Arthritis Foundation Forum / RA Connect / Rheumatoid Arthritis - (RA Connect)

How are you feeling? What are you doing?

Txnana — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:11:03 GMT

Both my hubby and I have a summer cold :sick: here in HOT Texas.....so I'm congested, coughing, not feeling too good! Just finished making homemade chicken noodle soup....comfort food for us.....should definitely help. Plus, my fingers and ankles are stiff :w00t:

How are you feeling? What are you doing?

Take care.

Txnana :cool:

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN...KEEP PRAYING, PLEASE!!

LEFTY IN LA — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:29:45 GMT

Hello everyone,Just a little update on C.J. It's a miracle!!!! Your prayers are working!!!! We're so blessed! C.J. greeted me with a beautiful smile this morning! I just about fainted. He has improved dramatically overnight. I just can't believe it. As you can tell I'm blown away. He literally looked like he was going to die yesterday morning. I cried and cried in his room and made myself sick. But today was amazing!After C.J. being in the hospital since Sept 20th, today was the second day he said he was hungry. He asked where his little boys were, he LAUGHED, HE SMILED, he spoke in sentences and made sense, he looked like himself again! He followed commands, he's moving both arms and feet, and even bending his legs. He's trying to sit up, moving his head from side to side and doesn't have that stare in his eyes. He's actually following people with his eyes. He asked me to give him a kiss and remembered one of my pet names he had given me years and years ago! I'm so happy...can you tell????I want to thank everyone of you who has prayed for us. My family appreciates everyone of you. I don't know where I'd be personally if I didn't have this family. Thank you from the top, the bottom and the sides of my heart. I know he has a very long road ahead of him, but I'm so thankful to hear his voice again. Thanks again and have a blessed weekend!

OT: Pam14--You have mail.

Pam3 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:42:46 GMT

[size=3][color=#009966]I just sent you a site mail message in the last hour or two. :)Thanks,Pam[/color][/size]

People With Joint Pain Can Really Forecast Storms

Nikki Lynn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:35:59 GMT

[size=3]ScienceDaily (June 3, 2008) — The summer brings many thunderstorms to the east coast of the United States, and one of the nation’s leading joint specialists, Javad Parvizi, M.D., Ph.D., of the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says you should believe your grandmother, friend or co-worker when they tell you it’s going to rain—even if it’s simply because their aching knees, hips, hands or shoulders “say so.”Dr. Parvizi, who is also director of clinical research at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, and associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, explains that even though individuals can experience pain fluctuations with the slightest change in barometric pressure, most patients report significant increases in pain before and during severe changes in weather, like summer downpours and thunderstorms.“The phenomenon of people being able to forecast precipitation, especially rain, due to the level of their joint pain is real,” says Dr. Parvizi. “It is not in the patient’s head. There is science to back it up.”Weather-related joint pain is typically seen in patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other arthritic conditions. It can affect any load-bearing joint, but is most common in hips, knees, elbows, shoulders and hands. The joints contain sensory nerves called baro-receptors which respond to changes in atmospheric pressure. These receptors especially react when there is low barometric pressure, meaning the atmosphere has gone from dry to moist, like when it is going to rain.“When pressure in the environment changes, we know that the amount of fluid in the joint or the pressure inside the joint fluctuates with it,” says Dr. Parvizi. “Individuals with arthritic joints feel these changes much more because they have less cartilage to provide cushioning.” [url]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080530174619.htm [/url] [/size]

Grocery shopping meeting...

Rev. Nancy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:14:00 GMT

[font=Arial][size=4]Hobbled around the grocery store yesterday with my son, and we did a huge shopping. In the checkout line, I noticed the bagger--a young woman--with wrist splints on--and asked her if it was arthritis. She said yes, arthritis, so I asked if it was Rheumatoid. She said yes, and she wears the braces when she works so as not to further injure her wrists. I said I understood, as I have them, too, and have RA.She was such a sweet-spirited young woman and so darling! I wish I'd had time to give her my name and # so we could talk or go for coffee or something. I don't know if she has any support, but she seems very joyful, so maybe. I also want to give her this message board; however, being as it was so busy, and there was a long line of customers behind me waiting to cash out, I didn't delay her. I will look for her in the near future and give her this site. God willing, I will find her, and I'll share with her. She just has this sweet disposition, and I know she'd be able to be not only blessed by this site, but be a blessing to it as well. I'll let you know when I find her. (God will lead!) I don't know anyone in this area with RA. So, it would be nice to have a friend who understands and one I could maybe encourage, too.Remember, God loves you and so do I! Hugs![/size][/font]

Hello again!

