Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 25 Location: united states
Lupus/upper Body Strength Posted: 08-31-03 18:15pm
I was diag. W/ lupus 3 years ago, mostly
with the protein in urine, severe joint
and muscle pain (in fact b4 finally going
2 doc. I could not walk), swelling, also
have ryes syndrome pretty bad. Anyway,
on plaquenil and a low dose diateric which
all helps. But lately I have noticed
very poor upper body strength in arms and
hands. I have worked out for years and
continue to do so, but can hardly lift
weights like I could b4. Im 46 so don't
know if its old age, but im very fit! Go
figure.
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sharon
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 191
Fitness Posted: 09-01-03 12:16pm
Hi sue, wellcome to what someone called
"lupusland". I'm 47 and was diagnosised
in 97. I was in pretty good shape also.
I jogged and exercised reg. I started
noticing a drop in my strenth also. I believe it comes
with having lupus. I have a really hard
time lifting my arms above my head now.
It can get to be very frustrating not
being able to do what we were able to do
before. Lupus ages us faster than the
norm for our age. People who don't know
me or how old I am think i'm a lot older.
Resturants give me the senior discount
without ever asking my age. I gave up
correcting them. Thay just think i'm
lying about my age. I've never been
sensitive about my age before so why start
now. Just do the best you can for as long
as you can. Just don't over do it! That
can be worse than being in good shape.
Sharon
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LadyBrannon
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 506 Location: TX
Sue And Sharon Posted: 09-02-03 22:45pm
Hmmm...I never lost upper body strength
until I went into a 2 year flare and could
not exercise...Let alone move.
could be because you have a lot of joint
pain and you just don't use those
joints/muscles as much...
Just my $.02 worth :p
ladybrannon
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ShiftingSands
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 16
Posted: 03-06-04 22:56pm
I have weakness in my arms, too. I have
had lupus for almost 18 years and it has
just begun a few years ago. I am 50, so I
thought it was just old age! but it is very hard
to wash my hair and style it.. Not that
that is a big consideration when I feel
like garbage on any given day. I tell
people that this disease is like writing
every body part on a slip of paper and
putting them all in a bowl. Then getting
up every morning, picking one out and
saying.. Okay, this is the body part that
is going to hurt today! the sites change so
often that people really think you are
crazy. My biggest dream these days would
be to just have one day pain free. I
can't imagine anymore what that would be
like. I have totally forgotten those
days.
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LadyBrannon
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 506 Location: TX
Posted: 03-07-04 09:29am
Can I get an amen?
i know *exactly* what you mean. I find
myself, some days, asking if it really is
too much to ask for one pain free day!
Hugs,
ladybrannon
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Upper-body Strength Posted: 03-07-04 16:08pm
I know exactly what you mean. I used to
be able to open any bottle or jar, lift a
50# bag of dog food, and do a full day's
work in the yard, no problem! Now I
can't even open my power-ade bottle.
And washing and styling my hair is
pretty much out of the question. I've
been having my hair shampooed at work, a
hair salon, and a couple of weeks ago the
shampoo assistant said, loud enough for
eveyone to hear, how I " was just being
lazy". As I tried not to cry, I
explained to her that I had an autoimmune
disease that made it difficult for me to
raise my hands above my head. It is bad
enough not to be able to do it, without
being embarrassed if public.
Now when I work in the yard (with my hat
and sunscreen), I know not to over do it,
otherwise my arms will tremble and shake
for an hour or two afterward. You have
to learn your limitations and respect
them. These are hard lessons to learn,
I know.
By the way, march 12 is my birthday, and
i'm going to be 40!!!!!!!!
Where did the time go!
Have a great day,
mia
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ShiftingSands
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 16
Posted: 03-07-04 16:41pm
Happy 40th birthday, mia! Don't let what
other people say bother you. There is no
way you will ever make them understand and
ignorance is what prompts them to say the
things they do.
I have had lupus for almost 19 years and
my family will still say to me on a bad
day.. "what is wrong with you??" I just
ignore those comments any more.
For others who really are not aware why
sometimes I disappear into the "black
hole" after being seemingly "fine" only a
day or two before, my answer is this...
You know what aids is, right, an
autoimmune disease in which the immune
system doesn't function at all.
Well, in lupus, the immune system is
overactive... Running continually.
It "thinks" that there is injury or
illness somewhere in the body.. An, in
fact, there is not. But just the same,
the runaway immune system saps energy,
causes inflammation, and pain.
People will understand if you were to say
you were on chemo treatments for cancer.
But they don't understand if you say you
need rest to recover.
So, again, my answer after years of trying
many...
I am like a battery. If I have used all
the energy doing something one day, I need
to be "plugged in" to the recharger for a
while to "recharge" before I can function
again.
Some understand that concept and it
changes their perception of what I live
with. Others don't.. And they are the
ones I stop trying to convince.
It takes too much energy to deal with
them.
People like that I just stay away from as
much as possible. We don't need
negativity, we have quite enough already
just trying to live our lives.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
We will be wishing you a pain free, energy
filled day.. For at least long enough to
celebrate!
Sunny
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el725
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 49 Location: Florida
Upper Body Strength Posted: 03-07-04 17:21pm
I'm so happy to know i'm not the only one
with this issue. I know people around me
think i'm being melodramatic when I ask
someone else to unscrew my water bottle
cap or pop open a soda can! You guys are
such a comfort! :d i've been in such a
slump lately. It doesn't feel like a
full-blown flare, but I just ache all over
and am soooooooo tired. I have a Dr.
Appt tuesday, so we'll see what he says.
I'm actually kind of glad that I feel so
crummy since I have the appt. Any way.
I hate when I see the Dr. And i'm fine
& two days later I feel like junk. I
know you know what i'm talking about!
Hang in there, sisters.
Lizbet
I believe it comes
with having lupus. I have a really hard
time lifting my arms above my head now.
It can get to be very frustrating not
being able to do what we were able to do
before. Lupus ages us faster than the
norm for our age. People who don't know
me or how old I am think i'm a lot older.
Resturants give me the senior discount
without ever asking my age. I gave up
correcting them. Thay just think i'm
lying about my age. I've never been
sensitive about my age before so why start
now. Just do the best you can for as long
as you can. Just don't over do it! That
can be worse than being in good shape.
