Home Community Member Stories Bonnie

Bonnie

bwilliams@bulloch.k12.ga.us 

Hi, my name is Bonnie. I have been reading some of the stories and see that most of them are from people who have had RA for a relatively short period of time. I am 46 and "got" RA when I was 21 - 25 years ago. There is probably not enough space in this computer to put my entire story so I thought I'd just hit the high spots. It is sometimes hard to remember all the details, especially the details of that first year. I do remember being diagnosed with strep throat and being very fatigued. I had recently married 5 months earlier. I went to bed one night and literally woke up the next day with severe joint pain in my knees and feet. I went to several doctors who diagnosed it as a kidney infection(!) and rheumatic fever. I have always wondered about that rheumatic fever diagnosis. Anyway, after about a year, the RA was diagnosed; although my rheumatoid factor was not positive still, which I think is somewhat common. I have been through 25 years of medications and luckily I have had no great negative side effects...I still have a stomach! I take enbrel, prednisone, celebrex and darvocet, occasionally. I have had a knee and hip replacement. The hip was done 15 years ago and is still going strong, so I am fortunate for that. I have felt better taking enbrel than anything else. I do have a slight limp, my fingers are affected, but not greatly, etc. etc....but basically my doctor says I am doing great to have had the disease so long. It is inactive at the present time. My hemoglobin is 14, which is unbelievable for me because it has always been around 11 or 12. 

My advice to everyone is just to keep pushing forward, keep your chins up and think positive. I really and truly thought I would have been in a wheelchair years ago but that is far from the truth. I do most anything I want to do, except sports, of course and a few other things. I have difficulty with steps especially. There are so many new things out today to take and more will continue to come out. The outlook is so much better than it was 25 years ago. I try not to allow myself to think about how my life could have been without this disease. I know all of us have many of the same thoughts. Attitude adjustments are a daily occurrence for us. I have learned some good coping skills and have truly managed this disease very well. I have kept my weight down which I think is very important, and tried to remember to treat myself along the way with things just for me. Good luck to everyone and God bless you all. If any of you ever need any advice, please feel free to email. We'll get through this!