Disability | Arthritis Information

Hi everyone. I have RA and it is really affecting the quality of my life. I was looking for some insight as to how it progresses which I know it does even with medication. Do many of you have problems with disabilty or is it quite well controlled. I am mostly worried about my hands as I was a musician and i can no longer play for fear of joint damage. I have been told I have joint damage and i have not had RA for so long yet. Is the future to worry about, do you have much joint damage and does it stop you from doing normal things?

Here are the keys and I welcome everyone to add to the list:

Find excellent RD. Don't stall.
Get appropriate treatment that works for YOU.
Don't believe all the negative press about a drug. Ask those who have used it and gain insight to make an intelligent decision.
Lose weight if you need to.
Exercise without injuring yourself.
Don't isolate - be involved in outside activities.
Accept that there will be days when you will be fatigued. Keep books on hand or DVD's or a hobby that can distract you.
Learn everything you can about your disease.
Share info with others - it's two-way learning.

Everyone's case is different. I doubt that two of us have identical experiences. But by and large if you can get the disease controlled and keep it controlled, you've won most of the battle.

Do I worry about the future? Not really. I flat out refuse to saddle myself with negative thoughts. I'd rather put my energy into making a good life for myself, even if it isn't the one I had planned on.

I don't know about no longer being a musician for fear of injuring your joints. Personally, I don't buy it. Not playing when those joints are temporarily flared up is one thing. But to stop playing when you're not flaring? Nah.

I'll tell you a story about my mother. She had massive cancer and had radical cancer surgery that required a lengthy stay in the hospital. During this convalescence she became terribly depressed [and I do mean really clinically depressed]. She missed her home, her garden, her neighbors. [She was in a hospital 100 miles away.] Her doctors found her rehab wasn't working then. So they had a confab and decided that even though it wasn't the best idea, they would send mom home and make special arrangements for rehab. Her depression was more critical at that juncture than learning to walk again in the hospital. And so she went home. Depression lifted. And her outpatient therapy was going very well, though not as aggressively as it would have had she had it in the hospital. Oh yes, Mom lived another 15 years without another sign of cancer.

So if music is your life, find a way to play. Accept that there will be some days you cannot play. But don't give it up.

Lee1234538723.7031712963

Lee, you are inspiring! Thanks for giving me a nice boost today. I'm a newcomer to this disease, too, and wonder how it will affect my future.

Ellie