Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis
Diagnosed May 1998 - Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes
Hi Pat and welcome.
I'm sorry to hear about your pain. I have not had any experience personally or through friends regarding the surgery - but wanted to wish you well in your quest to feel better. I'm quite jealous of your activity level.
The mind is a funny thing and it is amazing how your body can react to concern, stress, and other emotions. I wouldn't pull out the permanet pipe and slippers just yet 
..this is still all very new for you and your body as well and your mind are adjusting to this new information and pain. I don't think you should have to or need to give up your active lifestyle, but you do need to do research and see what you can do to avoid making things worse, keeping pain to a minimum, and learning to listen to the new "voice" in your body.
Take care.
**
Hi, just got back from 2 hours of Tennis. Starting to get harder to finish the session off now. 2 paracetemol+codeine help a little. Hot bath when I got back, that seems to help the most.
I have a dull ache at the moment which will slowly turn into pain. Not excrutiating pain like before I started taking my anti-inflamitaries but just that constant nagging pain that wears you down and stops you from sleeping.
I'll have a couple of hours rest now. Then onto my Body works pro to warm my joints ready for my squash. 2 more pain killers and a hot bath when i get back, another anti-inflam and almost certainly no sleep tonight again.
Funnily enough it's the phantom pain in my knee that hurts the most and ther is nothing wrong with that.
Anyway the chair and pillows are calling me.
This seems to be enough with basic pain killers.
I also have Zydol for when the pain gets bad and I cannot sleep. I don't want to take these unless absolutely necessary. In some ways I am lucky because I can put up with pain reasonably well.
I am almost certainly going to stop the football after xmas though. This seems to give mr the most after pain. (And pain during) I am looking at taking up chess again just incase I cannot be as active in sport as I have been. A lot of people have just said why bother? is sport that important? Normally as they are stuffing a great huge pile of chips in their gob or smoking 20 cigerets or downing 20 pints of beer.
I have now kept extremely fit for the last 23 years. My body is athletically muscular (photos are available for a cost{thats a joke by the way} and I can play 40 minutes of squash without to much trouble. Most people I play are exhausted when they finish. I don't really want to become a couch potato.
I am now looking at getting a Tony Little Gazelle elit and was wondering if any others with hip problems have used similar equipment to keep their hip joints moving.
Thanks Pat.
Hey Pat,
Make a calender with your best photos! LOL....all proceeds going to Healingwell! hah! 
I bought a Gazelle about 5 years ago when my RA got bad & the gym was a waste to pay 60 dollars a month. I was disapointed because it had almost no resistance, but it did feel great on the hips. Streatches them nicely. But maybe they make a better model now, I'm sure.
Now I just walk when & for as long as I can. My weight is not a problem (94 pounds)...but like you know...I'm used to having a very very lean physique [ photos available...my agent is Ducky]....LOL! Trying to embrace my "squishiness".
I can definitely see the football causing the major pains...try something lighter...say Rugby, just kidding.
Do you bike? Cycling is pretty much joint sparing.
The best to you Pat.
Cheers!
Erin
Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis
Diagnosed May 1998 - Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes
Not only that it would have to be body only as the face would scare small children and animals.
I have found someone who lives near me who has bought one of the new Gazelle elites and I am going to try it out. They do look extremely good on the TV. Tony Little wears me out just watching him.
I just need it to keep my hip flexible.
I Bike to work and Squash and football. It's not far but it is a good warm up for me.
I have just lost 1 and a half stone to take some of the stresses off my joints.
Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis
Diagnosed May 1998 - Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes
Congrats on being so active. It is great to see people who are able to be as active as they want around here. It is an inspiration to all of us!!!! Now to answer your q from your first post, in my opinion of course.......Are you doing more damage by continuing to be as active as you are?........The short answer would be yes.....however there are many areas that you need to look at to answer that q for yourself..... what would the emotional impact be if you were to slow down your regime (?)? could you cut back on how much you do and yet still keep most of the benefits of the physical exercise intact? would you realistically be able to cut back on how much you do? These are the important questions to ask yourself. Only you can answer them. I am not saying that you need to become a couch potato but what benefit is it to maintain the amount of exercise you do, if in a year (or more, or less) you have added to the damage so much that you are not able to be active at all? Would it be better to slow done now and let your body heal some more or keep up the level you are at and possibly do more damage to your joints? Sorry to be so blunt but I tend to call things as I see them if I think it gets my point across better.
Now that I've given you my opinion let me say that I think it is great that you are willing and able to keep pushing past the pain and stay active. It takes commitment and will power to do what you are doing. Thanks for joining us here, we have enjoyed getting to know you. Keep posting and let us know how you are making out.
Oreo
Hi, I am only to pleased to listen to anyones opinion (after all that's why I'm here).
It's very awkward for me, I have spent the last 23 years keeping reasonably fit. I have been able to keep going this long because I love it so. I have so often heard the phrase "Quality of Life".
This is a compromise of how much pain compared to how much pleasue my sport gives me. i am in the early stages of my condition. So far I have had just over a year of almost unbearable pain because I had not gone to the Docs. Since seeing him and getting some meds the pain has been reduced a great deal. (Although had a really bad day today, could hardly walk if I was offered a new hip and knee today I would have jumped at the chance)
Living in th UK I either have to wait to see a specialist (this could be as long as 6 months) or pay to see someone. Over here that would be way out of my capabilities to pay as I have never had the forsight to take out insurance.
Until I have had expert advice I will continue to do as much as possible. I am getting a Tony Little Gazelle Elite on Monday to try and help keep my joints moving. This hopefully will help with the pain also.
Anyway I can still only do what my body will allow.
Xmas is just around the corner so I will have a little rest time. I am going to get a new Chess set from my partner and start playing that again just in case the worst happens and I have to stop my sporting activities. I also still have my PC to keep me busy.
I am currently teaching 2 people the finer arts of the game of Squash and don't really want to let them down unless I have no other choice.
If the worst does happen I have already been lucky enough to have spent as much time as I could with my children when they were younger. I helped my son improve his football (still play with him on a Tuesday night). During the summer I spent most nights in the park with both of my children and taught them both to swim. Now they are older and mostly go their own way.
Pat
Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis
Diagnosed May 1998 - Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes
Sport sport sport, work work work..don't do much else. Not much of a sight seer myself.
They will almost certainly see the London Eye (Big wheel lets you have a good view over most of London.)
There is also Harrods which is a big department store over here for people who are richer than me. I think the Japenese visit it a lot when they come over.
I am up for a game of Squash if they get down to the South West of England. I'll have $20 on this cripple.
There is also Madam Tussauds (Wax Museum).
Buckingham Palace (The Queen lives there so I am told).
They could also come and watch me play Football(Soccer) with my 16 year old Son on Boxing Day(Knee permitting. I have just come back from the hotspital, knee has really swelled up. Can't walk at the moment)
Crutches dished out and MRI scan next Wednesday.
Sorry can't be much more help than that (never realized what a boring old git I am)
Fooled you! hah! I'm not too computer savy and do not know how to transnfer photos onto a written post! So the cartoon people will have to do.
Aha! I forgot about Madam Tussauds. They have quite a bit of money (well, her husband does...he works on Wall Street in New York) so I know they will hit Harrods.
My sister studied English Literature when in University...so she holds the UK dear to her heart.
When I traveled Europe I did the opposite of what the "tourists" did! And I was pretty much "under the influence" in London on my journeys around the city...so I cannot remember where I went! But, I did get mooned by 6 British guys outside a pub near the big VirginMega Store....they were singing, "You are My Sunshine"....and down with their pants they went on the last verse. Priceless.