Preston Male — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:03:31 GMT

Good evening!I just wanted to post again and say hello....its been a while. I hope all is going well and everyone has been able to cope with their aches and pains. For me its been a roller coaster. Back at the end of Summer, I felt terrific....probably better than I have for years. But it was a short lived month. Now I'm back to where I was earlier in the summer or worse. My Rhuemy Dr. Told me that they can see some degenration in my spine and that accounts for most of my problems I am experiencing now. I've had an EMG and a MRI done on my back and my left leg...as it continues to lose feeling and often caused me to trip and stumble. When it happens, its usually in a public place and I'm either laughing or embarrassed or both. I've been using my cane more regularly and avoid any prolonged standing or walking. That in itself doesn't help with the diet I've been on all year. (which I gained most everything back due to my use of prednisone as the Dr. explains) The good news is, I weaning off the prednisone and I continue to wake up every morning with my beautiful wife and the 3 blessings I call my children. God Bless!Preston

Hives and RA

Liz M — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:48:48 GMT

Okay, so I woke up with [b]Hives[/b] this morning - weird! I don't know why. I have a history of Hives, but it is usually exercise induced ( - usually walking for exercise - again, weird, I know). Anyway, I noticed along with it I had red and itchy knuckles and hands and thought, "hmmm, that's more RA - I wonder if they are related?"). So, I googled Hives and RA and sure enough, [b]they are[/b]!! I have had hive reactions since I was about 18, that I can recall, which is also when several other things started to appear, like tendonitis in both shoulders and knees giving out, etc. (and a few months after I started smoking a pack a day, hello? - haven't smoked for 12 years). Does this mean I could have had RA back then? This is all so weird! Anyone else have this symptom?Liz :)

Toddler RA?

Annette Blachford — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:24:08 GMT

My 22 month old daughter has recently complained about pain in her feet in the morning and right after her naps. She has a hard time walking first thing in the morning and it breaks my heart. This morning I dropped her off and daycare and she cried b/c she didn't want me to leave, I know it's because she was in pain. I have RA and have been dealing with it for the last year and a half. Could I have passed it on to her? I don't know what I should do. Is there a test that a doctor can do to tell me if she has it? How do I ease her pain? Do I give her pain meds like Tylenol or Advil? I'm sick to my stomach about this b/c I know what that pain and stiffness is like and to see it in your child is just heart wrenching. If anyone has any insight or advice on this matter I would appreciate it.Thanks everyone.Broken Hearted Mommy

Website Problems: Please list them all here . . .

Pam3 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:43:13 GMT

[size=3][color=#009966][font=Tahoma]In the past couple of weeks, most of us have experienced techncal problems on this website. Several of us have posted about the issues, but things seem to be going from bad to worse. I'm not sure that "the powers that be" really understand the extent of the changes or how frustrating they can be. I'm hoping to gather information on this thread and forward it to AF Dude. [b]Maybe if we unite, our voices will be heard.[/b] So, even if you've discussed them before, and even if others have already mentioned them, please take a moment to post on these issues.1) Please include the type of computer (PC or Mac) and the browser(s) you use (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.).2) List all of the technical problems you've experienced lately.3) Express how this affects your experience of posting in this community.Thanks. [/font][/color][/size][img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:NQwex0VN6guFjM:http://www.exptechs.com/images/sick_computer.png[/img][img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:aLpKPjFT_AHu1M:http://www.changemakersproductions.com/ScreenworksWeb/CrazyComputer.gif[/img][img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:lFUN0OyMfZcJnM:http://eroundlake.com/blog/uploaded_images/sick-computer-777168.gif[/img]

My Superhero!

musician — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:13:53 GMT

[size=5]HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!![/size][img]http://remicadedream.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_6938.jpg[/img]

For Those of You Interested in RA Info

Nikki Lynn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:31:14 GMT

[size=3]And various studies...This is a really good site [url]http://arthritis-research.com/[/url] [/size]

Got a cold and maybe bronchitis

Maire379 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:51:13 GMT

I am starting to get worried now that I might have bronchitis again. I started about a week ago with a stuffy runny nose and now the past few days I got this realy bad cough again. It is not the flu because I have no chills, fevers or headaches. I think that it might be bronchitis. This will be the fourth time having bronchitis after having a cold since March of this year. I see my doctor on this Monday and I don't want to go there unless I have to with all the flu going around. Trust me if I get any sicker I will be going to the ER just in case. I am going to have to take care of myself and treat myself to something realy nice like a long soak in a hot bath. Hope every one is staying safe and away from the flu.

Yeah

Jeans — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:34:50 GMT

[size=4][font=Comic Sans MS]Good morning friends! Well I had my 3 month check up with my rheumy on Friday and it went well. I finally get to start plaquenil. She has been waiting and trying me on other things for over a year now,. I think because of my age and the fact that I have excellent blood work she didnt want to diagnose me until she tried other avenues, which I do respect. ( I have had one positive RF test and low sed rate in two years time) I had an ultrasound on the pockets that wont go away behind both my knees and it was diagnosed as inflamation of the joints behind my knees. My knees unfortunately are getting worse and worse as walking is getting to be more painful every day. I am not at a point where I need any assitance or anything I just definately can feel the difference. Some days are worse than others. Anyways just wanted to share the good news. I started last night before bed, so hopefully I wont have to wait to long before I notice a difference.Love form Wyoming! Jeanie[/font][/size]

