Well, Hi Amy~! In return, I welcome your response, my first, on this friendly, informative board..

Would you believe I had just read through quite a few shareposts this evening and I'd actually bookmarked your comments to return to, only moments before checking my  messages

Fancy that ...LOL.

When I came upon this site through my google search I hadn't even taken the time to read any messages; I just decided I'd become a member right away without realizing what a really great place I'd discovered.

Am kinda 'blown-away' realizing just how much brave suffering you and so many afflicted souls are going through.

Yeah, sure I had/have pain also but the odd part of it is , I've never enjoyed very good health throughout most of my life anyway so when this latest pain began a few years after my H-A I thought well ...fiddle, something new to deal with, crappo~!

So, I was doing pretty well at tolerating it all until I began to find myself  'sitting' down in the aisles of Walmart, like in the cereal lane trying to reach for the cornflakes.

Then, realizing I was rather stuck, crawling around to pull myself back up by shelves to rise to the cart.

Like, "Excuse me folks, but I seem to have a real problem with this aging thingy."

I had always heard that aging wasn't for sissies so I continued to just tuff it out  ...

until finally nothing, certainly not "Ache-On' rub or *whatever it's called, was easing my painful, stiff joints any.

So, yep, off to the clinic. Now, I arrive right here amidst this large group of folks trying everything from A2Z in search of relief and mercy. It seems that at least I'm in great company!

Life is an experience, huh?

*I'll still get some photo's posted hopefully within a day or so. Jake's back from a 3-day road trip tonite and finally to help me but, he crashed out early. Wish I could.

It's always more personal to talk to at least an image when possible.

Goodnite, Amy ~ Goodnite all.

P.S. I'd love to share a little more about our 'Petting Zoo'  ...another time.

But, Hey, are we only supposed to talk about RA here? I mean I don't know yet.

"Oh, joy in the morning, huh?" Be almost a comfort to think that we're just falling apart because maybe we didn't pamper ourselves during our early years, huh? Something like ..."Maybe I'm making to much of this, just over-reacting to these pains, it's all in my head. The stiffness prolly is caused by my bumpy 'travels' thru life or on the Harley? I can't be 'really, really sick' ~!?

Can I??

Well, maybe so. I had my big, ol' bad H-A at Lowes Building Center which happened to be five blocks away from a very well respected hospital. I was actually brought back around three times that same day before it was finally thumbs up for me.

"Tuff to be good; but it's good to be tuff" ...lol.

Had it occurred while I was home alone I'd bet I wouldn't be chattin' away here right now. Home for us, is about a 40 mile drive from the hospital. Anyway, friend, palps and flutters don't seem to suggest an impending H-A to me but it's sure best to have something such as this checked out. *And, oh please, if you smoke rise above this addiction asap. I smoked for 47 years~! If I hadn't insisted on bad habits I may not have clogged my arteries to the point of near death and I might could even avoided this RA curse. I don't think most people know that women who smoke have a death rate of 50% with the very first attack. That's bad odds. Plus, 50% of those female survivors won't see it through the first year!!!

If your overweight the chances may drop down even less. *(congrats to you on your loss.)

This is an RA site I know but this is something worth mentioning to all methinks.

As far as better/worse days, you mention, I can identify. That's why I didn't catch on that there might be something really wrong with me for so long.

At times I thought I'd never see morning because my chest ached so badly, among the other things like the pain/stiffness thingy.

Next day? Hey, decent, again, feel relatively normal. Forget it must be unimportant. ~Guess I was wrong.

I'm wondering also what kind of day I'll be having when I go to my appointed Rheumy. Don't know which to hope for. Very uptight about having strong drugs prescribed right away but what if I shy away from that idea and I realize later I waited to long to act upon the warning my body gave me. Do you fear this too? Apparently we're not alone in our terrible apprehension. I think we're all certainly people of great courage and/or faith in that we face our fears head with bravery and dignity.

Seems we do not have the option of going to a big Cancer Center, We're a small group scattered across the world it appears. We're joined together on message boards so as to boister each others spirit while we drop tears on our keyboards because only we, the suffering of this RA understand the physical and emotional pain we are enduring. It's unexplainable to others. But, we still laugh and joke around with each other; which surely is good. We're still on this side of the turf and it appears from many posts we've clung to our sense of humor.

So, the claim is that the RA afflicted are a mere 1% of the population. That amazes me. I've only been a member here at RACentral for less than two weeks and seems I'm seeing worried, questioning, newly dx'd folks joining every few days! Somebody needs to close the gate! Poor peeps are starting to tumble in.

My apologies, I've went on a ramble it looks like, longer then I'd intended, please keep in touch and we'll dare to compare our troubles and treatments.

And, ...as your able *Remember: "Get your motor runnin', get out on the highway; keep lookin' for adventure or whatever comes your way."

Ride easy. Goodnight. Good dreams.

