I've been gone a while now. About five months to be exact! A lot has happened to me in that time frame. I was fired from my job for having RA! Can you believe that? Of course the company claimed "downsizing" because firing anyone for a medical condition is ILLEGAL. DUH!
But an interesting thing has happened since losing my job. My RA has settled down. And by settled down I mean become almost asymptomatic! Huh? Really? I'm floored!
I think one thing that helped was Cymbalta. My pain doctor started me on that back in March, before I lost my job. Not only did it make it easier to cope with losing my job, but it also eased a lot of my aches and pains stemming from things other than RA.
The other big thing was the reduction in my stress level! Being home and not working for three months some might consider stressful, but once I was out of the awful company environment I had been working in, my flares settled down immediately! I'm completely amazed!
I have found a new job, one that is much more me and at a company much, much better than my old place! I'm in an internationally diverse environment, with a lot of really nice, fun co-workers, who aren't jealous of me because I speak a second language and who have enough work to do that they don't waste time sticking their noses into other people's business.
So life is good again! I'm not going to say that I'm completely pain free, because I'm not. I still wake up in the mornings with my hands and feet swollen and painful. But compared to what I was living with before, it's much more tolerable and the symptoms seem to ease more quickly than before!
It's kind of strange for me, because I haven't been taking my Methotrexate, nor have I had a Remicade infusion since 4/27 (I lost my health insurance and couldn't afford the meds anymore). But I'm feeling better. What a conundrum. But a good dilemma to have, I think!
I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you!
Sunshine
Hi, Shine,
Happy to hear from you and know you are okay. Sorry to hear you lost your job, but sounds as though you are okay now with your new work. Do you have your health insurance back? I'm just hoping you can see your rheumy soon.
I don't know the answer about the improvement in your symptoms, except RA does ebb and flow. Sometimes it is awful and sometimes it behaves. It is still important to see your doc and take DMARDs to slow down the joint desctruction.
We have one memeber who really didn't have all that much pain for years. She was Dx with RA and treated herself with OTC meds. Eventually, she started having a lot of hip and foot pain. Now she needs a hip replacement and her foot is really a mess from all the inflammation.
Not trying to rain on your parade, Shine. Just want you to be aware that RA can still destroy your joints and affect your mobility even when it isn't causing that much pain. Please let us know how you are doing.
Blessings,
V
Hey V!
So glad to hear from you! Oh don't worry, I'm still taking my meds! I'm on Methotrexate, Remicade and Cymbalta (for musculoskeletal pain separate from RA).
I'm feeling pretty well. I still have a lot of pain and stiffness in the mornings, and still have to take Vicodin quite a bit (but I don't need as big a dose to control my pain, which is good!)
How are you doing? Do you now consider yourself as having RA? Or is your doc still clinging to the previous diagnosis?
I know that stress was a HUGE part of my problem! I hated that job I got fired from. The people were nasty and mean, and there wasn't enough work for me to do. So losing that job was basically a blessing in disguise! I'm so much happier where I am now! The job is better and the people are better! Woo hoo!
How are the kitties? Hope everyone is well. My black Lab has Leukemia. So he's starting medication orally. Hopefully he'll respond and we won't need to do any actual IV chemo.
Peace to you and I'm glad to see you,
Amy
Hello, Miss Amy! So happy to hear you are on your meds. Sorry about the Lab. How old is he/she? My kitties are fine...in fact I am introducing Ted and K.C., my inisde kitties, to Callie, my outside kittie, who doesn't want to be an outside kitty anymore! I have a baby gate up so they can get to know each other before I bring Callie in full time. All three were strays, but they are my babies now.
I saw a new rheumy, Amy, and she Dx Seronegative RA without hesitation. Of course by the time I saw her, I could barely walk. My elbows, ankles, shoulders, knees, wrists and hands were swollen. I am on MTX, Celebrex, Prednisone and Tamadol for pain. I am very blessed to have found a good doc. My xrays show "typical RA erosions", so she was right in her diagnosis.
Glad you kicked that job to the curb. Stress just makes everything so much worse. Take care, Amy, and keep in touch!
V