Will I ever pirouette?

This is going to be a small moan I think - so I'll apologise before I start!

From an early age I can remember having problems with my left ankle, always turning or twisting it and it being painful for a day or so and then recovering.  I never thought about the future at that age, nor in my 30's, 40's and 50's when I continued to occasionally fall off a high heeled left shoe, with a wince of pain.

Well, it's come home to roost now!  For the last eight or so weeks I have been getting increasingly worse pain in my left ankle, in fact so bad two weeks' ago that I had to withdraw from my usual 5 mile ramble with the U3A group.

I think I knew what was wrong but needed to have it officially confirmed just to ensure that, by continuing to carry on as normal, I wasn't doing further damage.

After a bit of manipulation and painful prodding, the doctor confirmed that it was arthritis, which was what I had anticipated.  He offered me an x-ray but I didn't feel that there would be any advantage in knowing exactly which joint was affected and also bearing in mind the state of the NHS I felt that I should do my bit in saving costs.

In fact, when the doctor offered me a prescription for paracetamol (which appears to be the only relief) I said I would buy my own.  This led to a lecture from the doc on how cheap these drugs were and how I wouldn't be breaking the NHS if I accepted a few pills!  I have to admit to giving in and walked out of the Health Centre with 200 paracetamol!  

So far I have completed a 5.5 mile walk on Tuesday plus a 2 mile walk today with no further deterioration but I do feel a little depressed when I realise that this is how it's going to be from now on, probably with other joints beginning to go the same way.

The only bright thought is that in my 40's I was diagnosed with arthritis in my shoulder and couldn't raise my arm above said shoulder but I can now clap my hands above my head with the best of you!  How this happened I have no idea so perhaps in another 30 years I will be able to pirouette with the best of you!

Move on up there please.  Sheep seen on my village walk today.