Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

I saw my rheumatologist yesterday-regular visit.  I've been having more 
flares recently, mostly in my feet, with sore, tender, growing nodules 
at my metacarpophalangeal joints of my forefingers on both hands.  In 
the last 6 months, I've also noticed an increase in my OA 
symptoms...left knee, right hip, both shoulders, cervical and lumbar 
spine, etc.  I should own stock in BenGay and Capsaicin creams!  It is a 
good thing that I like the smell of menthol!
I was diagnosed with OA at the same time as RA, but for the most part, I 
only have OA problems if I overdo it, or if the weather stays nasty.  A 
gazillion others have the same issues so I know I am not alone.  Today, 
my doc gave me a referral to a foot surgeon and lidocaine patches for 
localized pain.  I cut one down and placed it on my bunionette (a 
bunionette is on the outside edge of the foot by the pinkie toe-it has 
nothing to do with size-just bunionettes deform the pinkie toe and 
bunions deform the great toe, pushing both towards the center of the 
foot.)  I have both like the image shown and the bunion looks worse than 
the bunionette, but the bunionette causes me the most pain.  It is not 
an RA type pain, more like tendinitis, you know, a burning, tennis 
elbow/carpal tunnel type of pain.  So I put a patch on my foot at about 
4:30 in the afternoon.  I removed it at midnight before taking a shower. 
 You can leave them on for 12 hours-12 on 12 off.  For the almost 8 
hours I wore the patch, I did not have even one pain in my foot. 
However, the pain re-emerged within 10 minutes of taking off the patch. 
 I am hopeful that it continues to work to take the edge off as that 
will enable me to exercise more.  Sometimes I skip the bike ride and the 
fence/mailbox walk simply because I can't deal with more pain.  Today 
was such a day.  With relief from the patch, I took a nap instead.  If I 
can exercise more, especially more regularly,(everyday instead of 2 or 3 
days a week) I can drop even more weight and meet my goal of losing 50 
pounds, which will of course also take a load off my skeletal system and 
joints.  According to the doc, I've lost 11 pounds in 3 months just by 
drinking more water, exercising a little, drinking far fewer cokes, and 
substituting unsaturated fats from plants for the saturated animal fats 
when I can.  I haven't gone overboard or anything, I'm still a major 
carnivore, but I'm trying to make healthier choices and eat more veggies 
and such.
I thought I would mention these patches in case others might benefit.  I 
was told that I could use them on any part of my body(back, shoulder, 
knee, arm, ribs, etc.)  I wish I had had something like this back when I 
suffered from CTS daily.  Of course it does nothing to stop the cause of 
the pain-other meds do that, but it surely will increase functionality, 
and give me a bigger buffer on pain and my mood.  When you deal with 
chronic pain, you become less tolerant of things and you loose your 
emotional buffer.  Anyway, ask your doctor about these things. They were 
originally approved for the pain of shingles, I think.

I'd like to know how some of you manage chronic pain.  Do you live with 
a bucket of ice, pay for acupuncture, smoke dope, drink vodka???  How do 
you get to sleep when you have mild or moderate pain?  Has anyone tried 
biofeedback?  Hypnosis?


--
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public 
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered 
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed 
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of 
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/