So it seems like every week someone tell me they have or have had "rheumatoid arthritis" but it "went away". Last night a dinner guest said he had RA for three years when he had an injured nerve, but after the nerve healed the RA went away. A few weeks ago another dinner guest told me they have RA, but he cured it by cutting down on alcohol.
I know I can't educate the whole world, but these instances annoy me, because I guess I feel like it trivialises what people who really have RA deal with. Not only that, it gives other people an inaccurate idea of what the disease is, a circumstance many of us battle with on a daily basis.
Just needed to vent.Its frustrating I know, but I dont think there is enough public knowledge on RA. I have heard it too and had a few debates on the subject...Someone I know keeps telling me that they have back ache and a pain in their left foot so it must be RA...I told them their symptoms dont add up to RA, maybe they have OA and to go see their Doctor but they said "oh no, its RA as im in pain like you.....thats after they have run 5 miles, worked all day and partied all night...I wish.!!!
Gimpy go ahead and vent. That is why we come here. To gain an understanding and know we are not suffering alone. It might make you feel uncomfortable and not validated when you here the remarks that others had a brief brush with a "RA" and they are healed.
I have experienced this in the opposite form. I have posted I have MS. Relapsing kind...So most of the time I do well, and I hear you are so lucky, so and so just got DX with MS and they are in terrible shape, they got the bad kind!....I stand in amazement....most of the problem is that people have not educated themselves...First you have the obvious, a person will without a doubt be symptomatic at the time of DX. Making them appear that they have the bad kind...2nd it’s all BAD. There is no good MS. I suspect the same is with RA suffers. We will run into people who are well meaning but don't really have a clue.
Those close to me I educate a little at a time, others I just smile and say thank you and oh that’s to bad etc.
Best wishes from everyone’s FAV FAT WOMAN...YOU ALL ROCK!I have to educate them a little at a time because I'm so uneducated myself...........duh. If I had spent more time in class instead of at McDonald's............I'd be smart insead of a fat ass. Man..........this place rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I hear you. I'm also tired of people equating "conditions" that can be greatly improved and/or cured for the most part with diet and exercise changes and maybe a little medicine thrown in to help- with RA.
Gimpy-a-gogo:
Oh I also like the old classic..."Oh but you look so good"...I'M SURE NO ONE EVER TELLS ME (inflamedonline) that I look good...............everyone who saw my pics on this board will agree that I'm way overweight.................my face is droopy.............I wear too much makeup...............and may ass.................HUGE...............damn this place rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!Yeah lately when my boss smells my icy hot or I have my handeze gloves on or sees me a little stiff when I first get up after sitting- he says "it's hell getting old" yuck yuck.Yeah this is one of my biggest pet peeves. My worst experience was the week I was diagnosed. I just get hit with the diagnosis, start taking all of the toxic drugs, worry about my future, have vanity issues etc. We travel half way across the country for the holidays, literally the very next day. Mind you I had always been the healthiest person in both sides of the family. I exercise religiously etc. So my husband breaks the news to his family, and his mom says, "Well she's just going to have to toughen up." Excuse me?! She is like 3 of me rolled into one, and has never had to leave her pampered existence ever! And the sympathy I get is to toughen up!
Oh I also like the old classic..."Oh but you look so good"...[/QUOTE]
Well I think avoiding the RA dr is not the answer. I know what I was suffering before. I am doing much better now. I went from downhill skiing in the Rockies to not being able to walk across my totally flat backyard in a 6 month period. I was living on 16 Advils a day for the pain. I am living a very busy fulfilled life right now, I work fulltime, I do art shows many weekends (putting on 2 shows myself)--my hobby/business being decorative painting, I do all my own yardwork including the mowing. But there are some drugs I would not touch--Presdisone being one--it was not even offered but I would have refused. Plaquenil is the other--I tried it for one month against my better judgement--had real bad reactions to it. My real concern was damage to eyes. Even a change of 1/1000 is much too much risk for my eyes.
I have had RA for 33 years. In the early days I did not have deformity but I did have big swollen hands and knees. Perhaps people could see that something was wrong but I never had people tell me not to eat meat or exercise .. blah blah blah.