Hi everyone.
I only joined these boards a few days ago, even though I don't have RA, but a close relative instead - chronic inflammatory ReA. (I hope that doesn't matter too much.)
I have been in an unremitting flare since Feb '04 and have to admit my coping mechanisms are wearing a bit thin. (Even though I'm grateful/lucky to have an understanding husband of 19 years and a lovely 12 year old daughter).
A couple of months ago I bit the bullet and am now taking Paxil/Aropax for depression, which is helping a lot with my general mood. I resisted taking it for ages due to stupid misplaced pride!
Anyway, just wanted to say I am so glad to have found you guys. You seem like such a supportive bunch of nice people! The only downer for me is that I'm in bed asleep when you're awake and posting and vice-versa. Never mind...
Enjoy your weekend - it's already 8:30pm Saturday down in my part of the world.
Wendy we are happy to have you. We have posters from all around the world here and anyways, there are night owls like me that post in the middle of the night US time.
Tell me more about your disease... Hi again Wendy and welcome Jewel-ee. Some of don't sleep so well and you'll find us here all hours. Right now, I'm not feeling so good and it helps me to come here. This is the one place in the world where I feel like everybody pretty much gets it. Pain is a constant and half the time a day is an endurance match with the body winning over the mind. But there are those wonderful moments we laugh in the middle of a very serious thread. I love that. Nice to see I'm not the only one from 'down under', Jewel-ee (and it's even earlier on Saturday night where you are!) Crunchy, reactive arthritis is inflammatory like RA but mainly targets larger, lower-body joints (knees, ankles, hips, spine) leaving hands and other smaller joints alone. (Though I have an elbow involved too, just for variety.) It's not usually symmetrical like RA, but just goes for one knee, one ankle etc. (There are advantages to having one good knee and ankle!) It's affects the skin and eyes as well. Lot's of people only get one flare of it, but I'm in the minority where it is recurrent/chronic. It's treated with the same drugs as RA too. I'm on sulphasalazine, mtx and indomethacin. I have always thought that having arthritis in your hands like many of you must have, would be so hard to deal with: A swollen knee - well, I can still limp or use a cane, but swollen fingers?? Every single thing must be so hard. Deanna, I wish you some good quality sleep sometime soon! Oh right, I knew I'd seen your posts before. You and Wendy are neighbors of sorts. I'm glad you're here in the middle of my night. Australia seems to have some very good sites on RA. It is interesting to read the different approaches countries take to treating this disease. India is really a fasicinating area. We get a lot of doctors from there. And, most of them are wonderful. We also have a lot, I mean a lot of Indians working at my company as programmers, etc. Want wonderful, intelligent people they are. I love meeting people from other countries. It helps lower my ignorance and I have met so many great people. I grew up in a small town where if you were not from the right family, you couldn't even get a job. I think I relish in the discovery of other people's lives. So, it's great you guys are here. Nice to meet you all!!! Don't worry Deanna we have that here too.The who's who of society. I think you get that all over the world. Wendy I get RA in my hands really bad I am a sports freak, so I really pay the price for it!!! I never sleep well anymore, but I am getting used to it!!!! It was so cold here today Down Under. I always suffer on these days. Looking for a better day tomorrow!!!
Have your tried sleeping with a electric blanket? It's supposed to help keep your joints from getting so tight during the night. I don't really know what cold is any more. Sunshine, 110 and up days, and desert. Our summer vs your winter. How could does it get there?
Hi all. It's cold in NZ today - lot's of snow in the South Island, with roads and schools closed etc. Here in Wellington it's about 10 degrees, but forecast to get colder later today. Whereabouts are you in Australia, Jewel-ee? Wendy How is the recent decision by the powers that be to send all RA patients back to their family doctors affecting you? I could not believe that when I read it about a month ago. No RA patients to be permitted to have consults with RA specialists. What's up with that? Cyhthia ex-pat kiwi in New York You have all made us feel so Welcome. Thanks for that!!!! I am in Sunny Queensland Wendy. Hi Marigold Thankfully it's not quite that bad: What's happened is that some people on public hospital waiting lists, either waiting for an appointment to see a specialist (any kind of specialist) or for 'non-urgent' surgery have been taken off the waiting list and sent back to their family doctors for care. It's possible that some arthritis patients may have been affected, but arthritis is viewed as a serious disease and it's more likely you may 'just' face a wait for 6 months or more to see a rheumatologist. We have a chronic shortage of rheumatologists and even if you pay for private treatment (like I do), the rheumatologist will routinely be booked up 2 or 3 months ahead. (I have learnt to book ahead and then cancel if I don't need the appt, rather than have to wait ages for a joint fluid drain/steroid shot.) All the Wellington rheumatologists have both a private practise and work in the public hospitals too. My rheum. is also the NZ medical school rheumatology lecturer! (Where does he find the time.) Check out the www.stuff.co.nz news archives if you want more info. I used to be under the public health system, but switched to private care last year. All the best,
Hi Pammy416 My husband 'commutes' to Melbourne to work (from NZ). He works in Melbourne every 1 week in 2 or 3. He left this morning thinking he was escaping our cold weather here - hah! Melbourne is a great city. I love visiting it, when my daughter and I join him in school holidays. We decided not to move there for his job, as my daughter is so happy at school (she's 12).
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