Anne Cushen Interview “Seeing Really is Believing” 56-year-old Wexford native and previous Arthritis Ireland course attendee, Anne Cushen, may be familiar to you. She’s one of five leaders on RTE’s most recent series of Operation Transformation, which aired in January 2024. Having undergone two hip replacements due to osteoarthritis (the most recent taking place in August 2023), Anne now has a new spring in her step. She has been inspiring others with her new enthusiasm for walking, as well as changes to her food choices. Mother to Sean (23) and Breda (21) and wife to Thomas, here Anne shares with us how far she’s come from just last year, when her mobility was seriously compromised, and her spirits were low. Where it all began “It all began back in 2009. It was my fortieth birthday, and I was in a shopping centre with my daughter Breda. I felt a catch in the groin area, but it didn’t go away days later. The doctor thought it was a muscle injury originally. She sent me for an x-ray. Soon after I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I was in real trouble with one of the hips. I nursed it along for a few years, with physiotherapy and attending clinics but then, five years ago, I got in touch with Arthritis Ireland. That’s when I decided to sign up to the Living Well with Arthritis course, run by Arthritis Ireland. Building foundations “I’ve always been an inquisitive person and I try to do as much as I can for myself. But the course really helped to get on top of pain management – they call it ‘breaking the cycle of pain’. I really learnt to pace myself as a result. I was living a busy life at the time, and I had to learn to slow down and to accept that I couldn’t do everything. “After my first hip operation in 2016, I got back to life as normal. But, as time went on, I unfortunately began to get pain in my left knee. I was never a lover of pain killers and didn’t want to just mask over it, but I had no other option but to take them as I found my mobility was slipping. I implemented things I learnt on the course, such as using a high stool to sit at the sink to prepare dinner – anything to make life that bit easier, but it all became a bit of a struggle. Setbacks and challenges “Towards the end of 2022, I suddenly found myself in a lot of pain. Everything became an obstacle. Walking across stoney surfaces was a huge challenge. Even lifting my leg to go up a step was difficult – it felt like a heavy weight. Going to town to do jobs was too much. I also needed to use a trolley to get the clothes out on the line – things like that. “I was moving my body but doing no actual exercise or physical activity. So, I knew that was no good, so I bought an exercise bike the following spring. It was a foldaway, and I would do a little bit to keep my joints moving. I also started going to the pool – not to swim but to just do simple exercises in the water to keep the muscles active. The physical challenges were huge, but also the mental challenge of feeling like I was going backwards. “I did find it all a struggle. I really had to push myself – even getting undressed and in and out of the pool was a challenge. I also went back to doing the bridge and the clam – Pilates moves that I learnt with my physiotherapist. I really believe that, if I hadn’t been doing them, I would have been in more trouble and my recovery wouldn’t have been as good. 'Being active won't help my arthritis' factsheet Asking for help “In the spring of 2023, I rang up Arthritis Ireland and I spoke with Peter Boyd, the Services Support Officer. He manages the helpline (0818 252 846) and it was really comforting to speak with someone who had been through something similar. What he said to me got me over that hump. Having a level head and sharing encouraging words; that really helped me so much. If I wasn’t a strong person, it would have all got to me – that, plus the skills that I learnt about dealing with pain from the Arthritis Ireland course. “Around Christmas of 2023, it all just snowballed, and I was upset because we were going into a new year and the fact that I couldn’t move around with the family or go to town and do all the jobs I wanted to do was a really hard thing. I had to pace myself, or I’d get exhausted. The physical challenges were huge, but also the mental challenge of feeling like I was going backwards. Letting go of self-blame “It came to a crunch when an x-ray finally showed that it was arthritis in the hip. The diagnosis was a relief and shock all in one. The thing that really threw me was that I had no pain in the actual hip; it was in the knee. They call it ‘referred pain’. The results showed that the hip was worn away. That was why I was in such pain. “I had the second hip replacement in August 2023. I said to surgeon at the time, ‘What did I do wrong?’ His answer was, ‘Blame your parents – it’s in your genes’! I’d seen aunts and uncles with hips and various pains at a later stage of life – they were all at least 65 before they had any trouble – so nobody as young as me. But saying that probably made me feel a bit better. It wasn’t down to me neglecting myself; there was nothing I could do about it. I think it was then that I finally came to accept it. It was nothing that I could have prevented; I was always doing the best I could. ‘Arthritis is an older person’s condition’ factsheet “Still, I was sort of shocked that I was going down that road again of another hip operation and feeling that I was too young. At that time, I got the blue card for parking. I was embarrassed to begin with, as I felt too young but, in another way, it kept me socially active. I was back going to town to do jobs and managing to keep some independence. I was now able to park closer to the shops and it made a big difference. I also did a second Living Well with Arthritis course that autumn in Enniscorthy. Acceptance makes life easier “I used to just get on with it – I didn’t talk about the symptoms I was dealing with. I wasn’t inclined to tell my story, but I think that led to feelings of isolation. I felt bad about it, seeing other people, some older than me, being able to spring up and down from the ground. I didn’t used to discuss it outwardly. ‘It’s easier to pretend I’m fine’ factsheet “But, today, I’ve learnt to accept it. Once you do, it’s almost easier to get on with it. Getting out and about, talking to other people and sharing tips also really helps. Life is back with me now. I’m here this morning with the kitchen door open and it’s sunny. I’m enjoying life. Before, I wasn’t really living. I didn't think I could feel this good again - seeing really is believing. “I often used to think, ‘Why do I have this, and my friends don’t? I was always questioning it. Now I don’t think that way because it doesn’t help me. Surgery is great, but there’s much more to it than that - it’s the education beforehand that can make a huge difference, things such as diet and physical activity changes. It won’t prevent things, but it means you can be in far better shape going in for an operation. 'What I eat has no impact on my arthritis' factsheet Implementing lifestyle changes “This year, I’ve implemented everything I’ve learnt, and it feels good. I’ve made changes to my food, and I prioritise daily physical activity. The two of them, together, have turned my life around. It shocked me because I didn’t think I could feel this good again – seeing is really believing. My husband and I are really seeing the impact that the changes we’ve made have had on our quality of life. “We always ate well, but I now know that the fuel I was putting in probably wasn’t good enough for what my body needed. I finally have the energy now to experiment with cooking. I’m eating more beans – black beans, kidney beans and so on. I’m also eating more vegetarian meals and I’ve learnt to use turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, garlic and chilies. Like a car, you can put in bad petrol but now I’m running on premium quality. Everything is brown or wholemeal – brown spaghetti and wholemeal noodles. We’re also eating more fish. A brighter future “I’m excited about the future now. I like to set new goals all the time. So, I’m going to sign up for a Be Active with Arthritis course with Arthritis Ireland next. At the moment, I try to get out for a walk most days, but if I don’t get out due to the weather, I’ll sit up on my bicycle and cycle. I’ve also started doing some simple resistance exercises and it’s really working to trigger the muscles to start working again. “Before, I used to use so much energy thinking about pacing myself and about breaking the day up into parts, so that I could get it all done. Now, when I’m going to town, I’m no longer thinking about parking close by because I can walk so much further now. Even simple things, like my feet. They were often sore, whereas those aches and pains are gone now. I know the muscles are working together now, rather than against each other. I’ve always loved social dancing. Now I have it back. I’m able to walk with freedom now, whereas I wasn’t before because I’d have aches and pains. Walking is like a new drug to me. I have a big poncho and I pop that on. I love hearing the birds singing and looking at the changes in the trees and the flowers blooming. It’s like the world is awakening with me. It’s so lovely to be able to do it. Getting the message out “I decided to go on Operation Transformation mostly because I wanted to get my mobility back and build a foundation for life going forwards. Then, no matter what life throws at you, you can deal with it. I’m not trying to stand on a soapbox, but I do feel motivated now to tell people that there are changes you can make. If you can put yourself in as good as shape as you can, then you can deal with the issues. Medications need to be taken, but if we can also improve our food quality as well, that’s likely to help. “I’m more or less off painkillers now; there was a time when I was taking a lot more, but things have improved so much. I only need to take paracetamol every now and then, say if I’ve overdone it. It feels so good to be able to move again without lots of aches and pains. I may be stiff sometimes, but it’s a different kind of stiffness – it’s the type that you can walk out and stretch it until it’s gone. “It’s like a cast coming off. Arthritis is never going to go away, but you can be on top of it. For me, the next step is to find something that gives me my independence. I’m not disabled but I’m not able bodied either, so it’s kind of a no-man’s land. I’m too young at this stage to let life pass me by, so I’m looking to get the message out there about what you can do to help your arthritis. I’m also considering going back to work or finding some sort of niche for myself. I never would have imagined that I could feel this good so I’m really living life to the absolute fullest and not wasting any time!” ‘I just have to put up with it' factsheet Manage Cookie Preferences