Welcome to Osteoarthritis - Our Stories. For now, I am the host, the only host of this site. I'm just a person who was able to lead a full and busy life until about two years ago when osteoarthritis began to take it over.
At the time, I did not even realize what was wrong with me. I thought:
Maybe I have muscle aches from lifting that heavy plant.
Maybe I have female problems.
Maybe I drove too many miles today.
Maybe I ate something bad.
Maybe I should stop lifting the grandbabies.
It truly never occured to me that the vague discomfort I was experiencing two years ago was the onset of osteoarthritis symptoms. Hindsight being 20/20, I now suspect that there were signs even earlier, maybe five or ten years ago, but that's water over the bridge.
Here I am today, now, crippled with pain in my hips that is so significant there are days I can hardly walk. This fact lead me to search online for conversations with others who are suffering as I am, with family members or caregivers or even professionals who deal with OA.
Unfortunately, most of the sites I found seemed full of advise and short on first or even second hand experience. Forums that, at first, seemed promising were quickly filled up with people trying to peddle goods - drugs, cures, devices, and on and on. It was so annoying.
So, I decided to take a chance and start my own site. I have no idea if anyone anywhere will ever see read it or take any interest, but if you are here and if you are reading this, something must have brought you here.
As long as your motivation is not to sell something or to vent abusively, you are heartily welcome!
Please let me know you visited. Post your own story under the comments section.
(Someday when I become really smart about how to navigate the web, I may figure out how to start a forum or a chat room! For now, this is what I can manage.)
Warning: For the sake of OA sufferers, all posts will be screened. Abusive comments, sales pitches, and bad language will be strictly banned!
