Getting to know you for the newbie... | Arthritis Information

I'm still undiagnosed but I'm hoping to have some kind of answer to my mystery on Wed when I meet my new RD. I know it takes a while for a DX but I've been down this road before and I'm hoping she has some clues for me.

 

I'm 47, married 25 years with 3 kids- daughter 23 (graduates with masters in Education this May), son 19 first year college ( just got a letter he is failing 2 courses), son 16 starting to drive.

I work as a Sales/Service Manager by day and I keep my husband's business books and do his clerical work by night.

Was diagnosed this past November and this RA has really thrown a wrench in the works of my life.

However- right now I am at a point where I am able to do everything I need to do and I am very thankful for that.

 

I like camping and hanging out our at our pool during the summer.  I can hardly wait for it to get here!!!  I also love scrapbooking, sewing and reading.  I hibernate in the winter!

 

Stan and I are retired.  He retired after 30 years in the Coast Guard and I'm a retired surgical nurse.  We've been retired for 3 years and have a pretty adventurous life.  Also had my own business for years (certified aromatherapist) and worked as an advocate for senior citizens. 

 

We now travel fulltime, live in La Penita, Mexico (35 miles north of Puerta Vallerta) for 6-10 months of the year and travel the U.S. the other times.  I've had RA for about 10 years and have reached clinical remission for the first time in 10 years.  I also have psoriatic arthritis which isn't in remission and have some severe pain and swelling in my tendons.  Hopefully, PA will also go into remission soon.  Traveling sometimes presents problems because of having RA/PA/OA and complications but it's the one thing that has kept me excited about life and kept me moving.  I'll continue traveling as long as I can.  Lindy

 

 

 

 

I was diagnosed with RA in 1997.  I've been on a multitude of medications in an attempt to find the right one(s) for me (which I'm sure everyone here is very familiar with), and two years ago, that problem was solved for me with Enbrel.  It's all I take now...once a week, and while I still am cautious with my joints, I am virtually pain free, and can do most everything that I want to do, without restriction. 

 

A side note:  I am not a newbie here, but I 'd not logged in for some time.  When I did, I discovered some changes had been made to the forum, and was required to re-log in.  I had my preferences set to always be logged on, so I have long since forgotten my password and login ID...so, I started over. I am a 31 year old single mom of a 4 year old little boy. He is a great kid-just a TON of energy. I teach middle school science and I am the chair of the dept.   I love crazy "in-between" years of middle school. Kids always keep you on your toes-and the make me laugh daily.

I grew up right outside Washington DC in Arlington. I could see the Washingtion Monument out my back window. Needless to say, moving to SW VA was a shock but I love it now. I have always been a die-hard Hokie and now I am able to attend games. I do miss my Washington Capitals. Not much hockey down here.

Before RA I was extremely athletic. I also rode horses--have my whole life. That has been my biggest change. I am not able to ride any longer but I have a close friend who shows regularly and can live through her. My ex-husband has recently made a reappearance and this has been helpful with my son.   I just hope he sticks around this time(very long long long story). I do have other family that have relocated to this area as well and they provide a needed break.

Oh...I was diagnosed in high school but had "inflammatory arthritis" through middle school. I have done the rounds with biologics and I am currently on Orencia. So far so good :)

I'm 48, married, and never had any children.  Guess it just wasn't in the cards.  I just can't imagine running after 9 kids.  That would just wear me out!

Hi, I'm Suzanne, I'm 37 and I live in NJ.  I've been married for almost two years to my second husband.  In the process, I gained two stepchildren--a 15 year old stepson (suffering from a different AI disease) who lives with his mother about an hr north and a 26 year old stepdaughter who has an apartment about 2 hrs south.  My parents live only a few minutes away, but my younger sister moved last year to Ohio with her new hubby. Hi, Hi Everyone -  This thread is a great idea!!  I am 56 years old and was diagnosed w/JRA at age 5.  I have since had 3 total hip replacements and 1 total shoulder replacement.  My husband and I have been married for almost 34 years, and have lived in NJ all our lives.  We have 2 grown daughters, and have recently been blessed with out first grandchild!!  I taught music in public and private schools for 20+ years, but had to retire about 5 years ago, due to health issues.  (I still teach piano to a few students privately, and play for weddings, parties and church services when I'm up to it.....)  I enjoy most crafts, but currently I'm into scrapbooking and knitting and crocheting.  We share our home with 2 little 10 pound dogs - hence my screenname!!  Looking forward to reading more of your responses...........

dogmom
Howdy.  Another Canadian Ontarian here (Ottawa, Ontario, that is).  I'm 39 and married to a fine man 10 years older than me.  We've been married for 10 great years.  Tried for kids, but didn't work for us.  That's okay, we've got a great relationship and have lots of laughs together. 

I'm a federal public servant and my career is a moving target ... I'm switching from online advertising to more website project management next month -- very excited about the new challenges!  

Love all things outdoors, and surprisingly, spend much of our outdoor time south of the border in hot, sunny upstate New York. :)  Or sometimes Vermont or New Hampshire.  All great places with friendly folk and amazing outdoor locales to play.  (Love Adirondack Mountains so much we're building a shack-in-the-woods near Lake Placid!)

My MTX has been good to me and I can do all the things I love to do again.  Maybe not every day, but most. 

Thanks for the thread ... so interesting to read about the diversity of folks on this site and get to know each other better.  Amazing how diverse we are, yet bonded by RA.

