OT kinda: Im becoming neurotic! | Arthritis Information

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I have had so much info and advice from the forums here when nobody else could give me some answers or insight.

It is rare to hear of someone with a Dx from a few years ago to JUST have RA. There seems to be so many of you with additions to that and I dont mean high BP, I mean other AI diseases.
I know there has been much written here and elsewhere about the possibility of this happening and I know we all need to be informed, but there is some damned depressing reading to be had here. As much as I like to keep up with stuff, sometimes I wont open a thread that alludes to this. Its called  ' ostrich with head in the sand' syndrome apparently!!
 
I keep reading a paragraph from a local site that says for some ( well, for a few actually) their RA will spontaneously disappear never to return. Have any of you heard of or known someone who had this happen? There is some straw clutching happening my end peeps!!
 
How many people have you heard about that had their RA just bugga off into the distance? Or is it just a myth?
 
I agree with Stephen, take a little break from the boards. Don't stick your head in the sand, or ignore your health issues, but don't get lost in the doom and gloom.
 
I may poke into the site every day, but I do a quick scan, welcome someone new or give advice if a question is asked I've had experience with.  This is a great place for information, however sometimes it's best to spend your time doing something you love, getting some fresh air, reading a good book, seeing your friends, etc.

Lyn- sometimes hearing all the fright stories can cause you so much worry and things can play on your mind. Maybe a break from the board is a good idea...my husband always says when i have been on the board too much i get ill, I just think  a lot of that is from worrying about what could happen. Ostrich in the sand isnt a good idea, its good to be well informed but being mis informed or over informed can be dangerous.... Lyn my aunt is 81, she has RA and has done for 41 years, she is in a wheelchair( partly due to her age and another illness that hasnt anything to do with RA) she would cheer you up in an instant, she lives her life to what she can do and a bit more at that, she has defied doctors by believing in herself and is always happy,, yes shes in pain and her mobility is poor but she is hardly ever ill with other virus', she doesnt let the RA get her down..her thing is "well at least im still alive" and being in pain makes her feel alive...She nursed her husband through cancer, she brought up a grandchild while in her wheelchair, she stopped working at 68. I think depression with this disease is what gets to a lot of us, its the inability to do the things we used to be able to, loss of income, loss of our old life, depression leads to so many other illnesses as well.

I dont think RA ever goes away, it has its good days , its bad and its bloody awful ones , it sneaks up on you when you dont want it to.  I always feel better after gentle exercise, getting out to see friends, a nice rest and relax, seeing the sun( not a regular sight in the UK) I do get days when i want to scream, throw things at the wall( no not menopause..lol) and think why me, i hate this, and then another thing comes along to make you feel sick and that adds to the pressure of it all but if i had the choice id rather have RA than a lot of other diseases out there. Im always advising people to read two books that I thought were brilliant, they are not self help books just a good read with lots of inspiration and i  laughed as well as felt sad, but sad in a positive way.  they are called.. the luxury of time and you cant take it with you by Jane tomlinson....if ever you have time to read a book they are so good.

Take it easy on yourself Lyn x
 
Stephen- please send Cordy my love and tell her I am so sorry to hear about her mum and im thinking of her.
There is a lot of information here!  You will also find that some people just want to be sick. They claim they don't, but the complain about every single ache and pain and don't do anything to get better.  Most people here do fine with their RA, some people don't.  One thing to always be aware of:  Give RA the respect it deserves, because if you don't, it will demand it from your body and then you will suffer.
Phats
[QUOTE=Phatgirl2] One thing to always be aware of:  Give RA the respect it deserves, because if you don't, it will demand it from your body and then you will suffer.
Phats
[/QUOTE]
 
excellent point, Phat!!
 
pin...... I ordered both those books at Amazon.com for under . 
 
Lynn!!!  I completely know where this post is coming from in your head.....  I've been there.  This board can overwhelm and make you depressed at times.  Some are suffering so much.... or maybe they just talk about it more?
 
I'll tell you what I take from those posts.......  That will NOT be me!!   Makes me determined NOT to suffer like that... not to be depressing to others... to learn and use my knowledge to help myself.
 
I totally understand if you want to take a hiatus from here... come back w/ a new perspective.. I did that.......... that was when I decided I was done feeling sorry and I was working toward getting myself better (maybe not best, but definitely better!!)
 
I would miss you.. and your humor.  but please do what's right for you!!
 
 
ETA: Hon.. could this be in addition to worry about your big fluff puppers?  and you feeling down about that?
babs102008-10-22 04:16:55
To everyone for your wise words. I probably wont take a break from here as I dont feel that is going to help..I just need to get my head on straighter and am doing some work on that!   Besides, If I were to go Id miss out on heaps of good stuff!! lolol
Nothing that a dose of Dr Bach's flowers wont help with I think so I will get out my trusty handbook and pick out what ones will sort my head out. They have done it before.
Im feeling a little more 'me' today, so its all good. Well kinda.
Truth be told, I am down to 5mg Pred and some symptoms have returned albeit minor compared to where I began. There are days I would gladly have my hands amputated.
 
Babs...you are right, having Nelson d'xd has been a real downer and sure hasnt helped. And Im gonna go look at the books Pin mentioned too. Love the titles already!
 
Lyn xxx
Lyn - my first two years were the hardest, then it has recently let up and I am returning to normal.  Phats - rock on :)  CathyLyndee
Ive had RA for 23 years...no other illness, no other medical problems just crummy joints
It's not just this site but the internet in general.  There is so much helpful information out there that it's easy to become neurotic about things.  I also have a tendency when I feel bad to search for diseases with symptoms matching mine.  This makes me nuts and in the long run I know it's not good for both my mental and physical health but I do it anyway.  I'm trying to learn to trust in what my docs tell me and not what I read online but it's pretty hard to do at times.
 
good luck to you
Bob H.
I kind of felt that way too when I first came to this forum. I got scared when I read about all the pain with no relief people were in and how many other diseases they had too. I think I even posted about it. Someone told me to remember that people who are functioning well with RA probably don't come to a forum so you don't hear the success stories too much but people who are not doing well tend to talk about it more and come for support.

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