Does the change of seasons affects others as it does me ... ?

I agree with that - and it's hard actually to do otherwise, there's simply not the energy to fight it!  But I'm caught by surprise especially this year.  I thought I was copping out about a month ago warning my volunteer friends that I just might not be available much - and that's what is happening.  Interestingly, though, though I miss some of the activities, I am feeling much more centered being home more.  That part, I love!  My husband and I are now empty-nesters (our daughter is 25), he is also feeling more aches & pains,

though he doesn't have RA, and we're adjusting to the situation.

    Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.  The change of location, climate, scenery must be fascinating - is the hot & humid weather extremely hard to tolerate, I would guess?

Hi - upstate NY is a great place to live in a lot of ways, but the weather is definitely something to contend with, yes!  In CNY you actually get more snow than we do up here. Best wishes for the coming winter! Thanks for writing...

I guess the good part of the news, is that at least now you know what you are dealing with and you don't have to wait 8 more months ... but that is the kind of thing I'm talking about.  You're not alone!  My neck is way off today too - and PT is making it worse not better, despite the fact that the PT people are great.  So - am going for an acupuncture treatment next week.  I had difficulty completing a sentence, and almost mailed my package return to my daughter instead of to the company that sent it!  My poor husband  barbecued this evening while I slept after work (the muscle relaxer only kicked in on the WAY HOME from work!) and I had my veggie burger while he had his regular burgers!  It makes me sad that silence during dinner is the best I could do, other than complaining ... it was a peaceful, companionable silence, except for the drum beat in my head to "just let it be", let go and let God... why spoil a pleasant meal talking about my pain?  I do too much of that to him.

     I worry most right now about over-reacting to my condition and having too many doctor appointments ... but if one is having trouble functioning, is it too many?

    Well, I've kind of gotten off the subject, forgive me!  And I hope you have a good appointment with your rheumy when the time comes.  It's good that you are scheduled soon, and you can still, if you need to, give them a heads-up before then if things get out of hand, just to let them know.  .  .  It may just help to relieve your mind, which can have an effect on what you are feeling, as well.  Thanks for writing and keep in touch! 

    All of these answers have helped me to know, that I (too) am not alone!

Which tendon?      Mine was the PTT - Posterior tibial tendon (on the inside of ankle.)

I think it's the humidity which might determine whether winter and/or summer is bad.  We have very damp winters up here (just south of the Canadian border - we go to Ottawa and Montreal for day trips!) and it seems everyone I know who has been here for decades has sinus problems.  A lot of people have "Forced hot air" heat (no baseboards, just hot dry air blowing) which is really lousy.  Then there are the allergies... more goldenrod every year!  (Yeah, I know, it's the ragweed that's the problem, they say.  Actually it's both. My husband has both the last time he was tests, and it's all in the fields behind our house!)

Before I had RA, one of my best friends had it bad (she's gond now, sadly) and she looked upon our living room humidifier one winter and said with this very tense look on her face, "Could you please turn that thing off?"

   How did your surgeon mess up?  That's terrible!

   Winter Depressions ("SAD" = seasonal affective depression) is not uncommon either.  The winters are so long, you don't have to be officially diagnosed to know what they are talking about!  The joke is, "In Potsdam we have spring, and on that day we play baseball..." or "There are 2 seasons: winter and mud season!"

   I think there are many triggers for RA.  And some people have it focused in hands and ankles, others seem to have generally all-over.  I'll bet the genetics or not has something to do with that distinction.  But that would be a good question for resarch wouldn't it?  Even just a survery ... "are you positive for rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP?  Which joints are most affected, or is it all over?"  Maybe they could do a community poll....

My ankle tendon on the outside.

I have asked at the big hospitals here to do surveys like you have suggested.  They just stare at me in amazement that I should suggest such a thing.

They don't seem to have time and leave all the 'research' to the drug companies and they then just dispense all the drugs, putting us one or another and on and on it goes.

Hospitals are probably not paid to do any 'independent' research and only go on the research from the drug companies.

One Rheumy I had made no bones about it all his funding was from a very large drug company - so I guess that's why he floggs their drugs only ad no independent research.

Could be why we are not advancing very fast.

As soon as I win the Lottery Ellen I'll come over (my Nephew and his wife and child live Toronto) and we'll start our own research on line survey.

Well, hospitals are there to treat people.  They do have plenty to do, and have to worry about surviving budget cuts like everyone else, not to mention states cutting their permission to exist if they are small rural ones like where I live.  Large teaching hospitals often have research going on,but the investigators have to have grants to fund them from outside agencies, usually.

I meant maybe this site could do a community poll, that kind of thing!  Or maybe the Arthritis Foundation...

Ellen - I am with you on this one.

How do we get RA Central to do a Community Poll   ?

Hereditary or Not Hereditary.  If Hereditary do you hate winter most or Summer ?

What do you think cause your Rheumatoid if not hereditary:  Tick Bite, Glandular fever, Chemicals, printing ink, bout of flu of pneumonia   - what ?

Hey again Ellen - Just for interest - I am wondering if all the Hereditary Rheumatoid people are the same blood type  ?

I am A Rh (D) Positive .

What are you ?

I'm O negative.  There goes that theory!

I have never heard of D - maybe it's a terminology thing.

We use A, B, AB and O....   O has neither A nor B.   AB has both.

I don't know about if we can request/suggest a poll, but I'll past the suggestion on to someone who might be able to find out!.

I had to look up glandular fever - turns out it's what we in the US call "Mono", short for mononucleosis, because of what it does to the red blood cells...

There has been some study if there is a connection between Mono & Epstein-Barr virus - sometimes people develop chronic fatigue after they've had EBV (abbrev. for Epstein-Barr)

You know, my fingers are still cold and I can't type right now without making a million mistakes!

More later....