- Joy
P.S.  I'm exhausted just thinking about 9 kids!  But what a big, warm heart their Mom has. :)
mmm ok I am 55 years old and married.  actually this is the 2nd time I married him. We married the first time  in 1975, divorced in 2002, and remarried in 2003.. 3 weeks after we remarried we ended up with custody of our baby granddaughter.. its been 4 years now and  we also have her baby brother. Hi I am 42, married with 3 children, daughter 21, and two sons 19 and 15. I was diagnosed with PA 5 years ago after a severe trauma,post traumatic stress dissorder with depression. I also have 2.9 grandkids with the .9 one due in a few weeks. I adore my grandkids and they are a huge part in my life. I love my animals also, I have a dog, 2 cats, 3 rainbow lorikeets, 2 lovebirds, 2 rats, and 2 goldfish.Hello, I am 50 married for 25 yrs with a 16 yr old son who just started driving (thank God).  I mostly worked in payroll for 28 yrs.  Hubby retired from UPS 5 yrs ago and my guys are so wonderful helping me since I got sick.  Tomorrow I have my SSDI hearing before the Judge having filed 29 months ago. "I'm  a very positive person with a truly warped sense of humor.. Ya gotta be ..right?" - kathy_in_wlsv

Yes, you do!  In fact, maybe both "positive person" and "truly warped" need to be part of the diagnostic criteria for RA!! : )


I'm 55, DX TBA hopefully Thursday. Native of NJ till I finished college Art major specialized in Photography. Moved to NYC for 14 years, writer, photographer, editor, public relations, advertising, picture editor, freelancer, married, divorced, relocated to IL as part of editing job, laid off, learned to program computers in one company, made it to their IT department. Hired as a computer consultant for awhile, temped, got hired at a company where I spent 7.5 years in four positions. Job ended last April. May I was diagnosed with lymphoma Stage IIIB. My fun part time job ended in August. Chemo patients need not apply. I finished chemo in November and my oncologist said I was good to go in January. Then I got these fun symptoms. Life is interesting.
Hello! Nice to meet you - sorry it's here.

I'm 63 and been happily married most of the time for 44-years to the man of my dreams.
We have three grown children, two daughters and one son; seven grandchildren, five grandsons and two granddaughters; and two dogs - a 17-year old black half lab and half chow and a 3-year old caramel colored shiz-zu with a black muzzle.

Have always lived life as each day is a gift and thus every minute of every day must have something going on. That was until RA took over my life.  AP has given me my life back!!

Since I have lotza catchin' up to do on this board I'll close for now.  "Gentle Hugs"
watchingwolf2008-03-19 08:11:39

I'm 48, married for 28 years (in August) - where did that time go?  We have two boys - the oldest is age 23 and married for a year now and the youngest is age 18 and will graduate this year and then head off to college.   College is very close, so not quite empty-nesters.  I work fulltime as a Benefits Analyst for a telecommunications company and enjoy the work and people (most of the time)     Keep busy with church activities, friends, books and naps.   We bought a cabin a few years ago, so looking forward to warmer weather and heading to the lake soon.    Just a little over a year since diagnosis so still learning to accept and prioritize - it's a tough transition, but I'm hoping it gets better. Nice to get to know everyone.

39 years old, married, 2 kids (7 and 8), 2 cats, pain-in-the-posterior extended family. 36 years old, married, 3 kids (14, 8, 6) 1 little chihuahua, and 3 cats, living in Washington.  I was dx'd with RA in Jan 2007, and it is far from being under control.  I also have Raynaud's, and some sort of heart issues that they are still trying to figure out. Also have degenerative disc disease and had back surgery this past summer.

I'm 44 and my husband and I have been married for 25 years.  We have three children, our sons are grown and on their own (both in the Marine Corps) and one has a wife of his own and a baby on the way (yay!!!).  Our daughter is just shy of 16 and in her short life has managed to aquire all knowledge about all things, making her dad and me mostly just a couple of pests. But we are pests with $ and car keys so we have been able to hold onto our posistion within the household.  For now......:)  Really she is a joy and a blessing and she is the kind of person I would want for a friend if I were her peer instead of her mom.

[QUOTE=Linncn] I'm 52 and married 25 yrs, 3 stepchildren all in their 30's 3 grandkids 6,7,8 yrs old. I work in retail. was Dx last year, but have had symtoms for 3yrs. mostly affects hands,wrists, feet. really has been nice finding this board and "meeting so many with the same issues."Hi, I've just turned 26 and I've just been diagnosed with RA after it has taken about 18 months to develop. I have a BA in English Lit and for the last 18 months I have been desperately trying to finish my honours degree, but the fatigue, pain and flares have made studying a long, drawn out and difficult process. I hope to finish in the next 6 weeks, just in the last few days plaquenil has finally given me some relief from fatigue (but nothing else!). I look forward to being able to finish and find myself work. I enjoy travelling, and was planning to teach English in Japan later this year, but I think it is best if I get my RA into a manageable state before I go. I also tend to see my RA as a gift because it forces me to focus on what is most important.  _popupControl(); Oh no, I forgot my furkids, two cats named Hobo and Loki.  Hobo's a Norweigen Forest Cat and Loki is a tuxedo.  Lindy LinB2008-03-17 22:17:53_popupControl();^ Lindy! I have a dog named Loki! He is a golden cocker spaniel and lives up to his name as a little god of mischief! LOL!

OMG I love this thread!! We havent done one like this in a long time!!