Bob, you would have to be a Bob. Welcome aboard. We seem to congregate like lemmings over in the RA thread so best of luck. Ask lots of questions. Is Plaquenil the only medication you are on? Have you seen a rheumatologist yet? Plus, there is a bolt for every nut in here, so welcome ~~ take care Cathy
Bob, I love your honest anger. I am still there after six months, and no real control over the disease. As far as you losing your sight, you need to be seeing an opthamologist on a regular basis, so that doesn't happen to a youngstr like you. I have eye trouble, dry eye, and the beginning of glaucoma, but that is because of the particularly lovely form of arthritis I have.
This forum is for venting, but I am not in your age group although truth be told I felt like you do when I was in your age group. I was just running from the reality that it wasn't normal for people to hurt all of the time and be exhausted after an hour hike.
Sorry your dad was soooo aweful, has he apologized? By the way is he military by any chance??
Take care Bob, and vent all you want.
I told you the action was over on the RA thread LOL. Some simple ideas you might be able to handle right now: drink tons of filtered water, eat pineapple, find an OTC pain reliever (I personally use Motrin), and research, research, research because you will be your doctor.Hi Bob,
Well, if you're online now, maybe you can tell me how to "single space"!!
I am on Placquenil, and I really can't say if I'm in remission or if the medication is working.....and working wonderfully!
I don't know if everyone knows this, but Placquenil takes at least 6 months to take effect. I've had arthritis since I was about 17, and then, I just sort of lived with it. I had a baby at 23, and I was fine all through that time because your body naturally produces more cortisone at that time. It came back after, but not as severe.
I had gone to a lot of specialists and nobody could actually diaganose me before I had my daughter. My knuckles looked like walnuts, I had to have my wrists put in wrapon casts a night because my wrists felt like they be broken when I was trying to sleep. I had a job that entailed walking a fair distance and it was very painful. I had some operations on my hands, fingers really, to cut the tendon sheaths because my tendons were too swollen to let me bend my joints. I couldn't lift my arms because my shoulders hurt too much. I couldn't take off a pullover sweater because of my shoulders. I had shoulder manipulation and a few cortisone shots and a myriad of physical therapy treatments.
Suddenly, I went into complete remission. No reason that I knew of, but I was so greatful.
I'm now on Placquenil, so obviously the remission didn't last forever, but for at least 20 plus years. My parents were the hush hush type, so as a teen, I was going throught the treatments, operations, and walking to work in pain.....it was that type of family where you just didn't deal with any illness that I guess couldn't be proven. My tests never proved anything at that time. No on could diagnose me, but they can now. At that time I took a look at my file at the doctor's. It said I could be in a wheelchair by the time I was 21 or I could be completely cured.....they couldn't diagnose me.
I was going to tell my happy results now, if you want to hear them.
Scarlett
Bob, I am glad to hear that your dad is at least admitting that there was something wrong. Yes, you've gotta love those military boys, hmmm. their handle on reality and pain is kinda skewd.
You will begin to change your vision of what you dreamt normal would be like and come into your own "normal". We all do this for our own preservations. Keeping a handle on the pain and swelling will be a help, and when you get assisstance please get in to see the doc's. Research before and make a list of symptoms and the goals you want to reach. I always give my RD a goal that I want to reach. I am still not even in control, but I like you just took criticism and was never properly treated. I suspect I had the arthritis fromt the ripe old age of 15. You have to take a deep breath and be patient.