Rough Week

CallMeSteph — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:52:23 GMT

[font=Georgia][size=3][color=#006699] Last Thursday I had to help unload the truck at work. Most of the freight coming off the truck was pretty heavy. Then for 6 or so hours after we got the freight off the truck we stocked shelves. Half way through my shift I knew I had over done it but there wasn't anything I could do besides continuing to work. I got home and was miserable. There was no sign of a knee cap in my knee region because they were so swollen. I am currently on 20mg of prednisone daily and tramadol as needed. I had Friday off because it was my Orencia day. Because of the slight reaction I have to the Orencia, I take 60mg of prednisone and a benadryl. Despite the 60mg of prednisone I was still pretty miserable all day. I ended up having to take an additional 5mg so I could get into a comfortable position to sleep. I was so uncomfortable I was to the point of tears. Saturday and Sunday both I had to take a total of 25mg of prednisone to get through work. Yesterday was pretty rough as well, but I was able to make it through with the 20mg of prednisone and tramadol. To top off the physical stress from work, the weather has changed dramatically. It dropped 20 degrees over the period of 2 days and is now in the lower 30's when I wake up. I think it was the combination that has caused my flare. Thank God I have today off to rest and relax. The rest of the work week should go smoothly since I only work Wednesday and Saturday. I can't wait until I am able to get a job as a graphic designer. I am not cut out for physical labor.One more thing, my mom is having knee surgery on Friday. She has torn the cartilage to shreds from 23+ years of being on her feet as a nurse. She also has a Baker's cyst that they are going to drain as well. Please pray for her. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! [/color][/size][/font]

Good Morning Everyone

Tommy4 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:55:30 GMT

Hope everyone has a pain free day.Tommy

How do you know that you meds are working better than you thought...

ScotlostinNV — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:29:49 GMT

When you put your Enbrel in the freezer and it can't be used. So you have to go without for a month, and 2 weeks in, you begin to remember what it was like to start from scratch. AAARgh...how could I have been so utterly stoooooopid!Ah well, live, learn, and laugh 'til the next refill comes around.Please form a line behind me to slap me up side the head!!!Ron

Exhausted

Diana Nelson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:32:24 GMT

Hello,I am a 30 year-old female that has been dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis for 28 years now. Twenty-eight years is a long time to fight something and I am having one of those days where the battle seems impossible. I don't have many of these days as I am usually a very optimistic person, but I have been having them more recently in the past few months. I go in for my Rituxan infusion today, and I suppose I always do get a little nervous and intimidated when I have an infusion. This is the first of the 2 infusion cycle I go through every 6 months or so. I find that I am not making it as long between cycles as I did when I started them a little over 1 year ago.I guess in a round about way, I am looking for someone that uses the Rituxan treatments, and has time to talk with me to let me know how they are handling the treatment. I have a lot of side effects from the medications, and they are hard to deal with at times. I do have a support network at home, but it is from people that do not have RA, so they don't particularly understand what I am going through. I also find it very difficult to explain to my loved ones what it is exactly that I am going through so they can try to understand.I am the only one in my entire family tree that have ever had RA, and it started as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. My family health history has only included osteoarthritis.I have also recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. My doctor has not prescribed anything to me that will help with the pain and weakness I have in my muscles due to the FM, but he has also told me that with my other health issues there isn't much that can be done right now. When I am not in pain, I tend to shake a lot because of the strain that is put on my muscles. This is something new to my family, so it makes them nervous to see me shake. It doesn't hurt me though, so I really don't have a problem with it, other than the embarrassment factor.If there is someone out there that would be willing to share their experiences with me just to help "pep" me up on my low days, that would be greatly appreciated.

I'd appreciate your prayers, please.

teacherrobin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:37:29 GMT

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=4]Hi all. Another teaching week starts today, as yesterday was a day off for the students while teachers went to the annual greater Nashville area Christian School In-Service. The drive was a little over an hour each way and just about did my back/hips in, as did the constant sitting for each session. Between that, the fact that I'm off all of my RA meds (except steroids), and I'm working 60 hour weeks just to keep up, I'm beyond exhausted and in a whole lot of pain. The last several days have been nearly a constant pain level of 7 or 8. We have two open houses this week, so there is even more work to be done and days to be worked. I probably won't have a day off until two Sundays from now.I'd sure appreciate your prayers for relief from the fatigue and pain. Both are making it quite hard to get everything accomplished. Thank you so much!God bless,Robin [/size][/font]

Resilience Quote of the Day

Pam3 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:24:41 GMT

[font=Comic Sans MS][center][size=3][color=#993300]“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” William Feather[/color][/size][/center][/font][center][img]http://www.rayhardcastleart.com/wildi/hanging%20on.jpg[/img][/center]

Waaayyyy OT: Millennial Reign resources

Aprilfreelance — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:39:14 GMT

[size=3]Okay, I'm desperate to find resources. Since many of you on here are churchgoers, I thought I'd ask here. Have any of you come across any books on what life will be like during the Millennial Reign of Christ? I need research for my novel and neither my church library, public library nor friends I have asked can recommend anything except the Left Behind series. I have read the Glorious Appearing. I'm looking for more academic/theological resources. Specifically, speculation on the earth itself and everyday life for the people during the thousand years of peace. Anything you can offer, no matter how obscure, would be appreciated as long as I can find it or order it. The closest Christian college (and therefor possible theological library source) is an almost two-hour drive from me. Thanks[/size]!

