ed, appreciated.

[Dave Rice]

I get an annual check on my ankle replacement that always involves x-rays (but not this year it’ll be by phone).

Even though every one shows it’s as good as the day it went in and I have no issues at all they always do it. In the last 2 years they’ve not been done before I see the consultant and even after the physical examination has produced no worries they still insist it’s done.

I believe they are just being thorough, I don’t read too much into it. What will happen when it wears out I don’t know (apart from the fact you can’t do two replacements) and I’m not sure they are either as the usual route of arthrodesis isn’t appropriate. They don’t know how long it will last, may be 10 years and I’m on year 8, but as I said it still looks like the day it went in.

Just as well Rheumatology did x-rays on my back a few weeks ago as the consultant was 99% sure it was osteoarthritis and not what it turned out to be.

[Dave Rice]

Update: Just had my annual check up via a phone call. Even though they are not expecting any change they have booked up a walk-in x-ray for me.

[PlaneMan]

Just had another letter, this time from the hip surgeon following my recent x-rays.

I have to have a MRI of my right hip (the worst one) but he thinks hip salvage surgery is probably the way forward. Due to my relatively young age  he wants to avoid a hip replacement if possible. Apparently the problem is ‘Cam impingement occurs when the femoral head is not perfectly round and cannot rotate smoothly inside the acetabulum. It often results from a bump formed from excess bone growth at the end of the femur. During movement, the bump grinds the cartilage inside the acetabulum.’ That would explain why it hurts so f***ing much. :negative:

Just have to wait for the MRI appointment and then one with the surgeon.

Dave, hope your x-ray is a good result. :good:

[Dave Rice]

I had the same issue with my ankle, too young for replacement and the same boney growth problems along with cartilage loss and damage.

They did a day surgery job to clean everything up and it certainly bought me some time and some relief. Sounds very similar. It didn’t affect my walking at all, neither good nor bad, and the 24 hours the local anaesthetic they pumped in lasted was marvellous (the surgery was done under general anaesthetic).

[PlaneMan]

Appointment with the consultant today.

Good news is my shoulders are not showing any real signs of arthritis but it looks like it’s starting.

Bad news is that means it’s muscular, so another scan booked for whenever.

Right hip is ruined but not hip-replacement ruined. Surgeon reckons hip salvage will work, according to the letter he sent the consultant.

Still waiting for a date for the pelvis MRI and surgeon appointment. Consultant said ‘don’t hold your breath’ :scratch:

[Dave Rice]

My MRI for my back came through quickly, it’s on the 15th.

Had a phone consultation with a new cardiologist. Wow, what a difference. There’s some new medication that will probably sort out my fluid on the lungs issues, but more importantly there is a new local group of (I’m guessing nurse based) heart specialists that will look at my whole medication. I’ve been told to expect an intense couple of months of blood tests and tinkering then it should all start to settle down. But they will be monitoring me permanently from now on.

One thing he wants to get down is my cholesterol. It’s well into the OK territory but he thinks it’s quite feasible to get it lower still. This is something I’ve always thought too but my GP has been reluctant to even tell me my count, all they say is it’s OK. It’ll largely be out of their hands now. Also he wants me to have an MRI of my heart to see if there’s been any changes.

Looks like I’m in for a busy new year, hopefully someone will squeeze a vaccination in there somewhere 🎯

[Ed P]

Dave ask your cardiologist about the risks of peripheral neuropathy if cholesterol levels are aggressively lowered for a protracted period. I had to eliminate statin use due to the problems it caused with loss of feeling/pain at the extremities, it took some years to revert back to normal.

[Dave Rice]

I already suffer from it Ed, my fingertips are extremely sensitive especially to crushing. Trapping my finger in a door / drawer is ridiculously painful. I will be mentioning it to the new heart outfit but it’s definitely pain worth the gain for me. However it could also be linked to arthritis rather than statins so I’ll be mentioning it to the rheumatology team as well.

Me and the Mrs decided that we need to take vitamin D supplements and started a few weeks ago. I went for the recommended dose rather than the 10x right-on-the-maximum products that dominate. It does seem to have improved my tiredness but again that is also linked to ankylosing spondylitis or even my heart so who knows?

[Ed P]

+1 to vitamin D, but you need more than the minimum during the dark days of winter.

The other vitamin supplement that appears to be good for the heart is vitamin K-MK7. As it happens it is also excellent for the bones, and definitely should be looked at for females taking calcium supplements or suffering bone loss. link.

