I've had RA and fibro for five years this coming April...been a long, sometimes very frustrating ride!...Happened to me "overnight" -- one day I was an active, outgoing woman; the next I was pretty much bedridden with what seemed like the worst "flu" imaginable...

After several years of medication adjustments, lifestyle adjustments, and learning the hard lessons of patience, I'm doing okay...my life has changed a lot, I've had to give up working outside of the home and a few other activities I loved like heavy-duty gardening and such...but overall, life is still good...I've learned to focus more on what I can do, than what I can no longer do...I try and keep a balance between activity and rest; really hard for me and really important for anyone with RA...overdo the activity one day and I pay in the days following!

Currently my meds are Humira, methotrexate, Cymbalta, Plavix, folic acid, Vicodin HP, prilosec, vasotec, calcium supplement, probiotic, Ambien CR....so far, so good for about a year now...

Prior to these meds I had to take a lot of prednisone, which eventually caused a minor stroke, kidney stones, weight gain of about 50 lbs., and high blood pressure...the stroke scared me; the rheumy and changed the meds and I've been doing well for over a year now...hopefully, that will continue, but you never know with RA - so I just keep my faith in God and try to keep my sense of humor and take one day at a time!