Remicade treatments?

Hi Audrey, my name is Louise and you're going through the exact same process I went through when I was diagnosed 15 years ago and I'll be 49 in a few days.  For me the first symptoms were my index fingers and from there in 2 weeks I couldn't walk.  I was immediately sent to an RA doctor who told me over and over..."from here on out your life will be different".  I couldn't imagine what she meant, after all it was just in my fingers.  In no time I knew exactly what she meant.  To look at me no one knows I have RA.  When I relocated to a new state my new Doc thought I had to have been misdiagnosed because I looked too good to be an RA patient.  He took me off of all of my meds and in no time my RA came through.  Luckily we were able to get it back under control quickly.  Notice here I said "we" and not "he".  You are more responsible for your ability to live a full life more so than your doc.  Do the research and take care of yourself.  Don't worry about what anyone else is thinking, they don't live in your skin, you do and the RA is not going to go away.  "From here on out your life will be different".  I stick to a wheat free, dairy free diet,  I REST and I take my meds!  Fatique is the hardest part of this for me too.  I take one weekend day and just crash!  I have too and honestly it's kind of nice.  I'm using Humira 2x per month and celebrex 400mg a day for my RA and that's it.  RA is an aquired taste.  My case was much worse and much more aggressive than my Grandmother's but it's managable because of the tech age we're living in.  I'd jump all over the Remicade if I were you.  It will work.  For the first 2 years of living with this I couldn't wear high heeled shoes...which I loved, but I decided from day one that I wouldn't let RA have me completely and I worked as hard as my docs on my treatment of me.  Today I'm in 3 1/2" to 4" heels everyday of the week.  ACCEPT that this is your life now and be 100% in the know of what's going on with your body and how best to treat it.  Keep a journal of everything because it all tells a story.  An example--I love pasta but it's wheat and I know it will kick up my inflamation, so once in a while I'll have pasta but only on a Friday or Saturday night when I know I can rest the next day...sleep in and take it slow.  I'll do this maybe 4 times a year, but that's it.  Again, stop worrying about what anyone else is thinking, they don't live in your skin.  Put down your blood test results and start working on living with this.  In this day and age it really isn't impossible.  Oh and--find a support group.  I'd die without my support group!  Take care! 

I think you should give the Remicade a try. Does your insurance cover it? I just started on Enbrel. I currently take plaquenil 200 mg 2x a day,methotrexate 2.5 mg 8 pills once a week,folic acid 1mg daily,azulfidine 500 mg 2x a day.I also was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy which may have been caused by the ra and take coreg and altace and lasix.

 

I just take each day as it comes.

My best to you.