Please Post Often

[losetocruise]

Hi guys!
I am so glad Liz has already posted. I know us arthritis sufferers have a lot of questions and answers for each other about arthritis and Atkins both. Tom agreed to start this sub forum but we can only keep it if it stays active and there are enough posts to show genuine interest!

As far as I can tell the health forums sub topics do not have to be atkins related, but of course if they are tht is great too. So I hope everyone will post all information on arthritis that can mutually benefit us all.

[sallyseachange]

Nice one! I know precious little about arthritis... I just know that as the years roll on by, I notice all sorts of new creakings and crackings in joints... and it take me longer to "get supple" in the morning after rising.

I'll follow posts here with interest.

[cookiecate]

What a good idea. I have had arthritis for many years and sort of decided to just try and live with it. I was lucky and had a job which I did well and so people tended to make allowances for the fact that I could't stand for long or walk too far and very slowly.

Until I took a year out from my job as a psychiatric nurse and when I came to apply for another job I just couldn't get one, with my experience and resume I got the interviews but was politely told that I just wasn't fit enough to be safe.

Finally I was written off as disabled until I could lose weight and get some new knees. I tried and tried to lose weight even my surgeon sent me to a clinic that offered huge weight losses as long as I drank their really expensive shakes and did not eat anything solid until I had shifted the weight.

Looking back it was awful, there were diabetics who were really obese and people who were in wheel chairs because they were so big.

I walked away from the clinic and became totally disgusted with myself and the health professionals who could not help me, all I kept thinking was if I had been an alcoholic or a drug addict they could have offered some kind of assistance but being overweight there just was no answer.

My surgeon decided that I needed the operation so badly that he would do it without the usual anesthetic, meaning that I would be awake. However, I thought this trauma was not worthwhile unless I lost the weight that had caused the problems in the first place.

Thank goodness three months ago I remembered Atkins and started again properly this time. I have already lost 20lbs and am looking forward to meeting with my surgeon again on the 7 July I know he will be pleased.

The thing is that now I find it easier to walk and I am able to walk slowly but surely nearly a mile each day now, I feel so much better and so much younger there is nothing in this world that makes you feel old than not being able to walk, dance and just move around easily being overweight contributed to this horrible state and soon I hope to have some new knees.

That won't be the end of it I know. I already have arthritis in my other joints but now being lighter I can excersise which is so beneficial to everyone with this horrid illness.

[losetocruise]

Cookiecat,
What a horrible thing to tell you they would do replacement knee surgery without anesthetics! I am so glad you are getting in proper shape for the surgery.

My mom had a double knee replacement on the same day and is like a new person. At 80 she gets around better then me. But she lost a lot of weight just prior to the surgery and her doctor says that is key to sucess with it.

I am really hoping that if I lose enough it may take enough strain off to not need replacement, but the doctor says it is an eventuality for me to.
My doctor said every pound you lose takes 4 pounds of strain off the weight bearing joints (Knees, hips ankles, etc.)!

Take cAre

[booklady]

I know for me, the arthritis I had in a few joints of my fingers goes away completely after only a few days on low carb, and it can be quite painful, so I am certain for me, the carbs I was eating were somehow responsible because it goes away and stays away on low carb. I do believe there is a connection between food and disease in many cases and for me it seems to be true. That alone would be a reason to do this plan for me.
Stephie

[losetocruise]

I wish the low carb would take the arthritis pain away for me too! So far I can't say that, but I am sure the weight loss helps a lot!

Do you excercise also Stephie? Most of my arthritis is in my knees, but I have a little occasional stiffness in the finger joints too. i crochet a lot and I think the exercise helps keep the finger joints limber.

[booklady]

HI Ginny,
no, I have not excercised yet but plan to start that up today. I will start slow because my back has been hurting for about a month and I do not want to make it hurt worse. As I lose the weight I know it will be better. I carry a lot of my weight in my belly and I know it pulls on my back, but I am working on that !!
I will start walking and doing a few excercises today. I wanted my first two weeks on low carb to be about getting used to the food, and now it is time at day 16 to add in the excercise !!
You may see yours get better in time also, it may just take some time.
Stephie

[khesan]

I too have osteoarthritis in both knees, back and need a double knee replacement desperately as I have no cartlidge at all betwwen my knee joints. My back is so bad The last lot of x-rays I had the Dr. just looked at it shook his head and said there wasn't anything we can do to help it. I am on waiting list here in Australia for my knee replacement but the wait time can be years so I am doing Atkins while I wait cause I know for a fact that without shifting my weight they won't do it. So far 30kgs down and I can already feel the difference in my knees I walk easier and the pain isn't as severe. I talk fenec for the arthritis and fish oil as well have been thinking of trying glucosomine to have any of you used it and does it help?
I can't stand for more then 5 mins without feeling like my back is gunna break in 2 so I have to sit to cook and shower which is a pain. I am praying that as my weight goes down so will the pain and I will be able to do more. I have just started going out to the shops again and if I lean on the trolly I can get round the supermarket ok. It has been 5 yrs. since I have been able to do that so for me it is a huge milestone. I don't think people who don't suffer from arthritis can understand the debilitating pain it can cause.
I wish everyone well and hope we all find relief.
Hugs

[losetocruise]

Wendy!
Hugs to you for what you are going through. I have never had arthritis in my back, but have recently pulled a muscle there. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have this pain all the time as you do! i do know that taking the weight off is the surest path to relief. I have been told (with knees) that even replacement will not be totally sucessful unless weight is shed first.

I do take glucosomine. I have been told that it is only effctive though in a glucosomine - chondroiton combination. I am not sure if this is true, but that is how i have always taken it. it does help but takes about 3 weeks to notice any effect. It must be taken on a regular basis to help.

Best wishes to you for relief!

[cookiecate]

Hi Khesan,
I take glucosamine and chondratine, fish oil, and green lipped mussel. I have read loads about glucosamine and it can only really work if it has cartlidge to build on. I take it not for my knees but the other joints, hopefully to prevent the total loss as I have with my knees.

As losetocruise points out every pound we lose reduces the strain by a whopping 40lbs so what you have done has really been great.

I know each week I feel better but my heart goes out to you many congratualtions on the weight you have lost. I bet you enjoy going to the supermarket which a great many people will take for granted and even complain about.

Good luck