World War II Veterans and their families stories –any vets with RA out there?

Jay in Sarasota — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:51:50 GMT

[size=3]This is an unusual thread to start but it’s sort of a now or never thing. I’m starting it because my wife just helped her dad attend the Jolly Rogers Bomber Squad WWII reunion this past week. The years have gone by and how interesting it would be to hear if we have any WWII vets or spouses in our forum and the stories of people who remember the Great War. I know we have a lot of us baby boomers who can briefly tell of their parents WWII experiences. I’ll give my wife Roxanne and my stories of our parents to start things off. Roxanne’s dad hitchhiked to Wright Patterson Air Force Base and lied about his age to enlist. He became a waist gunner in a B24 bomber flying over China. As for me, my dad was in the occupation of Japan and probably only lived because of the A bombs that resulted in VJ Day. I had two aunts who were army nurses in the war. And my mom, who had lupus which is genetically linked to the RA I have, did not serve in the war but her brother was in Pearl Harbor during the bombing. Uncle Gilbert survived that and continued his training as an Air Force navigator. He completed his training but was so prone to air sickness he was assigned ground duties. At the end of the war he was the only survivor of his class.The years are passing quickly and I really think it will interest us all to hear of the effects of the Great War on our lives. I hope AF Dude can move any veterans’ stories to the top of the list. We are all tied together because of our arthritis and we’re a circle of friends and I hope this will be an interesting set of stories even if RA is not the primary theme.[/size]

Green Tea May Benefit Bone Health

Nikki Lynn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:32:36 GMT

[size=3]New research from Hong Kong found that green tea, one of the most popular drinks around the world, may benefit bone health and the researchers suggest it has the potential to help prevent and treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases suffered by millions of people worldwide. The study was the work of Dr Ping Chung Leung and colleagues from the Institute of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and you can read about it in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry where a web version appeared last month.Other studies have already suggested that chemicals in green tea benefit health in many ways, for example by preventing cancer and heart disease, but this is the first study to pinpoint which of those chemicals may also improve bone health by stimulating formation and slowing the breakdown of bone. [url]http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164340.php[/url] [/size]

How to get more time with your doctor

Nikki Lynn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:30:02 GMT

[size=3]Seeing your doctor has never been a picnic (tissue-thin gown, anyone?), but these days it can feel like a hit-and-run. As doctors get busier, appointments get shorter — you're supposed to spill your family history, get a prescription refill, and have a suspicious mole inspected in less time than it takes to reload your iPod.And not only are docs more swamped than ever; sometimes it feels like they're speaking a different language. "Medical schools teach students how to interact with patients, but by the time doctors start practicing, their bedside manner may be a bit rusty," says Sherrie Kaplan, Ph.D., a leading researcher of doctor-patient interactions. Because a satisfied patient is more likely to be a healthy one, according to research from the University of California, Irvine, we got experts to help you beat the time crunch, leap over the communication barrier, and get the medical TLC you need. [/size][url]http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33383359/ns/health-health_care/ [/url]

recovering from abdominal surgery- still waiting on dr appts for breast cancer surgery

Cindyss — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:45:10 GMT

Had my fistula surgery on Thursday. Bad news is after all that 2 drs working together couldn't find a fistula. Dr said I just need to keep taking the antibiotics every day (which I've been taking for months) until we knock out the infection. I made an appt with my PCP and am going to get the name of an infectious disease specialist. This is gone on way too long. I'm still pretty sore from the surgery but on the mend. I have an appt next week with a breast oncology surgeon. The big problem now is that the RA is making the plastic surgeons not willing to consider some of the reconstruction options. Plus they say I would have to go off of every one of my meds. I called the RA dr today and am waiting for a call back to see what she thinks. I may end up with no reconstruction at all. If so I will see if the drs will reconsider if I heal well from the mastectomys. Has anyone out there had breast reconstruction at the same time as RA?Cindy

Problems with shaving

Brian McVeigh — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:12:05 GMT

Hi Everyone!My name is Brian, I'm a product design engineering student working on a shaving product designed specific for people with arthritis. I would really appreciate your input and hope you could spare 5 minutes to complete my (short) survey:http://www.surveypirate.com/Survey.aspx?surveyid=7877&hash=jpUnNbwceunDpuuIWhutAA%3d%3dIf there is anything you'd like to add that isn't in the survey I'd love to hear it, please post here or send me a message.Thanks for your time,Brian

Diability!!!

