Information and opinions on health from pat at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/531350/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/531350/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/531350/index http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/147300/th Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:39:10 -0500 pat One of the things I will be grateful for this Thanksgiving Day is this site and all of you.  From my heart I ask that  God bless all of you and help you feel better, help your friends and family understand what we are going thru, and may He teach all our doctors to listen and treat with care.    Well, now that the mush is out of the way.....now the complaining.      Just kidding.....though I did want to... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/147300/th http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143783/qu Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:26:40 -0400 pat I signed up on a site to answer a questionnaire on my RA, they advised it was  National Data Bank for Rheumatic Disease and sent out an electronic questionnaire for me to complete.  Their Facebook is "National Data Bank for Rhematic Diseases", their email address is info@arthritisresearch.org.  There is also a web site for questions....http://RheumMD.org.    Seems legit.  Have any of you in this group... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143783/qu http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143673/ra Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:26:11 -0400 pat   This is the second one I have made, better than the first.  The third, etc., will get better.  Just something to make me feel better.  When they start looking less homemade will then start to wear it.  http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143673/ra http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143546/st Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:15:26 -0400 pat Just started my first Actemra infusion second time around.....long drawn out experience, but happy I got started.  My Mother went with me for the infusion and I think it finally dawned on her how I am hurting, and she actually asked questions about RA...she had never before, I believe mistaking it for the OA she is suffering from.  I hope I can report that I am off the prednisone by next month!  will keep you posted....pat http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/143546/st http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/142898/ri Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:37:42 -0400 pat  The Blue Purple ribbon denotes childhood or pediatric stroke and rheumatoid arthritis awareness.Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/awareness/ribbons.php#ixzz1VFJ6MbIa http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/142898/ri http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/142896/ra Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:35:28 -0400 pat I took your advice (all of you wonderful people who dont even know you are my secret support group).  I have been reading you guys for awhile, suffering some, posting some, but gearing up all the while to confront my doctor, ready to change if he did not react as I wanted him to.  I went in yesterday and told him that I wanted to try the other meds again....because I couldn't take it any more.  I had gotten relief with... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/142896/ra http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/126158/rh Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:03:03 -0500 pat For anyone who wants to try Actemra please know that while it worked the first three months I tried it, by the third month I had severe SOB (shortness of breath) that was so bad I ended up in the hospital for 3 days.  They checked EVERYTHING, and wouldn't listen that I had read up that this was one of the reactions they had listed.  Anyway, by the end of the 4th month after initiating Actemra, which meant 30 days without any d__n drug,... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/126158/rh http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/102532/ra Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:27:00 -0500 pat I have RA with OsteoArthritis of the knees on top of it.  I walk with a cane for stability, I am petrified of falling.  My Mother has OA and has broken her hip, replaced both knees, and I remember what she went thru.  Plus, I walk funny because of the RA pain all over (hips, knees, ankles, wrists, fingers - the new medicine regime has not kicked in yet so there is still pain).  There are icy conditions on the street coming in... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/531350/102532/ra