Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Are you good at keeping them or do you wander off track within a couple of days, weeks or maybe months?
I’m not fastidious at making them although in years gone by when my girlfriends and I met up for our annual Girls’ Christmas Weekend we would avidly discuss our previous year. We would resolve to make things better next year with at least three commitments each which were then reviewed the following year.
These days, and about twelve years on from when they first began, we still meet up but the NY resolutions disappeared with the onset of Covid in 2020. I think we just felt that the whole world was spinning on its axis, nothing could be taken for granted anymore and surviving the epidemic was enough!
This year my resolutions have come early!
Whilst we were travelling for six months, and right at the end of the trip, we were in Washington and walked about seven miles on the first day sightseeing. I returned to our Air BnB and rather stupidly twisted my knee whilst struggling to lift my suitcase onto the bed! Immediate pain shot up my leg and I crumpled to the floor.
Never one to be defeated I managed to settle myself on the sofa, researched what it might be and we took the next day off, rearranging some of the remaining days, so I could apply the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate.
It seemed to do the trick and the next day we were back out n about although we limited the walking to no more than five miles and I swallowed painkillers every 4-5 hrs!
On returning to the UK I returned to my normal exercise at the gym, starting with only three sessions of aqua aerobics on week one, four sessions on week two and then five on week three. My knee seemed to be fine so I added in an aerobics class and a pilates class in week four.
Following the pilates class I woke up the next morning with pain but not in my right knee, it had switched to my left knee! I rested it for the rest of that week and then went back to the beginning of my exercise cycle and only three classes of aqua aerobics the following week! To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. I was already struggling psychologically to settle back home after six months away and then this had happened. I just wanted life to get back to normal.
A subsequent x-ray has revealed I have Stage 3 osteoarthritis in both knees and a floating piece of bone in my left knee. Exercise is encouraged but only the correct exercise. I’m currently awaiting an appointment with a physio to find out what I can and cannot do.
It’s really frustrating not only because I miss exercising but I am off on my Girls Christmas weekend tomorrow and then hubby and I are going to Lille. We visited the city on our European tour earlier this year and vowed to come back to do some Christmas shopping. We are then travelling to Holland to see one of my old school friends. The thought of hobbling around either of these places doesn’t really thrill me.
My knee wasn’t the only issue unfortunately………….
If you have read one of my earlier posts entitled “Midlife -Menopause” you will be aware that I am prone to UTI infections. The last twelve months have been crazy with eight infections combated by antibiotics. When we returned from travelling, and before making any plans to go anyway else, I thought I should finally try and get this sorted. An ultrasound scan revealed there is nothing wrong with my kidneys, bladder or any sign of a hernia, well that was positive.
I then went for a cystoscope and an appointment with a urologist. This revealed that my uretha is very inflamed and unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. In his opinion the continuing reliance on antibiotics for my infections has caused changes in the gut microbiome.
Certain microbes activate immune T cells that promote or suppress inflammation. In a healthy microbiome, this means the immune system does what it’s supposed to: pathogens are destroyed, and harmless cells are free to go about their business.
When your gut microbiota changes one of the side effects can be chronic inflammation. So in a nutshell, the antibiotics led to my microbiomes being upset, which led to inflammation not just in my uretha but also in my knees and some of my lymph nodes.
Apart from taking two tablets a day for the next three months I also have to:
Try and feed my microbiomes what they like
Make sure I hydrate my body daily
Start exercising in the correct way
Lose weight
Adopt an anti inflammatory diet
And thus my New Year’s resolutions are made for me!
Although we have the NHS here in the UK and medical care is provided free, the reliance upon this service has increased to such an extent that the service is quite honestly in crisis. Getting an appointment to see your GP can be 2-4 weeks! To see a specialist or consultant you have to be referred by your GP. Once the referral is sent off it can take up to 6 weeks to be given an appointment but the appointment can be anything from 3 months -12 months in the future depending upon your specific medical issue and how long their waiting lists are. These figures do not fall within the National Health Service guidelines but unfortunately are the reality.
Based upon this I have already downloaded some literature in order to learn more about my knee issue and how to help myself:
Arthritis Reversed: Groundbreaking 30 Day Arthritis Relief Action Plan by Mark Wiley
Arthritis Care: Osteoarthritis Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment, Exercise & Diet by Kenneth Lowes
Natural Arthritis Cure: The Natural Cure, Treatment and diet for Different Types of Arthritis: End The Pain by Pete Samonis
Arthritis in Knee, osteoarthritis in knee. Exercises, Stretch treatments, Home Remedies, Knee Replacements and Knee Braces by Robert Rymore
I am not the type of person to be defeated by any health issue and will now be taking the time to read, digest, learn and glean from these books what I feel is relevant to me.
Happy New Year 2024!!!!
A Midlife Adventure 