Barbara Schwefel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:55:42 GMT

I'm not sure how many of you out there are on disability from social security but,I feel the need to vent.I'm reading the posts of people applying and it makes my heart ache because I've been there,done that.I understand that the world the way it is, they need to "weed out" all the fakes, but really!It took me 5 years after our motorcycle accident and probably the start of arthritis to prove myself.To this day I cannot figure this out! To look at me you'ld know it's hard for me to walk any distance at all, for I am permanently bent over in pain.I've had pain long enough to know it's something I could never fake,just look at my face.If it had not been for my husband I would have been living in a cardboard box at my local park.Does ss not realize the economy sucks and people without insurance can't afford to go to all THEIR doctors?It makes me sooo angry.Someone when I applied said you have to do all this to satisfy them but come on.It took me going before a judge before I was finally able to state my case and have someone actually see the pain in my face.For all of you out there Don't give up and keep appealing if you can.Make them look at you as a person instead of a number.Thanks for letting me vent and know that you're always heard here!!!!

There is an elephant on my chest!

Polly Sue — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:01:46 GMT

Hello friends,I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow and think I will ask for a referral to a respritory specialist I am back to taking sprivia again and have a rescue inhaler for emergencies. Today I feel like I have an elephant sitting on my chest! I have COPD anyway, I have quit smoking again but the RA aggrivates my lung function anyway.I had plural affect and pnemonia earlier this year, June I think, and now I think its back, my joints are feeling so much better with the Humria I guess I should be thankful that its not happening all at once?Yeah, I know I'm depressed I will visit that subject with my PCP tomorrow also, but I take celexa and xanax for that also, maybe I need to up the dose of celexa?Oh and to top things off I fell through the top step of my deck yesterday, I am bruised all over!! Legs, arms, butt and torso. I was so embarrased that someone saw me that I thrust myself into my house and writhed on the floor for 5 min or so trying to assess the damage, just brusing and by tomorrow the should be quite colorful! It was funny, the dog thought I was on the floor to play with her so she was jumping around on top of me it would have made a great funniest video's! It reminded me of the time I got up at 5am to put the Thanksgiving Turkey in the oven, well I had washed it and was lifting it from the sink to put it in the pan and, you guessed it, it slipped out of my hands went sailing across the kitchen floor and then when I went to pick it up I slipped in the wet track of the turkey and fell on my butt only to allow the turkey to hit the floor again! By the time I got the sucker washed again and in the oven I felt like I had been in a wrestling match with that bird! Thanks for listening!Susan (Pollysue)

Happy Monday

Tommy4 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:58:04 GMT

Just wanted to say hope everyone had a great weekend had to go to my 1st SS docter appt this am I think it went well go to another next Thursday.Sunny and 58 here at 1pm.Tommy

Social Security Disability Insurance??

CaptRon — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:34:16 GMT

Hello,I know a lot of you have gone through this nightmare of getting approved by SSDI; well, I'm trying myself to get approved and just now received in the mail a request by the SSA to go to one of there Doctors for a complete physical,exrays, and heart tests. I'm wondering if this is normal or not? Any help would be appreciated:)Capt Ron

OT: Where does everyone live????

DianeLouise — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:11:49 GMT

Just thought it would be fun!

Pittsburgh, Pa

Diane :)

NONSICK PEOPLE!

