Osteoarthritis is one of the two common types of arthritis in the UK. Along with typical symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness, individuals can also experience a grating or crackling sound when moving the affected joints.
For some, these symptoms can be mild and may come and go. But for others, they can experience more continuous and severe problems which make it difficult to carry out everyday activities.
At one stage, with her ailments seemingly piling up, Conley asked her doctor out of desperation if she would make it to 80 years old as she “felt her joint going”.
In a 2022 interview with Express.co.uk, she said: “By the time I sort of hit 70, and I felt my joints going a bit, I thought, ‘I wonder if I will actually reach 80’, and I did actually have that conversation with my GP.
“And he said that’s a very pessimistic view.”