Pregnancy Forums

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 12:54am | IP Logged

hi, i need some advice, oh and some sympathy.

katie is now 20 weeks and yet i am still suffering with the spd. i have to take pain killers regualrly and to be honest they could do more for me, but don't. i am worse when i have been n my feet for too long and when i am due my period, but  i was wondering can stress flare it up too?

this last week has been very difficult and though i am mobile it's like it is when i am due my period. i am not due my period, thank god, that's another thread for another time, but i am really unstable at the mo. i have locked up, i have been walking and had to stop dead becuase the pain just takes hold. i'm trying to avoid holding katie but that is impossible as she is a demanding, but cute baby. today at the sink washing her bottles i was bent over double just becuase i was in so much pain. i have pain now and i don't know what to do.

there are days where it's non stop. every day to be honest but i struggle so much. i am scared though if i stop i'll not get going again and try and grit my teeth. i'd been walking maddie to school and that's the only new thing i have done this week that is different. it is a hike really, but i go back to work next week. i can't afford to do the last 3 mnths of mat leave on just stat mat pay so go back early. i work in an intensive care unit and frankly my bum does not touch a chair. my shifts are 6.5 and 12 hours. i don't know how i will cope. is there anything i can do? is there a trigger? i don't think i fully understand this as  i thought it would have gone by now, but i am scared it's permanent. my knees hurt to as do my wrists.

please help me. i feel alone and scared.

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 9:58am | IP Logged

Aw - sorry to hear you are suffering so much at the moment - what a shame. I too suffer from this every day - unfortunately I've had it since I was pregnant with Ruthie over 11 years ago, although for some people it clears up after the baby is born.  Mine is also worse when I'm on my feet - I struggle with ironing etc, and walking round Tesco to do the shop is a nightmare.

Mine has flared up again over the last few months - I was at gp last week again. Go back to your gp and explain how bad it is. Do you have a support belt you can wear? I find just immobilising my hips a bit can help a little. Do you have painkillers that help it at all? Speak to your gp about attending a pain clinic, if you don't already. You can't struggle on as you are - and to think of you trying to be on your feet at work is horrendous. Please go back to your doctor and get some help with this. I've found an osteopath helped a bit, although it's quite expensive. I can't afford to go to one at the moment, so my gp has referred me to the hospital for more physio.

There are lots of ladies on here who will be able to give you advice too.

Hope you can find some relief very soon. Am thinking about you - let us know how you get on.

sending you a gentle hug.

xxx

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 10:20am | IP Logged

I can certainly send you some sympathy - it sounds awful. I had mild spd with my second pregnancy, and terribly with my third, but was one of the 'lucky' ones in that it mostly cleared up after Joe was born. I'm only left with slightly bad hips if I do anything too strenuous or sleep on a different mattress. (I have a lovely memory foam mattress now, which actually helped enormously.)

As for advice, you must do as Kim says. Get yourself back to the doctor ASAP. There is so little known about this condition, but that doesn't mean that the symptoms can be ignored. You need some sort of assessment to see if you are physically able to go back to work at the moment. I understand your concerns about money, believe me, but there may be a way around that if you are physically unable to work at the mo, you should be entitled to further leave as sick leave rather than maternity, which ought to be paid better, though I believe that depends on your employer and your employment contract.

You must talk to your gp about how bad it is and the whole situation regarding work. And if he's unhelpful, see another gp. With the pain being so bad that you're struggling to cope at home, you really need to talk to him and your bosses about how/if you're going to manage at work. Maybe also talk to the CAB to find out about employment law and how it does work if you've been on maternity leave and are now too ill to work. I don't want to label you as being 'ill', but this is a medical condition, and you have to be practical to get the help you need.

I wish I could do more. This must be frightening for you, but please don't feel alone. There are a lot of women on here who can understand completely where you're coming from. Have you considered looking at our buddy scheme? There are people in there who have a lot more experience of spd than I do, and who would be willing to give you support and advice to help you through this. Click on the link at the bottom of my post if you think it might help.