Well, 'Geez, Louise' Spirit Gal~! Neither one of us seems to have a great 'rosy' future grinning upon us, do we? I know we're suppose to try to reflect a sunny outlook here ...but, I mean, if a bird plops poop down on me I might firstly, frown, then giggle over the incident and then next proceed to wipe it off. However, If an elephant soars overhead and drops a quantum load on me, firstly, it would be hard for me to believe it'd happened, secondly, I would think what a hell of a mess I'm getting buried under and thirdly, I may soon begin to realize I may not be able to dig my way up and over so much shit!!! <-- *Is that word going to get me in trouble here?? Too late now. LOL.

Like yourself (you, kitty-Spirit and surely many others too) we can  say we've faced some rough challenges in the past. Plus, the real 'bummer' ..is it ain't gonna get 'very' over tomorrow either. 

We all realize this truth after awhile.

Spirit, I've about read myself blind over these past few weeks to learn what I felt I needed to know to make decisions I knew I'd be forced to make soon.

I can tell you this, that as I become more 'wizened' about RA and the further complications/threats it imposes when combining my other health problems, meds/treatments, I'm becoming more accepting of my own mortality.

I faced 'the end of my journey' in 2003 when I had my major heart-attack. I wasn't afraid then, I'm not afraid now. I feel concerned about the care of my pet-kidz that I so cherish but I know my hubby and son would rise to the occasion and care for them all the best they could.

I do not feel horrible dread and terror at the thought of making my exit, if anything, I feel grateful and a little amazed by the passing of so many years of living  ..anything pass 30 always seemed like a bonus to me ...LOL.

Please, understand this; I'm NOT 'giving up'  ..not at all, but I am a realist. I feel like I shouldn't just take my time left on earth for granted. Bad days are rotten, the good days, well, they're good!

I hope that I do some good with those days; even a little good is still good~right?!

*Please, I would like everyone reading my words to know that as of yet, I am most fortunate that my RA is still at a more tolerable level than some others. Also, it should be expressed that I'm an aged woman, not 'reeal' old but yes, aged. It perhaps is much more difficult to be in the prime of your lives and endure this awful affliction. To you, Spirit54 and to everyone suffering, I feel heartfelt empathy.  May the cure we all pray for be available and affordable someday soon. GN~

*well, here goes, I shall bravely post this now before I change my mind.

Hi-ya TinGal !

It's nice to hear from you. So now ... your confirmed to have a life-long shadow-buddy (?) hovering over your shoulder. Name?: RA. But. ~You officially have become a member of an exclusive club. Me Too.  Well, sorta. (I'll explain in a minute).

You do know, of course our dues to belong to this elite RA club will not be just monetary (meds) but, we shall have to prove out to be tough enuf to endure whatever it is that RA brings to our minds and bodies. The membership dues are pricey. Well, no mind; we're in.  

I've had me quite a few weeks since my PCP first phoned me with the news of this 'thing'  he found through my bloodtest. We shared quite a lengthy talk in his office on my return visit. *This was after, I decided to cancel the Rheumatologist appointment he'd scheduled for me. I thought perhaps that he'd be upset about that but I explained why and he was understanding.

I asked him just how certain he was that I was truly afflicted with RA. He told me he felt very little doubt. He couldn't tell me what else might be involved beside RA but I told him that didn't concern me anyway. I could either go spend 20 to 30 minutes with a Rheumatologist that would charge me $300. to even discuss my ailments with me, then put me through a bunch of time-comsuming, costly tests or accept the fact that I've got RA+, indeed.

Next, I did a fair amount of exploring the web about this disease before making decisions about what I should do; what felt right for me. I weighed my worries and anxieties about the usual routine meds that are prescribed for RA against my pains, my limitations and also took into consideration the mixing of my H-A meds with new RA drugs. Tin, I'm not that ready yet. The Eagles sang a song that rewinds through my mind "Take It To The Limit; One More Time." Thatsa wat I'm gonna do. That's what's right for me.

I know RA progresses. I know I have to ask for help now getting up if I lower, I know my eyes are failing, etc. and I know what it's like to feel like Mount Vesuvius is trying to erupt through my skin at times but I eat well, take a Tylenol or drink a couple of wine coolers because for me  "I'm not that ready to take the plunge into the unknown." YET.

I'm glad to read that we're all finding our own way through this disease. We are each individuals. That we are joined together here and sharing experiences is a very special thing ..to me. We're a caring, considerate clique, if you will.

Perhaps, we are the wind beneath each other's wings.

*It's wonderful that you, yourself girl, will soon go 'cruising' carefreely into the winds of the earth. How exillerating. God Speed.

                                              I remain, SherOnTheLake

My wonderful mother has now been chosen to live a pain free life in heaven. I don't feel bad for her. I do feel bad that I myself have lost my cherished and remarkable friend and mother. I am grateful that she was able to make friends on this site and share her life with so many. The cats are now mine and her husbands to care for. We are not as obsessed with their care as she was but they are still loved and have their basic needs met.

Her stress and worries and never slow down attitude led to her leaving far too soon.