mammakc — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:47:10 GMT

MAYBE ITS JUST MY MOOD LATELY BECAUSE OF THE BAD FLARE UP THAT NEVER SEEMS TO END. BUT I HAVE BEEN SUPER EMOTIONAL AND NOT ABLE TO REALLY PUT ON A FRONT LIKE USUAL. WHICH INTURN HAS MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS DOING WEIRD THINGS BUT BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING I NOW REALIZE THEY NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD OR GOT IT OR CARED TO DO NEITHER AND THE ACTUAL REALIZATION OF THIS HAS REALLY IMPACTED ME. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I SEARCHED OUT THIS SITE.I HAVE BEEN "SICK" FOR A LONG TIME BUT DID REALLY WELL AT GETTIN BY AND THE FLARE UPS ONLY LASTED MINIMAL TIME BUT THIS LAST YR I HAVE NOT BEEN SO LUCKY. AND I DO BELIEVE OR SURE WANT TO HOLD ON TO HOPE THAT EVENTUALLY I WILL GET ANOTHER MEDICATION SETUP THAT WORKS AND GETS IT UNDER CONTROL. WE (ME AND THE DRS) ARE TRYING.YESTERDAY A FRIEND I HAVE KNOWN ABOUT 13YRS, DROPPED BY. THE FIRST THING OUT OF HER MOUTH IS "I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING I SAW ONLINE TODAY". I WAS LIKE OK AND SHE SAYS "KC HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF JOINT REPLACMENT?" NOW AFTER I REGAINED MY COMPOSURE I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT YES I HAVE AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME ITS NOT AN OPTION AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST BUT I DIDNT WANT TO GO FURTHER .I MADE EXCUSES OF NEEDING TO GET SOMETHING DONE AND SHE LEFT. SO WAS I JUST TO SENSITIVE OR ARE PEOPLE WHO ARENT SICK P REALLY THAT UNAWARE? SHOULD I HAVE THANKED HER FOR THE EFFORT TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION? AS USUAL I ALWAYS 2ND GUESS MYSELF.AND I HESITATED TO EVEN POST ANYTHING BECAUSE SO MANY OTHERS HERE HAVE SUCH HEARTACHE AND TRIALS GOING ON BUT I THEN THOUGHT, WAIT THE REASON I SEARCHED OUT THIS GROUP IS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN FEELING DESPERATE AND HOPELESS SO DO WHAT I CAME TO DO HERE, AND TALK TO THEMEVEN MY FAMILY CALLS WITH ...HAVE YOU TRIED THIS MED, ARE YOU TAKING YOUR MEDS ,ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE TAKING THEM RIGHT, DID YOU THIS , DID YOU NOT DO THIS? THEN WHY ARE YOU HAVING TO USE A CANE? WHY ARE YOU HYBERNATING IN YOUR ROOM, WHY ARE THE DISHES STACKED UP, MOM YOU HAVE MISSED 3 PTA MEETINGS WHATS WRONG WITH YOU, MOM WHATS WRONG WITH YOUR HAIR? KC WHY HAVENT YOU BEEN TO CHURCH ARE YALL ALRIGHT? WHEN WE WENT TO A DINNER FOR MY FATHER IN LAW I WAS LIMPING USING A CANE--KC WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, THESE PEOPLE HAVE KNOWN ME FOR 15YRS DID THEY HAVE ABNESIA ABOUT MY RA,........ IT GOES ON AND ON IM WONDERING DID I MASK SO WELL AND NEVER ASK FOR HELP AND NOW THATS WHY NO BODY WANTS TO HELP OR CAN GET A CLUE OR THEY JUST DONT CARE ? HAVE I BEEN THE ONE IN THE CLOUDS AND JUST DIDNT REALIZE WHEN MY FAMILY STOPPED CARING?ONE DAY MY 21 YROLD DAUGHTER , WHO HAS MOVED BACK AFTER COLLEGE UINTIL SHE FINDS A PLACE , CAME IN THE ROOM ONE MORNING BEFORE SHE LEFT WORK TO TELL ME SOMETHING AND I WAS CRYING, IT HURT SO BAD TO DRESS, SHE CONTINUED TO TELL ME WHAT SHE NEEDED TO TELL ME AND TURNED AROUND AND LEFT! NEVER SAID ARE YOU OK SQUAT. NOW I WNT TO THINK SHE WAS FREAKED OUT BY ME CRYING BUT SERIOSLY? HAVE I CREATED UNFEELING BEASTS?????OK THIS WAS MOSTLY A RANT , I GUESS TO RELIEVE MY SHOULDERS. NO ONE NEEDS TO FEEL COMPELLED TO COMMENT! MAYBE JUST GETTIN IT OUT THERE WILL HELPTHIS SITE IS TREMENDOUS!

Just diagnosed and scared to death

mrskrank — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:54:13 GMT

Well, where to start... I've been feeling pretty crappy (fluish with painful joints) for about 6 months and my husband insisted I go in. My GP did a few tests and said my RA factor came back at 86.9. My first visit with the rheumy and minus 14 vials of blood showed an RA factor of 78 and sed rate of 22 with all other labs being normal. He diagnosed me with RA and fibromyalgia, put me on prednisone and told me to follow-up in a month. I really haven't noticed any difference with the prednisone. I have a nodule on my left elbow and random very painful joints, mostly in my wrists and fingers. The "pain" varies from burning to aching, throbbing, and sometimes like someone is jabbing a needle through the joint. I don't really notice the stiffness so much in the AM and I find that kind of odd (my husband thinks it's because I tickle myself all night long, yeah I know wierd) considering that's one of the diagnosing criteria. I do have stiffness after any period of inactivity and i'm noticing more and more warmth and redness. Not to much swelling. Does this sound normal for RA? Maybe I'm just in denial as life is to overwhelming to have one more thing on my plate right now (hubby was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS a year ago). Are the side effects from the meds really as bad as I'm reading? How do you keep your spirits up? I'm only 37 and the prospect of living with this for the rest of my life is daunting to say the least.I've started exploring some of the threads on here and am already learning a lot...like I'm not alone. Thank You!!

