My Arthritis Journey – Ouch

My Journey With Arthritis started suddenly with my very first arthritic flare in my left knee.

At 5 pm on the dot on Feb 23, 2023, I started to feel a kind of ‘tightness’ in my left knee. How do I know it was exactly 5 pm? I was bending to feed the dogs and, well, there it was…a sudden stiffness and light pain in my knee.

I didn’t know what was happening and looked for an insect bite at first. My knee started becoming warm to the touch, and I could see swelling happening by the minute. I was afraid she was gonna blow!

After hobbling around that night, I slowly made it up the steps to bed. That’s where the REAL fun started.

That night, I couldn’t find a comfortable position in which to sleep. So…I didn’t. Arthritis can be absolutely crippling to the body and mind.

The next morning, my arthritic flare up was in full bore! It took me 15 minutes to get down 12 steps and, even with moving extremely slowly, the tears were just pouring down my face. That sucker HURT! And hurt BADLY!

Longer story shortened here, but, I ended up taking an ambulance to the hospital as I couldn’t bend my knee enough to get in any car or SUV.

After xrays, it was confirmed. I had a bad arthritic flare up in a knee in which I didn’t even know I had arthritis! Uh oh…

So, this article will follow my path which I will be updating periodically.

Today, 14 days later, I’m still hobbling around but not in nearly as much pain as before. The following items have helped me immensely during this challenging illness.

I’m pretty imaginative so, some of the items I had on hand, helped me immensely.

If you’re looking for more information on arthritis, check out my accompanying article: Good Gifts For Arthritis Sufferers and Gin Soaked Raisins – you won’t believe what gin soaked raisins can do to help arthritis!

Female Urination Device,Reusable Silicone Female Urinal Foolproof Women Pee Funnel Allows Women to Pee Standing Up,Women’s Urinal is The Perfect Companion for Travel and Outdoor (Fuchsia)Without further ado, let me introduce you to the female urinal (affectionately dubbed my ‘Pee Pee Peeny.’

Female Urinals Allow One To Stand To Urinate During An Arthritic Flare Which Prevents One From Easily Sitting Down

That’s right ladies; standing to pee is not just for men any longer.

I discovered that, the very first morning, I couldn’t bend my knee far enough to sit on the toilet normally. Arthritis is a cruel disease, but it does have a sense of humor…or rather, I do.

I had one of these female urinals on our boat, just in case. The thing is magical.

So, instead of trying to pee while standing and straddling the toilet (btw, that rarely turns out well), I turned to my fabulous friend, the female urinal.

I just put it ‘down there’ and let it fly. Targeted urination! BTW, the thing is really fun in the snow…I can now write my own name!
Elastic Bandage Wrap with Self-Closure 4 Inch Comfort Athletic Compression

Ace Bandages Can Help Support The Arthritic Joint

I’ve been living in my ace bandage for 14 days now, and I still love the thing.

I chose a bandage that was 3″ wide as I found it easier to wrap without having a lot of the bandage actually behind my knee.

But, there are many good ace bandages on the market – I think every home should stock a few.

Note: I vastly prefer the compression bandages that have velcro or are self-closing so I don’t have those nasty clips (to step upon….).

That link to the right takes you to an Amazon page where you can choose the width of the exact compression bandage you prefer.

Compression Hose Also Can Help Support An Arthritic Knee

I had some compression hose left over from a surgical procedure and figured, ‘Why not?’

Because compression hose, by their very nature, are difficult to put on, it took me a while to figure out the best, least painful way to get that support hose over my knee – I have the thigh high versions. It took about 7 minutes but, when I was done? My painful, swollen knee felt much better.

I prefer the thigh high compression hose with the open toe but there are many styles and strengths of compression hose available on Amazon.com.

Truform 20-30 mmHg Compression Stockings for Men and Women, Thigh High Length, Dot-Top, Open Toe, Beige, MediumCompression Pantyhose 20-30mmHg Tight Stocking Gradient Compression Hose Help Relieve Swelling Edema Varicose Veins for Women Opaque Closed Toe Firm Support (Beige, M)

Cold Therapy Ice Chests Keep Cold Water Flowing – Instant Relief From Some Arthritic Pain

Forget the bag of frozen peas – that’s for the uninitiated. My cold therapy ice chest was filled with ice water sent cooling water to the attached pad that I wrapped around my knee. 20 minutes on ice, 20 minutes off. I spent a full day like that. It helped.

And, with this kind of cold therapy machine, there’s no need to waddle to the freezer for another frozen bag of vegetables which warms in about 30 minutes. No sir! Grab one of these ice chests for your home.

 NEHOO Cold Therapy System, Low Noise Ice Therapy Machine, Continuous Cryotherapy Cold Pack, Universal Pad for Knee, Ankle, Cervical, Back, Leg and Hip Cold Therapy Machine — Cryotherapy Freeze Kit System — for Post-Surgery Care, ACL, MCL, Swelling, Sprains, and Other Injuries — Wearable, Adjustable Knee Pad — Cooler Pump with Digital Timer Circulating Cold Water Therapy Ice Machine Gen 2 by Arctic Ice Clear –with Universal Pad for Knee, Elbow, Shoulder, Back Pain, Swelling, Sprains, Inflammation, Injuries (Arctic Ice Clear)

After My Cold Therapy, It Was Time For A Nice Heating Pad

I’ve been using my heating pad every day since that initial arthritis flare up day. And, what a relief it provides.

 Pure Enrichment® PureRelief™ XXL (20 GENIANI XL Heating Pad for Back Pain & Cramps Relief, FSA HSA Eligible, Auto Shut Off, Machine Washable, Heat Pad, Holiday Gifts for All, Gifts for Women, Gifts for Men, Heat Patch (Aqua Blue)