One week on

Its been a week since I started my new painkillers and its time to consider how they are working before my appointment with my GP this afternoon.

Tonight I am having a bad night with pain but I have taken a couple of paracetamol, the pain is now back under control and soon I will be heading back to bed. So are they working for me? In a word, yes.

I have experienced no significant or problematic increase in my respiratory symptoms and my pain is under better control. At night it is lovely to go to bed and expect a decent nights sleep, yes tonight is a bad night but my bad nights have been reduced by 50% from last week, the other bad night may of been because I had taken it earlier than normal. I feel so much better in myself both mentally and physically because I am more rested. Some of my friends have commented upon the fact I look better. When I get up its less off a struggle to get going and get motivated and I am not struggling to keep awake by 4 o'clock. I am physically more active which can only be a positive thing both for my joints and mental health and because I am more awake I am taking better care of myself even to the point of contemplating wearing a little bit of make up again when I am not at work (though I am allowed to) and on special occasions, again this can only be a good thing for my mental and physical health.

During the day I am also reaping the benefits, aside from being more awake, more motivated and generally feeling better in myself. Its great to take my painkillers and not have to be clock watching for the most of the day. I take it when I get up (or 12 hours after the previous tablet) and rather than thinking along the lines of when I next need to take my painkillers, I am now thinking along the lines of I don't need to take my painkillers till such and such a time which psychologically is much better. Its great not to be clock watching and being concerned about the fact that if I don't take it in time pain will intrude my day. Yes I do still get pain but its at a level I can cope with, if things do get uncomfortable two paracetamol does the trick of getting it to a manageable level, most people with chronic pain have a level of pain that they have learnt to live with.

So all in all it has been very positive my only hope is that this afternoon my GP will prescribe it on a permanent basis.

The other question I had been wondering about is that my rheumotoligist recommend I try gentle exercise to help my joints but I was unsure as to what may help my hands which do get very stiff and sore particularly in winter. My sister who has successfully run an arts project with the elderly found that clay modeling was very helpful in reducing pain and stiffness in those who have arthritic hands, I am going to try some playdo albeit reluctantly because I know that I end up feeling like a child.