dad has stage 4 cancer

Cindy Smith — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:42:35 GMT

I haven't written anything for a while but always lurk. I know this is always a safe place to tell the truth about what ever the challenge is. This past week has been so hard. My parents are both in their 70's and have not had serious health problems so this is all new to me. We were all expecting to hear that my dad had prostate cancer on Tuesday. We were not at all prepared for the news that it is stage 4. This seems so crazy because they have been monitoring this for years. Tests last may all were clear and the doc said that they may not have even seen the cancer if the tests were done as little as a month ago because his case is one of the most fast growing he has ever seen. I've spent allot of time with my parents since Tuesday & Friday dad had an out patient procedure for the hormone treatment they are trying to stop further spread.Since it has already spread outside of the prostate, we will all have to pray if it does stop the growth it is in time. Haven't cried in front of my parents as want to be strong and supportive, but I lost it at work (of all places) and had a really big cry. Really big, I mean I made other people cry big. It was a needed release and I feel calmer now, but need to be a little more smarter about allowing for those in private so it doesn't build up and then happen at the wrong place/time all the time.My parents have many friends from church who will be very helpful. They have been calling and stopping in to pray with my dad all week, wanting to bring meals for them etc. I have a brother close by who is not very involved that will not be any help and another brother out of state who is great. I want to be sure I do everything I can to help both my dad & mom as we navigate this. It is so hard to see your parents cry. I really have a reaction like someone has punched me in the stomach. To listen to them discuss things dealing with my father not being with us anymore, is so tough. As tough as it is for me, I know it has to be so much more for them. How do I help them. I guess what I'm hoping to get from this post is suggestions on how you have found ways to be supportive of your family members who are facing an illness that may very well take their life and their primary care giver. There are probably allot of things people don't automatically think about that you needed, that you did or wished someone would have done for you and your family.

Resilience Quote of the Day

Pam3 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:56:11 GMT

[font=Arial Black][size=3][color=#336633]Ecclesiastes 3:1-8A Time for Everything There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, A time to plant and a time to uproot, A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to tear down and a time to build, A time to weep and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, A time to embrace and a time to refrain, A time to search and a time to give up, A time to keep and a time to throw away, A time to tear and a time to mend, A time to be silent and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, A time for war and a time for peace.[/color][/size][/font][img]http://www.betterphoto.com/uploads/processed/0021/0409080017271leafonrainywindowh.jpg[/img]

Arthritis in the vocal cords

Mimi68123 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:47:56 GMT

Hi, I'm hispanic female 42 yrs old, was recently diagnosed with RA. I'm taking Plaquenil and Prednison. Back in May I started having hoarseness. I asked my rheumy and she sent me to an ENT doctor. after a few weeks of GERD medicine I still had the hoarseness this time more frequent. He ordered a biopsy which came back negative for cancer. Diagnosis was inflamed vocal cord possibly due to arthritis. Does anyone have this problem?I think I may have something else besides RA. My liver enzymes are very high, plurisy in the lungs, losing my hair, hoarseness, extreme fatigue and weight gain, rash on my elbows and sometimes redness on my face over my nose, forehead and cheeks, blurred vision.My primary says I need to exercise and diet, then again he said I should ask my husband for a massage when I told him about my hands and feet being stiff!My rheumy said I need to go back to my primary, now my primary wants me to have a colonoscopy done??Needless to say I need a new primary but does anyone have these symptoms?

Second heart attack last week

Al 219 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:33:27 GMT

After only two years I had another heart attack last week. Hurt real bad this time and I think even the paramedics were alittle concerned about getting me to the hospital fast enuff. I have been on daily dose of 5mg of prednisone for at least 3 years could this be the cause? What about enbrel been on that along time also? signed depressed, frustrated and yet gratefulI posted this earlier today but cannot find it, so if you answered previously please do so again.

Pain Thresholds Linked To Inflammation And Sleep Problems In Arthritis Patients

Nikki Lynn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:41:38 GMT

[size=3]ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2009) — Despite recent advances in anti-inflammatory therapy, many rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients continue to suffer from pain. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Arthritis Research & Therapy found that inflammation is associated with heightened pain sensitivity at joint sites, whereas increased sleep problems are associated with heightened pain sensitivity at both joint and non-joint sites.Researchers from the Division of Rheumatology and Pain Management Center of Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Center of the University of Michigan Medical School, assessed experimental pain sensitivity, disease activity, sleep problems and psychiatric distress in 59 women with RA. The researchers used questionnaires to assess the women's sleep problems and psychiatric distress and measured the levels of C-reactive protein as an indicator of disease activity. They also measured pain sensitivity with pressure pain threshold testing at joint and non-joint sites. Lower pain thresholds are indicative of higher pain sensitivity."Sleep problems were inversely associated with pain threshold at all sites, suggesting a defect in central pain processing," state the authors. This finding emphasises the need for research into the mechanisms underlying sleep disorders and pain in RA patients, particularly given the common occurrence of sleeping problems among these patients. This autoimmune disease, causing chronic inflammation, affects nearly 1% of the population and sufferers often report ongoing pain in spite of successful anti-inflammatory treatment."Since differences in pain sensitivity may shape the course of pain complaints and influence treatment decisions, it is important to understand the factors associated with enhanced pain sensitivity," lead author Yvonne Lee says, adding, "Physicians and researchers should consider both inflammatory and non-inflammatory factors when evaluating pain in research settings and in the clinic."[url]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028202812.htm[/url][/size]

Smoking Boosts Genetic Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Nikki Lynn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:44:13 GMT

