Guest guest Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Ardeith thank you for this its SO true! I've had this disease since I was 14. I had to give up classical violin but I am hopeful that with another surgery maybe I will be able to play again. I know it could have been so much worse and am thankful there are meds available to me! Sent from my treo -----Original Message----- From: " Ardeith " <ardeith@...> Subj: Mostafa.... Date: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:12 pm Size: 15K <Rheumatoid Arthritis > Mostafa wrote: How can I know if i am severe patient? Plus, if I am fine now with the medication I take, this means it will be alright later or maybe in the future I might be on a different state? Ardeith writes: I was diagnosed in 1972.....and I'm quite sure medication is the only reason I can still walk, and can still use my hands for sewing and drawing. RA is an agressive disease and there is no cure. If not treated, it will only get worse and worse. It soundscruel to say it, but you will never get back to the physical condition you had before it began. You asked, " maybe in the future I might be on a different state? " That's right. In the future you will be in a different condition.....maybe in less pain while on medication, maybe in more pain even with medication. Everyone who has RA reacts differently to the medications. What works for one, may not help another person at all. The only thing that is sure for every patient is that without medications, they will become quite crippled by RA. Those of you diagnosed in the last ten years or so have medications available to you that didn't exist when I was diagnosed. You may be able to avoid the fused joints that trouble me. My wrists don't hurt unless I do something stupid like stressing them too much......but they don't bend. It is to be hoped that many of you will not have fused joints. Work on maintaining that flexibility, folks! I don't know how the doctors decide someone has a " severe " condition. Maybe it is called " severe " if more joints are involved every month. I don't know. And I don't know what medications are available to you, Mostafa, where you live. Can you get Celebrex, Humira, Remicade, Enbrel, or any of the other medications that help with inflammation and swelling? Prednisone drugs can help, but over the long term, it can cause weight gain and, eventually, damage your kidneys. Even plain old aspirin can help....but can cause stomach ulcers and other problems. Nothing invented so far can ever un-fuse my joints, so I do not cling to a fantasy dream that someday I'll be completely cured.....it is not going to happen. I simply do the best I can to created beautiful things for my family and friends so that they will have that to remember me by, instead of remembering how crippled I really am. It's frustrating for me to know I will never be able to type fast enough to get a job using that skill. Nor can I stay on my feet for more than a few minutes at a time. This closes the door on many jobs I might otherwise be good at. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for a man who could use his body to make a living....as in any sort of construction work. My greatest sympathy goes to those who used to be able to play any sort of musical instrument and now cannot.....at least I'm spared that grief. And it is a grieving we do.....even if we don't call it that. Ardy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Ardeith You have such away with words , yes it is strange how this diease seems to treat each one so distinctly even in this day and age . I really miss my caree so much and it is so odd some days I can hardly walk with my knees then others it's like there's nothing even wrong with them unless I get on them ? the rest of the body is a differant story LOL . but I will not ramble today I've been in the dumps for quite awhile now and it was good to read your post , you have such a good out look on things you remind me of my grand mother thanks and God Bless you dear. ----- Original Message ----From: "gwenorel@..." <gwenorel@...>Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 9:48:00 PMSubject: Re: Mostafa.... Ardeith thank you for this its SO true! I've had this disease since I was 14. I had to give up classical violin but I am hopeful that with another surgery maybe I will be able to play again. I know it could have been so much worse and am thankful there are meds available to me!Sent from my treo-----Original Message-----From: "Ardeith " <ardeith3oaks (DOT) com>Subj: [rheumatoid_ arthritis] Mostafa....Date: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:12 pmSize: 15K<rheumatoid_arthriti sgroups (DOT) com>Mostafa wrote: How can I know if i am severe patient? Plus, if I am fine now with the medication I take, this means it will be alright later or maybe in the future I might be on a different state?Ardeith writes: I was diagnosed in 1972.....and I'm quite sure medication is the only reason I can still walk, and can still use my hands for sewing and drawing. RA is an agressive disease and there is no cure. If not treated, it will only get worse and worse. It soundscruel to say it, but you will never get back to the physical condition you had before it began. You asked, "maybe in the future I might be on a different state?" That's right. In the future you will be in a different condition... ..maybe in less pain while on medication, maybe in more pain even with medication. Everyone who has RA reacts differently to the medications. What works for one, may not help another person at all. The only thing that is sure for every patient is that without medications, they will become quite crippled by RA. Those of you diagnosed in the last ten years or so have medications available to you that didn't exist when I was diagnosed. You may be able to avoid the fused joints that trouble me. My wrists don't hurt unless I do something stupid like stressing them too much......but they don't bend. It is to be hoped that many of you will not have fused joints. Work on maintaining that flexibility, folks!I don't know how the doctors decide someone has a "severe" condition. Maybe it is called "severe" if more joints are involved every month. I don't know. And I don't know what medications are available to you, Mostafa, where you live. Can you get Celebrex, Humira, Remicade, Enbrel, or any of the other medications that help with inflammation and swelling? Prednisone drugs can help, but over the long term, it can cause weight gain and, eventually, damage your kidneys. Even plain old aspirin can help....but can cause stomach ulcers and other problems. Nothing invented so far can ever un-fuse my joints, so I do not cling to a fantasy dream that someday I'll be completely cured.....it is not going to happen. I simply do the best I can to created beautiful things for my family and friends so that they will have that to remember me by, instead of remembering how crippled I really am. It's frustrating for me to know I will never be able to type fast enough to get a job using that skill. Nor can I stay on my feet for more than a few minutes at a time. This closes the door on many jobs I might otherwise be good at. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for a man who could use his body to make a living....as in any sort of construction work. My greatest sympathy goes to those who used to be able to play any sort of musical instrument and now cannot.....at least I'm spared that grief. And it is a grieving we do.....even if we don't call it that. Ardy Access over 1 million songs - Music Unlimited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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