Odd Looks when you are a Male with RA

So as you sit there with that look of shock on your face in the Rheumatologist Office the question hits you, "What Now?"

You spend hours searching the internet trying to find support groups and find it nearly impossible to find one with any males.  Then you have the funny and often odd looks that you get when you tell someone that you work with when they ask, "What is wrong with your hands, why are they so red and swollen? They look like they are hard to move; are they?"

Then tell them that you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and some of the more common phrases you will here are:

• You can't have that it only happens to old people (Ok, so now 31 is old! Got it) Lets also not forget Juvenille
• I have some of that in my knee from a sports injury (OK, just shake your head and laugh it off because we know it doesn't work that way)
• So if it is just Arthritis why do you look so flush and tired all the time (Another thing to try to explain to your boss when filling out FMLA forms)
• My favorite to deal with being a man is this one, "But that is a women disease, men don't get that!" (For those of use men with RA this is where you just walk away and usually imagine in an very unflattering way of jabbing your rock hard, non flexible, swollen fingers in their eye.

It has not been long since my diagnosis but these are comments I have heard from friends and coworkers.  I pray that one day all of these Auto-immune conditions can be cured and they find the cause. Until that day I will pray and live life to the best that I can. I know I am just begining on this journey, but it is not an easy one. It took me almost 6 months to get the diagnosis after running from doctor to doctor with them trying to figure out what was wrong.

I know it was very Christianly of me to think that the other day about jabbing a coworkers eye with my finger, but I do think that many people do not understand this disease. My Rheumy told me he has a pamphlet that goes with my FMLA form to give to my Manager and Director to explain what this chronic condition really consist of since it can be so misunderstood because of the name.

I thank God for my loving wife and family and know that I am blessed to have her to help me through this. I have made a pact to also be strong for her which has helped me to deal with this even better.

Remember the best and greatest thing to do is surround yourself with loved ones and friends.

I will try to post as often as possible about my journey, but as you all know with RA, especially affecting your hands the intention may be there but not the physicall ability at the time.

Just remember that as soon as you feel well enough to go right back for it and not let it get you down!