Some friends came over to the House of Barbeque on Friday night, and one of them mentioned that she’d missed my regular blog updates. Aside from it being a busy week with Bryan home (he likes that attention, you know), I’ve been having some interesting health issues that have created a lot of fatigue. I’ve been doing a whole lot of NOTHING (including NOT cleaning my house) and going to bed early.
For about four or five years I’ve had very stiff legs and feet. When I am still for a long time, like while at a movie or working at a desk or even while sleeping, my legs and feet can barely hold my weight when I stand up. Every morning I hobble out of bed, give my legs a few minutes to get their bearings, then head down the stairs while leaning heavily on the hand rails.
I’ve always loved stretching and have tried to remain nimble, which is why this condition has irritated me. It seems no matter how much I stretch, or what kind of expensive therapeutic shoes I purchase, my legs and feet still feel painful and stiff after being still. During and after yoga I feel great, but even when I practice three times a week I am still stiff in between classes.
This weekend I became concerned as my whole body now feels stiff and achy, and my skin has that prickly tingly sensation when you touch me, almost like I have the flu. Only I have no other flu symptoms, and I feel fine other than I’m really fatigued. Ibuprofen seems to make the achiness go away so I can function, but I’m not a big fan of around the clock medication if there’s another way to treat the problem.
I finally went to see the doctor last week. I have always dismissed the pain and stiffness as side effects of my pregnancies, and then I attributed it to my depression, and then to my struggle to over come my anger problem. But now that I’m getting my mental ducks in a row and the problem seems to be worsening, I’ve decided to wage war against my decrepit body.
Decrepit. That’s really how I feel – old and decrepit. I can’t move quickly, and can’t get up and down from the floor easily, and I’m always tired. It occurred to me one day that if I feel like this at nearly-35, I’m screwed if I make it to 70. Both my parents and most of my grandparents have had healthy and active lives with very few health problems, and I’d like to continue that trend.
So, that’s an update and explanation of where I’ve been. It’s sad, really, because I have about five posts drafted either on the computer or in my head, but I haven’t had the energy to think. Hopefully I will feel better soon.
I hope you feel better soon, Jen.
I found your blog entry through a search engine. I can’t believe that someone else may actually be having the same problem that I am having!
My legs and feet have been stiff and painful for over a year now. When I get up in the morning, after riding in the car, watching a movie, just anytime I have to sit still, I can’t walk for a few minutes and then I am holding on to someone or something to keep me going until things get “limbered up” so I can walk. I have also noticed that in the past couple of weeks, it seems that my feet are not as steady as they once were. My balance is fine, so I am not sure how to describe it.
I am 41 and I am very active. I did have a major surgery in Nov and it seems that the symptoms are a lot worse now.
I have tried the splints that you wear on your feet at night, stretching exercises for the feet and legs, lifting weights, walking every day,, special shoes and inserts, and the list goes on. Nothing has worked and the pain and stiffness is getting worse. Now I am having pain on the outside of the thighs. It is like the muscle that runs all the way up that outside of the thigh tightens up and will not let loose no matter what I do.
Being tired and not having the energy to do anything is a huge problem also. I am cleaning out one of my sons rooms and usually it would have taken one day for me to get the room done. It looks like it might take about 3 days this time. I am at my wits end! I have no idea what to do or what it is. I have tried to tell a couple of doctors about this, but they just tell me that it is because I stand up too much in a day or that I need to lose a few pounds,ect. No one has ever tried to find out what is going on or even take me seriously. My husband picks at me about it, but I think he is realizing that this is not going away.
I would like to stay in contact with you and exchange any information that we find out if that is alright with you.
I guess I just wanted to say that you are not the only one that this is happening to.
Samantha