A little bit of RA life | Arthritis Information

There are so many chapters to RA life and I am sure we all could write the same book or a different spin on the same book, but this is just a page I see keeps coming up here and one I could fit here without writing a novel.

The first big pill to swallow is RA has no cure. RA affects us all differently. RA may or may not be controlled right away. So when you are looking around and others are being helped, they may have a milder version or may respond better to meds, etc. I sat right across from someone in the infusion room whose RA was very well controlled on Remicade she was sitting with her legs crossed, the perfect picture of health and had RA her entire life since 2. I had it since 31 and Remicade did absolutely nothing for me but make RA more aggressive and I looked and moved like someone twice my age. So we are all different in how RA affects us and how it responds to treatment.

Some will start with a bang flaring weekly while others may flare 2 or 3 times a year and others will flare somewhere in between.

Some will be hard to treat and damage occurring rapidly while others will have significant RA well controlled on meds like remicade, enbrel, humira, etc.

Some will have mild-to-moderate RA very well controlled on something as simple as plaquenil. I know someone personally controlled on plaquenil alone for many years.

Some doctors will treat aggressively with DMARDs while other doctors will start you on NSAIDs first, although I think the trend these days is to treat aggressively.

You may react to many of the meds leaving you with few choices to choose from and out of control RA. Out of control RA will cripple you. So you have to find some other way of fighting the disease be it diet, homeopathic therapy or some other alternative treatment. I don't believe in arguing about what therapy you choose. All I want is for you to be inflammation free, pain-free and preferably disease-free.

Some people swear by a diet-only controlled RA while others swear by medication-only controlled RA and reject the idea of diet controlling RA. I personally like to mix the two by eating a healthy diet while searching for a medication therapy that actually works for me and when I find it you will be the first to know. not there yet.

Some will find their meds work for short periods of time or not at all needing to constantly switch to other meds is where I fit in leaving me with fewer and fewer options. There is no infinite supply of medicines. There are many answers to how long meds take to work. best person to answer is your doctor. the orencia helped me maybe 30%, so it helped which is what we want but the doctor stopped it saying it caused more harm than good according to my lab work and overall health. so the doctor is your best bet for medication answers.

I would suggest finding a doctor you feel is actively seeking a remission for you, controlling your inflammation and disease so if you need hand surgery, knee surgery, hip surgery, etc. you can have better chances at success.

Do what is right for your particular situation. I am not here to preach to you acceptance. that will come in time just like with any other loss and grieving process and loss of health is a loss. and with any loss it is life changing to say the least, and should be properly grieved, processed, etc so that you can get about the business of living in spite of. It is individual and no one should set a time table for your grieving process.

You still have to pay your bills, provide a roof over your head and sometimes your family's head, feed and clothe yourselves, etc.. so you have to carrying on living in order to do those things. Only now you have to do them with this new you.

easier said than done. It takes some getting used to but you can do it.

The reason I joined a support group: I am here to let you know you are not alone on this crazy journey of RA and the many secondary conditions that sometimes come on board with RA, and share my experiences with you. if you are helped by my experiences it heals me to help and I am happy to help. if you are not helped by them just disregard what I say and do what's right for you. always doing what's right for you. For many, my experiences may be a bore and does not apply to them and that's okay. I am just throwing them out there for whomever the experiences may help.

For many this journey requires the help and guidance of a professional counselor. and that's okay too. It is all a part of taking care of you and whatever it takes to do that -- so that you can be here for you and the people who love you.

You have my heartfelt empathy and undivided attention if you want to talk about anything from cleaning house to grocery shopping to hospital stays, etc. I may not have an answer at times but I care about what you have to say and understand what you are going through and someone else here may have answer or can lead you to the right place so just throw it out there anyway about what's bothering you.

Wishing remission for everyone and a cure in the near future for the little ones. Be encouraged and hang in there.

Surviving RA

Nicely done, Shelly..I enjoyed reading that.Thanks Shelly very well put. I needed to hear those words. I know I have RA but sometimes I think it hasn't sunk in yet. Shelly, your words speak to us all. Thank- you.
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