Gentle hugs, Rachel x

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 1:29pm | IP Logged

Aw hunni, you really are having a tough time of it but please don't think you're alone, we're all here for you anytime you need us..

Some of us can relate to exactly how you're feeling and how tough & painful this condition is so please lean on us and let us help... Please pm me and I'll try to help hun as there are a few things that I think  would help you, financially and physically. and please remember, you can phone anytime..

PS. Where do you live again hun?

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 8:35pm | IP Logged

today, my husband informed me that i am not doing enough to help myself. if it's as bad as i say it is then why not get to the dr's and get them to make it better. the chestnut being that i am apparently addicted to my pain killers as i take them but as they do not get rid of the pain totally why take them? why take them every day. basically, this should have gone by now and i'm not helping myself. interestingly..no i'm not as i should rest but am unable to. if i ask for help or admit i can't cope i get it used against me at a later point. we are having serious trouble and would love advice from you all, but that's a different thread a different time.

thabnks for help everyone.

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 8:42pm | IP Logged

Hmm - often the case that people don't realise what a painful thing SPD is. Really sorry to hear dh isn't being as understanding as he could be - not really what you need at the moment.

Please go back to the dr and discuss getting more help with managing your pain. We are all here to help with whatever advice we can give, or if you just want someone to listen.

tc xxx

Posted: 10 September 2007 at 9:38pm | IP Logged

Aw hun, it's bad enough when the medical profession don;t believe us but to have you're other half doubt it too must be a nightmare... I've been really lucky that Steven's supported me all the way through this but I've heard of people who aren't as lucky and my heart goes out to you..  How about getting him to read up on SPD message boards etc so that he can see/understand that's it's actually more common than he thinks and unfortunately we're all fighting the same ignorance..  As far as you're meds are concerned, which ones are you on hun? and yes, of course they lose there effectiveness (well, your body becomes more used to them) but they still do a job and sometimes just changing them to something else can help.. I'm on dihydrocodeine, co-codomol, and gabapentin just for the pain and when I have a flare up I have the morpheine patches or tablets to take on top.. I'd definately get back to your GP hun and get him/her to review your meds.  Your HV should be able to help with getting the little one to school (my two are taxi'd as I can't walk to the school, even though it's technically not within the 'range' for transport.  My 'disability' qualifies me for this).  Have you looked at claimed DLA hun? you can get it even if you're working and if not and you have to claim the full load it's worth over £400 per month and kicks in all sorts of other help.. Your OT (ocuupational therapist) should be able to help with aides in/around the house too, like a perching stool/chair for when you're working in the kitchen etc so that you're not standing too long.

I'd definitely sit down with dh though hun as you need his support through this and he really can help make a difference to your mental and physical wellbeing.. like I said before, it's bad enough when those 'outside' don't fully believe but to have it indoors too must be a nightmare hun... huge, huge (& gentle) hugs to you..

Please pm me anytime you want to hun, i'm here for you..

Posted: 17 September 2007 at 12:03pm | IP Logged

thanks for helping me not feel alone.

i feel so mixed up, do i resign myself to this and plod on, or can it get better and i need to do more? am a little scared, as today i am going back to work. i have to go back b4 end of official mat leave as i can't afford to take the last three months at just stat mat pay! i work at addenbrookes in cambridge on the neuro itu as a staff nurse. i am so scared as to how i'll cope what with barely not being able to remember the day of the week to being able to cope physically with the spd within that environment i feel so mixed up.

i will try and sort out a perch stool, but as for getting back to gp's for different pain relief, that's another kettle of fish. they get a bit jumpy with the strong drugs. as it is i'm taking solpadeine max, nurofen plus and 100 mgs of tramadol. if i'm on my feet alot then i'll only get respite for a few hours, and by three hours i'm ready to take more.

well, gotta go, lo has clearly been posessed by the devil given the noises she's making!