Edited 10/13/09. Age 82, RA since December 2001. Now doing quite well on Methotrexate (10 mg per week) and Remicade (3 mg/kg every 10 weeks). Married since 1952, four sons, no daughters; 4 grandsons, one granddaughter. Retired chemist/manger but working a few hours a week.

I started by feeling like I had the flu and it quickly developed into pneumonia. My GP (who is an excelent doctor) put me in the hospital and called in a pulmonologist and rheumatologist because I was near death. I was ready to give up and die when I heard that my youngest grandson was crying both at home and at school because his grandpa was dying. I decided I did have plenty to live for and worked to get well and leave the hospital vertically instead of horizontally.

Born in Ft. Worth, Texas; grade school Orange, Texas; high school Houston, Texas. College Texas A&M, graduated 1948 with BS in Chemistry. Went to work in Richland, Washington and have been here ever since.