Well, I'm into about 4 weeks of my half time job as a teacher and I'm so glad I made the change from full time to half time. I work every Tuesday and Wednesday and alternate Thursdays. The days I go in, I go early and leave late and sometimes I take home work but I have the feeling that I can do it even though I'm slower and more restricted than I was before RA. There have been some new difficulties like having to lock and unlock numerous doors and having to move from class to class every hour but I'm working it out. My rheumy gave me a neat key holder that lets me use the whole hand to turn the key. Friday I go to a hand clinic at the hospital to get a thumb splint to help me avoid the damage I know I'm doing from writing and typing and putting pressure on the thumb. The teachers whose classes I push into have let me keep books and other basic supplies in their rooms so I don't have to lug things around.
Finally I convinced my rheumy that metetrexate is ruining the weekends for me and she took me off it, not necessarily for good. There are threats of going on Avara instead. Has anyone been on that? Any reccommendations or precautions?
I actually had a weekend where I didn't spend most of my time in bed recupperating from MTX. My husband and I made jam, we had friends over for dinner, the usual stuff you do when you don't have RA. It felt great. Has anyone just gone off all the meds and lived to tell about it? I'm still on prednisone, plaquanil and enbrel.
Yay for you! What kind of teacher are you??? My mother is a special needs teacher, and has RA. She uses some of the devices made for her students during her day! LoL whatever works, right? She also has a wrist splint that she keeps in her bag for her bad days. I have a pile of them in my carHow do you fare with the sign language? Mom says she does well now - now that she's taking regular meds - and I had to stop learning simply because I couldn't sign FAST enough to make sense to anyone.
My mom has found herself teaching her kids to do more things, since she can't. At first I think she felt a little guilty, but in the end, it seemed that it always worked out for the best, especially in the students world! A lot of things she had to make them do, no one had ever tried, but really, the kid should have been doing. Does that make sense?
Nice to chat!
Have to run to dinner now. I learned sign language as a young woman and have been an interpreter of over 30 years. Now I only do it for an hour in church on Sundays. I couldn't do it full time any more due to my stiff hands.Linda, I'm so happy to hear that this year is working well for you!! It sounds like it was the right decision for you!! :)Terri, It's so good to hear from you. I've been wondering how you are doing now that your surgery is behind you. How is your school year going?
This reduced workload is the best decision I've made in a long time. Sometimes when you're in a rut and exhausted, it's so hard to make a change. I've been in contact with friends at my old school and things are as bad as ever there: no computers working a month into school, dead rats in classrooms, etc.
Now I finally have the time to take care of my health and do some of the things that make me hapy. Friday, I meet with a physical therapist to work out an exercise program. Also, a visit to a hand clinic to see about preserving my right thumb movement which presently is giving me trouble. Next, a neurologist to see why my legs give out when I get tired. For the first time in a long time, I feel in control.
Let me know how you're doing.
Terri, long time no hear from.
Linda, so glad this is working out so well for you. I know it was a real struggle to get to this point. But wow, what a great job of working it out. Can I say I'm proud of you for achieving a solution that works well.
Let me know how things work with the neurologist. I'm having the same problems with my legs and it gets severe to the point of not being able to walk and my legs tremoring really bad. I'm waiting on insurance issues, but am interested in what happens with you.
Linda-whatDeanna, for some time I've been having some weird problems with my legs. I have OA too involving many disks in my spine and that seems to be what is causing the leg weakness. A recent MRI and Xrays showed bulging at the 3/4 lumbar area. Since 30 I had degenerative disk disease with low back pain. At times I've had terrible siatica and the inability to stand straight. I've worn a back support on and off for years. For the last several years, I have little back pain but weakness in my legs. If I stoop down to pick up something and stay too long, my legs give out. If I do a lot of stairs and tire, my legs start shaking and I can't lift my feet off the ground. I'm ok on level ground but sometimes need a cane on hills. I can't get out of a chair myself if I sit too long. What about you? Is your problem similar?