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Untitled Comment
Lene Andersen
Monday, February 16, 2009 at 12:15 PMre: Untitled Comment
joy
Monday, February 16, 2009 at 04:05 PMthank you lene i know i need to make a list of questions for my doctor i always have a list in my head then i forget half of them or all of them because of the questions he ask me. i really hope i start to feel better soon i am getting so depressed. so thanks again.
re: re: Untitled Comment
Lene Andersen
Monday, February 16, 2009 at 07:05 PMWeird. I don't know why the link shows up in an unrelated sentence up there....
Depression is a very normal reaction to high doses of a chronic illness and I'd highly recommend that you find yourself a counselor who can help you get through the first grieving, as well as help you develop coping mechanisms that can be useful not just now, but for the rest of your life. Any counselor is probably good, but if you can find one that works in cognitive therapy, go with that. Cognitive therapy helps you change the way you think and the key to survival with RA is being able to switch perspective.
Having a chronic, unpredictable and painful disease like RA makes you feel out of control and not feeling in control make you depressed. It's therefore important to find little ways of asserting control in your daily life - every time you find one way of controlling aspects of your life, you get a step further down the road to feeling in control in general. One of the ways in which you can do this is to prepare an agenda of sorts for your doctor's appointments. Writing down questions and issues you want to discuss this in the days leading up to your appointment ensures that you won't forget anything once you're there and it puts you in control instead of the doctor. And that's the other thing that's important to remember: you are in control. It is your body, your disease and you make the decisions. The doctors are highly qualified experts who advise you, but you are in charge.
I've written a few posts that I think you might find helpful, not just the Beginners Guide to RA series (you can find links to all my posts by clicking on my name), but interviews with the authors of two books in particular that you may want to find that the library. There is the interview with M.E.A. McNeil, author of The First Year - Rheumatoid Arthritis: an Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (an incredibly helpful guide that covers everything) and an interview with Richard Cohen, who wrote Strong at the Broken Places, also a very helpful book, but from a slightly different perspective.
Hang in there. You'll figure out how to live with this.
re: re: re: Untitled Comment
joy
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 09:09 AMthanks again i'm gonna look today for someone to talk to. i will call my insurance company. i know i will be okay i just dont know this new person i am and i know i need to be patient. i'm not use to be the one that cant do anything i always took care of everyone and everything and i am so thankful for this site because no understands than you just don't want to talk to any friends or family they dont get it. i have ra in just about all my joints i know i need to be positive and i will be.
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Untitled Comment
RAFORLIFE
Monday, February 16, 2009 at 06:06 PMHi , My name is Rich and I am 42yrs "young" I've had RA for about 5 yrs or so it took a number of yrs to figure out what it was and it has taken longer to find the right meds. I have RA in my hands ....it sux . I been on this new drug called Orencia its an infusion that goes directly into your bloodstream thru IV . It has loosened up my hands put still painful. This take a number of months to start feeling better, it is working for me and I just have to be paitient, so please be paitient to . There is alot of drugs out there and you just have to go thru a lot to see which best takes care of your systems , and also you have to be careful of the side affects. I used to love lifting weights hopefully I will be able to do something like that in the near future. Enbril didnt work. Also I wear Arthritis gloves with fingers cut-off you can get them on line , it keeps my hands/knucles warm . Any other questions please email me , This is my email address my sound a little off but I hope you find the right meds for you .
Rich
re: Untitled Comment
joy
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 09:20 AMthanks rich were the same age and your right young but i feel 80 at times. do you get sick from the orencia? my dr. said he would like to try humira after the methox. i don't mind trying anything as long as we find something that will work. i just want to feel like me again even if its not 100% me i'll take 75% back. i do get alittle scared of the side effects of all these meds but i know i got to use them. thanks
re: re: Untitled Comment
RAFORLIFE
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 12:47 PMi do get a little headache but as long as im seing improvements i can deal with it . Just stay positive it may take some time. As I always say things could also be worse like I know someone with really bad deformaties in her hands and feet because of Arthritis...so just stay strong , we all have our bad and "badder" days but there is meds out there that hopefully will work for us .
I also have a great supportave wife who will do whatever it takes to help me out and take care of me .
Richi
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fatigue
hcastillo
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 10:05 PMThe first thing i noticed while taking metho was my energy level. I saw a dramatic difference in that before it did anything for the pain and swelling. Hope you will see a difference soon.
re: fatigue
joy
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 09:39 AMthanks i will be taking my 4th dose tomorrow i did notice that i havent been as tired this week but your right the pain is still there i am still trying to uderstand ra and i am still learning about ra its the flare ups that i didnt understand but i think i do now and i think on my 2nd dose of metho i was having a flare that knocked me on my butt i just couldnt function and it lasted a week i also notice stress really effects ra i can feel it the second i get stressed anyway thanks again
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That does sound like a typical experience of RA in a flare. The good news is that once the medication takes effect - which with methotrexate can take section for people who have been newly diagnosed with RAtwo months or so - you start feeling better. You will likely still experience fatigue for a few days after taking the methotrexate, but the rest of the time, you should be able to lead a fairly normal life. Once your disease is suppressed, that feeling of wearing a soggy, heavy blanket will disappear and your pain levels should become manageable, although you may still need a prescription painkiller. You may want to check out our section for people who have been newly diagnosed with RA for more information and tips and tricks on how to manage the disease. And lastly, keep in mind that your rheumatologist is there to help you, so if you have any questions or concerns about the disease, your experience of it or how long it's taking for the meds to work, ask your doctor.