Home Featured Discussion Rheumatoid Arthritis

Featured Discussion-Rheumatoid Arthritis

This week's Featured Discussion will focus on Rheumatoid Arthritis. Before anyone starts calling us biased, I promise you we will be featuring many different types of arthritis over the next few months.

In last week's survey, we asked what you wanted you wanted to learn about RA. A couple of you asked if we could cover some of the emotional issues that those of us with rheumatoid arthritis face. We thought a little about that, but people with any type of arthritis face many of those same issues, depression, fatigue, employment issues and so on. We will cover those issues, but with each one as a featured discussion. I'd much rather spend a whole week on them than just do one article.

Also in last week's survey, we asked if you would be willing to share your story with Arthritis Insight Community Members, the vast majority of you said yes and I am holding you to it. We'd like to have as many stories from RAers as we can by the end of the week. A great ending to this discussion would be to share your inspiring stories. Please send them to tina@arthritisinsight.com.

When my Grandmother was diagnosed with RA a few decades ago, the milder cases were simply put on aspirin, over 20 a day! If they didn't die of a bleeding ulcer, they were quickly disabled from the disease. The more severe cases might be put on prednisone or gold but was pretty much it. Not a lot to choose from.

As much as I hate having RA, I am glad I have it now. Never before have we had so many treatment options. In the last two years we've been bombarded with new drugs and treatments. We have so much to choose from. Most of us will live full productive lives, unlike those a generation ago.

As horrible as it is to think about, there is a chance one of our children will eventually be diagnosed with RA. If that happens their treatment options will be so much better than ours. There are a host of new drugs in development, and maybe even a cure in the works. The next generation of RAers may never even have to consider a joint replacement or take a liver damaging drug, what a wonderful world that will be!

In this Featured Discussion we'll go back into the past, check out the present and look into the future. I hope you'll check in daily, as this should prove to be an interesting week.

Tina J. Underwood
Page last updated on April 3, 2000