[size=3]SAN FRANCISCO, June 5 -- Smoking seems to strongly increase rheumatoid arthritis risk among individuals with genetic susceptibility to the disease, researchers found. People with the genotype most linked to rheumatoid arthritis risk in Caucasians roughly doubled their already-elevated chances of developing the disease if they smoked (relative risk 8.7 versus 4.8 for nonsmokers), Emeli Lundström, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues reported. Their study, published in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, revealed interactions with smoking for all distinct allele groups with a shared epitope of amino acid sequences on the DRB1 gene. This gene has been found to have the strongest ties to the 60% of rheumatoid arthritis cases in which anticitrullinated protein autoantibodies are detected, the researchers noted. The shared epitope for DRB1 is involved with antigen binding in the human leukocyte antigen area on the chromosome, and thus may play a role in autoimmune responses characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis. To determine the gene-environment interaction with smoking -- the strongest environmental risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis -- Lundström's group analyzed findings from the large, population-based, case-control Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis study. The analysis included 1,319 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 943 age- and sex-matched controls randomly selected from the Swedish national population registry. Among them, 972 patients and 488 controls tested positive for the shared epitope of interest in the study, with further subtype testing for specific alleles within the DRB1*04 group in 759 of these patients and 328 of the controls. People who smoked at any time in their lives who had any of the SE alleles from the DRB1*04 group were 8.7 times (95% confidence interval 5.7 to 13.1) more likely to have anticitrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis than those who didn't have any of these alleles. [url]http://www.medpagetoday.com/Geriatrics/Arthritis/14577?userid=160941&impressionId=1257143820212&utm_source=mSpoke&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_content=Group1[/url][/size]

Shoe Style Linked to Foot Pain

Nikki Lynn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:39:18 GMT

[size=3]Agony of de feet? Blame it on de shoes.That's the result of a large population-based study of foot pain and shoe style, according to Alyssa Dufour, MA, of the Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, and colleagues.But the finding applies only to women and only to one type of foot pain, Dufour and colleagues said in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research.Women who wore "good" shoes were 67% less likely to develop hindfoot pain than those who wore "average" shoes (P=0.02), they found.Although earlier studies have looked at the influence of footwear on foot problems, most have been small or have focused on people with specific conditions, the researchers said.[url]http://www.medpagetoday.com/Orthopedics/Orthopedics/16183[/url][/size]

DMARDs Offer Cardiac Protection to RA Patients

Nikki Lynn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:33:58 GMT

[size=3]SAN FRANCISCO — [b]The increased risk for cardiovascular disease associated with the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was offset by the protective effects of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs but heightened by prednisolone therapy in a large community-based study.[/b]The study used data on individuals registered in the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database who were treated for rheumatoid arthritis between 1987 and 2002. This period predates the widespread use of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents, so the findings offer no information on whether these agents are protective against cardiovascular disease, Dr. Christopher J. Edwards said at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.The research involved about 35,000 individuals diagnosed with RA and compared their rates of myocardial infarction (as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease) with those of 100,000 matched healthy controls.The incidence of MI in patients with RA was 6.49/1,000 person-years vs. 2.96/1,000 person-years for controls.The incident rate ratio was increased for MI by an RA diagnosis (2.23), according to a Poisson regression analysis.The increased risk persisted even after a multifactor regression analysis controlled for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, including age, BMI, sex, smoking, serum lipid levels, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension.Of the 966 patients with RA who had an MI during the study period, 705 (73%) received treatment with either a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) or prednisolone during that time.Of these 705, a total of 538 took either DMARDs or prednisolone within the 2 months that immediately preceded their MI.The incident rate ratio for MI among patients on either a DMARD or prednisolone, compared with those not on these agents, was 0.94. Further analysis of DMARDs showed that the individual incident rate ratio for hydroxycholoroquine, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine vs. no drug were 0.42, 0.67, and 0.69, respectively. In contrast, use of prednisolone vs. no drug was associated with an incident rate ratio of 1.49. The effect sizes remained similar after controlling for traditional cardiovascular disease risks but were no longer significant.The strong anti-inflammatory effects of DMARDs are the likely explanation of their protective effect against MI, Dr. Edwards said in an interview. Data from a number of trials have shown that these agents lower C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. It is reasonable but still pure conjecture to conclude that lowering CRP levels in RA patients lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Edwards, consultant rheumatologist and senior lecturer at Southampton University Hospital (England).While prednisolone has similarly strong anti-inflammatory effects in RA, these effects do not translate into protection against cardiovascular disease. Prednisolone use is associated with increased blood pressure and serum lipids levels and weight gain, which offset any anti-inflammatory benefits for the cardiovascular system, he continued in the interview.In contrast to data presented by Dr. Edwards, findings from the recent QUEST-RA (Quantitative Patient Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis) study show that prednisolone was protective against cardiovascular disease in RA (Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2007;66:1491–6). As an explanation for the conflicting findings, Dr. Edwards suggested that the difference may be that the patients in the British cohort had earlier RA and were more susceptible to the adverse effects of prednisolone than were the cohort patients in QUEST-RA, all of whom were referred to the study from tertiary care centers with advanced RA.Dr. Edwards reported he has no conflict of interest concerning this research.[/size][url]http://www.rheumatologynews.com/article/S1541-9800(08)70620-3/fulltext[/url]