Hey fellow PSers. I thought I would start a thread on Rheumatoid arthritis. A place where any of you that suffer from it, can share their experiences, ask questions and generally vent about living life with a disease that you know has no cure.
I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. In a few short months I went from having almost no symptoms to getting really sick. I was exhausted all the time, to the point that I would start a task like washing, cleaning etc, and fall into a crying heap on the floor as I was so tired. My joints started hurting, and as a scientist, I knew something was wrong. My doc sent me off for tests and when I called up for them, the silly receptionist told me that I would have to see a doctor, she couldn''t disclose my results as they were abnormal as my Rheumatoid factor was very high. I am no idiot, that can only mean one of a few things and coupled with my symptoms I just knew what the diagnosis would be. I still remember sitting in the Rheumatologists office when he confirmed the diagnosis, I felt numb, it hadn''t really sunk in. It didn''t really hit me until I dropped into my parents place and Mum opened the door, took one look at my face and burst into tears. I think she blamed herself. It wasn''t her fault of course. That''s just life. That was the hardest thing about having it, telling my parents.
I was put onto 20mg methotrexate a week and my symptoms are fantastic now. I occasionally get a flare up, but I have learnt that it''s a disease that you have to manage, not just medicate. I have learnt the hard way, when to rest when I am tired, to get plenty of sleep and look after myself. My FI has been an amazing source of strength, he always looks after me. He will get up in the middle of the night to get me meds, find a hot water bottle and just generally pick up the slack when I am down. Most of the time I forget I have it, until my joints get niggly or I get really really tired for no good reason, and then I remember to take it easy or I am in for a big flare.
For those of you that have RA or any other autoimmune disorder, don''t ignore the signs. Find out what''s wrong straight away and don''t be afraid to ask for help when you are unwell.
Looking back, I realise that the disease was active a few years before I found out. The constant tiredness, the need for Nanna naps after only a few hours of work or school, the constant illness, getting run down easy etc etc, these are all signs. I was convinced I was a hypocondriac, it was actually a relief to have someone say, You have ....... At least I didn''t feel like a loser, or a constant winger, there was a reason.
Phew, I didn''t mean for this post to get so long or serious. Please share if you want to. We are all friends here!
I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. In a few short months I went from having almost no symptoms to getting really sick. I was exhausted all the time, to the point that I would start a task like washing, cleaning etc, and fall into a crying heap on the floor as I was so tired. My joints started hurting, and as a scientist, I knew something was wrong. My doc sent me off for tests and when I called up for them, the silly receptionist told me that I would have to see a doctor, she couldn''t disclose my results as they were abnormal as my Rheumatoid factor was very high. I am no idiot, that can only mean one of a few things and coupled with my symptoms I just knew what the diagnosis would be. I still remember sitting in the Rheumatologists office when he confirmed the diagnosis, I felt numb, it hadn''t really sunk in. It didn''t really hit me until I dropped into my parents place and Mum opened the door, took one look at my face and burst into tears. I think she blamed herself. It wasn''t her fault of course. That''s just life. That was the hardest thing about having it, telling my parents.
I was put onto 20mg methotrexate a week and my symptoms are fantastic now. I occasionally get a flare up, but I have learnt that it''s a disease that you have to manage, not just medicate. I have learnt the hard way, when to rest when I am tired, to get plenty of sleep and look after myself. My FI has been an amazing source of strength, he always looks after me. He will get up in the middle of the night to get me meds, find a hot water bottle and just generally pick up the slack when I am down. Most of the time I forget I have it, until my joints get niggly or I get really really tired for no good reason, and then I remember to take it easy or I am in for a big flare.
For those of you that have RA or any other autoimmune disorder, don''t ignore the signs. Find out what''s wrong straight away and don''t be afraid to ask for help when you are unwell.
Looking back, I realise that the disease was active a few years before I found out. The constant tiredness, the need for Nanna naps after only a few hours of work or school, the constant illness, getting run down easy etc etc, these are all signs. I was convinced I was a hypocondriac, it was actually a relief to have someone say, You have ....... At least I didn''t feel like a loser, or a constant winger, there was a reason.
Phew, I didn''t mean for this post to get so long or serious. Please share if you want to. We are all friends here!
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