Yesterday I walked 10,425 steps according to my little buddy. All this time I thought I was sedentary. I was aiming for 5,000 steps a day and figuring I'd have to take a 3 mile walk every day to reach that goal. It's definitely a new habit to remember to put that thing on. But yesterday I did it first thing in the morning until I went to bed. A lot of the steps are right here in the condo! Which isn't that big!!
I'm pretty sure this freebie is not as accurate as a FitBit or other expensive high tech toy. It probably overstates but it IS something to remind me to move around more. Since I'm competing with myself, it works well enough for me.
My favorite brother-in-law is a doctor who told me that it won't make the arthritis worse or progress faster if I walk. He also said that whatever movements bother me the most are probably the thing I should do more of. Stairs! So every day I climb a few flights.
What I was hoping for is less pain. That maybe walking a lot every day would building muscles around my knees and hips so that walking wouldn't hurt so much. I take ibuprofen daily now (otherwise I would scream as I walked ...) and lately I take it twice a day. But yesterday was bad. Regardless of the week of intentional walking. At bedtime I took another dose of ibuprofen AND two Alleve. This morning feels better.
Last night my buddy invited me to walk up for ice cream. I wanted to spend time with her (and for some reason, ice cream sounded really good!) but I explained it was a kneesle day and I just couldn't walk. So we drove and each had an old fashioned hot fudge sundae.
I've decided to find an arthritis specialist or a knee doctor. How do I know when it is time to give up daily over the counter stuff? What is the next line of defense? Prescription arthritis relief? Cortisone injections? Replacement?
Both of my tiny homes were chosen for WALKABILITY. Never in my life have I lived some place where I could walk to my destinations. Now that I have this dream ... I can barely walk? Nope. Not gonna take that for an answer!!
Stay tuned!
They have lots of things you can do for painful knees that don't require surgery. First they have to do a work up to see what, exactly is the problem. Shots came first for me and that worked a couple of years, then the stuff they shoot in your joints that fills them with a jell-like padding. That also worked for me for three years. When it stopped working then the doctor said it was time for knee replacement. Best thing I ever did for myself but you don't want to do it too soon because those replacements only last 15 years.
ReplyDeleteMy pedometer has you measure how many steps you can to cover 15 feet then feed that into their formula to come up with a correct steps per mile. I really do love.
Will you leave me another message on my blog? I didn't understand the twitter account you sent me to and I didn't approve the reply through to my blog because I thought that person might me you and I didn't want to "out you" in public. LOL. Also, with my computer issues I lost all my contacts, so if you could also include your email address and/or phone number in a comment, I promise I won't publish those either.
Hey! Thanks for the step by step on how to postpone this knee thing. I know I'm doomed (Mom had both hips replaced and Dad both knees) but the longer I can postpone, the better. Science and medicine keep improving!
DeleteThanks for starting the special blog society!
Replacement worked the best for me. I had the series of shots in my back--no help. I won't take arthritis medicine, but, when it gets too bad, I take prescription Naproxen 500mg, which is an anti-inflammatory.
ReplyDeleteAlleve is the over the counter version of Naproxen. What a journey!
DeleteMy brother has had both hips replaced. I had an X-ray on my left knee a few months ago and it's arthritic. Big surprise. The right knee is too, but not as bad.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with your 10,000 plus steps. I have to get a pedometer... anything that will give me incentive.
A hot fudge sundae with a buddy sounds like a good thing.