If you do take it it should be taken with something fatty, e.g. milk or yoghurt as it is a fat soluble vitamin. (unfortunately it is quite expensive, the only natural sources tend to be in fermented Japanese foods such as natto, kimchi etc, or grass-fed dairy products. (Channel Islands/ Holland have MUCH lower rates of heart disease than UK corn-fed dairy, but similar diets!)

As usual, do your own research and talk to your specialist/doctor.

 

[PlaneMan]

I had a very unexpected surprise today, my PIP review has very unexpectedly gone in my favour and I now have the Enhanced mobility as well as standard for Daily Living for 6 years. Missed out on the Enhanced rate for Daily Living by a single point but at the moment I think the outcome is a fair one.

I was really expecting to have to fight to get anything and have been saving so I could run and maintain my car for a year.

Dilemma now is motability car soon and sell mine when it still has a good few months before the first MOT (due end of November) or wait a bit. I’ll probably get a motability car sooner, only ones that are roughly the same performance and handling as my little Swift Sport (for resonable up front costs) are the 155ps mild Hybrid Fiesta ST Line X/Vignale or Puma ST Line X/ST Line Vignale.

[JayCeeDee]

Well done on the PIP success!!

Motability seems the way to go – brand new model and running costs covered is almost a no-brainer, just restricted by limited choice!! Good luck with the hunt.👍

[PlaneMan]

Thanks JCD.

Dropped some shopping off to mum earlier and had a good talk with her and her fella, they hate lease/ hire purchase type deals but they are of the opinion that motability is the way to go for me.

My car cost me nearly £1900 to run excluding fuel. That was insurance, VED, service, 4 tyres, pads and discs up front and bits and pieces like wipers.

I’ve emailed the 2 Cardiff Ford dealers and I’m waiting for a reply.  The Fiesta is out as it’s getting a face lift later in the year and I’m not getting an outdated car brand new so Puma it is.

[JayCeeDee]

Sounds good. By the time you’ve sold the Suzuki, paid off the loan, your up front cost and got your brand new Puma, I see lots of new RC projects coming your way.😊

[PlaneMan]

No loan for the Swift JCD, the dealership gave me retail price for my 2017 Swift as they already had the replacement demonstrator and needed to shift it. It cleaned my savings out though.

I have another RC toy arriving within the hour. 🙂

[JayCeeDee]

PlaneMan wrote:

I have another RC toy arriving within the hour. 🙂

I must be psychic!!! Whenever I say that to the wife, she tells me I missed a bit in the middle out ( iatr ), don’t know what she means!!😂

Enjoy!!

[PlaneMan]

Just done a deal on a Ford Puma 155 ST Line Vignale with Driver Assistance Pack in Frozen White. The only colour in stock in that spec in the UK and one of the 2 colours I couldn’t decide between.

Just have to wait for it get here from Dagenham now. Could be a few days or a few weeks.

Played the 2 Ford dealers of against each other and the local one gave me a better deal on my car, £64 more.

 

[JayCeeDee]

Excellent, well done. 👍👍 The Model Line page I looked up had the white one, front and centre and it looked very crisp. Mum will be able to get you some valeting tokens as presents now.😊 Cars do look good in white but need washing at very frequent intervals.

Is it taller than the Suzuki, making it easier to get in and out of?? That makes a big difference as bones get older!!😊

[PlaneMan]

The seat height is about 2 cm taller than my Swift but it doesn’t have the great big side bolster that the Swift has so I don’t have to ‘flop’ down into it. Getting out is much easier. Very comfy place to be.

Because of the Covid regs in Wales there are no test drives (officially, I know some independent dealers are doing it on the sly) so I could only sit in one that’s being picked up in a few days in the compound.

[Ed P]

Dave, I’m not sure if you have discussed increasing your statins with your specialist. If that is still in the future, you may like to raise these issues with him:

a) It is a matter of scientific fact that statins interfere with the formation of myelin, and the biggest sinks for that are in the nervous system and brain. Incidentally cholesterol is a major constituent of the brain.

https://www.brainhealthhacks.com/2008/12/11/use-of-statins-bad-for-myelination-possible-long-term-consequences/

b) More worrying, a recent paper has linked myelin loss to progressive loss of brain function.

https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/brains-wiring-insulation-is-one-of-the-major-factors-of-age-related-brain-deterioration

Of course you get the usual correlation <> causation, and the myriad of other things such as alcohol that may impact on brain function. I guess you just have to throw them all in the melting pot, but I would certainly mention your PND to the pill-pushing specialist.

 

 

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