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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/12/2008 3:34:50 P.M. Central Daylight Time,

s.p5315@... writes:

>I am glad that you are doing so well. I know you must have been

really depressed at first.

I have been fighting with myself lately at staying positive. I

believe I am in for a big change really soon.

Thanks for the positive input. We all need it at times.>

I dont' think I've been depressed about it. I was so glad to get the

diagnosis. My primary care doc kept telling me I was wrong about it being

systemic

and that I just had osteo arthritis. So I was so grateful that the rheum.

listened to me, took me serious and found the problem.

I'm also grateful that this happened to me at a time when there are drugs to

keep joint damage from happening. I'm 64. If I had been diagnosed as a child

or young adult, I might be disfigured. And that I'm at an age where I don't

have young children to look out for. During the three months I took off, if I

felt fatigued, I laid down. If my house doesn't get cleaned, it doesn't get

cleaned. I do what I can. It could be so much worse.

dd

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

[Guest guest]

dd,

I am glad that you are doing so well. I know you must have been

really depressed at first.

I have been fighting with myself lately at staying positive. I

believe I am in for a big change really soon.

Thanks for the positive input. We all need it at times.

Shirley

>

> I was diagnosed in April of this year. I was put on 25 mg of

prednisone

> right away and the Mtx when the blood tests came back.

>

> I take my Mtx on Monday and expected to feel crappy on Tuesday.

But on

> Thursday of the first week, I was still sick. So I took a 3 month

FMLA -- medical

> leave.

>

> When it was up, I went back to work and the first couple of weeks,

I was

> moving pretty slowly. Gradually, I got back the energy and now am

moving like I

> was before my flare. I actually work two part time jobs -- one I

love and

> have kept doing, but just cutting down on activity. The other one

is the one

> I'm talking about.

>

> So even if you can't work today, it doesn't mean that you have to

stop

> working. But you may need to try a leave and see how it goes.

>

> dd

>

>

>

> **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new

fashion blog,

> plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

> (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

dd,

I hear you, loud and clear.

Shirley

>

> In a message dated 9/12/2008 3:34:50 P.M. Central Daylight Time,

> s.p5315@... writes:

>

> >I am glad that you are doing so well. I know you must have been

> really depressed at first.

> I have been fighting with myself lately at staying positive. I

> believe I am in for a big change really soon.

> Thanks for the positive input. We all need it at times.>

>

> I dont' think I've been depressed about it. I was so glad to get

the

> diagnosis. My primary care doc kept telling me I was wrong about

it being systemic

> and that I just had osteo arthritis. So I was so grateful that

the rheum.

> listened to me, took me serious and found the problem.

>

> I'm also grateful that this happened to me at a time when there

are drugs to

> keep joint damage from happening. I'm 64. If I had been diagnosed

as a child

> or young adult, I might be disfigured. And that I'm at an age

where I don't

> have young children to look out for. During the three months I

took off, if I

> felt fatigued, I laid down. If my house doesn't get cleaned, it

doesn't get

> cleaned. I do what I can. It could be so much worse.

>

> dd

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new

fashion blog,

> plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

> (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm thankful that I didn't get RA until I was past 60, also. That was

seven years ago, when I was 62. My children were already long grown and

gone. I'm thankful that Enbrel works so well for me. I'm also thankful

that I'm retired and can sleep as late as I want to in the morning.

Sue

On Friday, September 12, 2008, at 05:28 PM, dgd301@... wrote:

> I'm also grateful that this happened to me at a time when there are

> drugs to

> keep joint damage from happening. I'm 64. If I had been diagnosed as a

> child

> or young adult, I might be disfigured. And that I'm at an age where I

> don't

> have young children to look out for.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm a 30 year old Chef & I've had RA for nearly 4 years now. It first

started 2 weeks after I had started a new job. It was originally

thought to be a viral arthritis, like Ross River or Barmah forest. By

the 3rd month I was in A LOT of pain. I was living in Single persons

quarters on site & had to sleep at the desk because I couldn't lie down

on my back or shoulders. I was getting about 2 hours of sleep a night.

That increased to 4 when I saw my then GP (in tears!) & he prescribed

sleeping tablets.

By the 4th month I was scooting to the toilet(first thing in

the morning) on my bottom because my feet & knees where so swollen & it

took my 4-5 hrs to be ready for work.

But work I did. Why?, I think for several reasons. I am

severely hearing impaired & I'm use to adversity. I've been told all my

life that I will be packing shelves or weaving baskets yet I've become

a chef. I've grown up in a disadvantaged enviroment as well, rural

Australia, & my father was killed in a vehicle accident when I was 2

yrs old. I guess that has developed a bit of a stubborn & maybe

sligthly rebellious streak!

I always take each day as it comes, even when I was well. I take

enjoyment out of little things, especially nature & my enviroment. I

think attitude plays a huge part in being able to continue work. I have

learnt a lot of new ways to do things & I plan my days so that each

moment is used effiecently (spelling?).

With my first flare I was in denial. The Rhuemy I saw prescribed

Sulfasalazinne but I didn't take it. He didn't tell me what it was for

& when i read the side effects & decided that because I was getting

better (at that point) there was no need.

I enjoyed 6 months of remission from RA which lasted until October

last year. A knee I " twisted " at work turned out to be RA rearing its

ugly head. After being " treated " for the " knee injury " for 6 months it

(the knee) decided to clear for a week & then the other knee flared,

quickly followed by my wrists. I went straight to my " Quack " & demanded

a referral to a Rhuemy who turned out to be that same one as before.

3 months later I had my first appointment & I'm seeing him

this coming friday to follow up on my new drug regime (Sulfasalazine-

again, prednisone-5mg & Diclofenac- which is what my GP treated my " knee

injury with after the Brufen didn't work)

I recently resigned from my job catering for the mines. No more

graveard shifts, 10 hour days & 2 weeks away from home at a time. I've

started a new job in my home town which has a max. of 40 hrs, 5 days a

week. I happier & the Sulfa is really starting to kick in now so I'm

feeling really good.

I have become a bit more selfish. I know that in order to be able to

give I need to take a little more " me " time. I say 'No' more now

The type of work you do is a factor too. I know that I need to start

opening new doors for when I am no longer physically capable of being a

Chef fulltime. I've started looking at study towards other career paths.

It's also important, I think, to remain as pyhsical as possible. " Use

it or loss it " . I lost a lot of condition last flare so I ride when I

can't walk & lift weights (especially when I can't ride or walk).

I'm ranting a bit here, lol.

I hope this helps some

Sharon of OZ

>

>

> I just signed on to this group, but I was diagnosed with RA about 5

years ago and I know I had it for a while before that, but it kept

getting misdiagnosed. I work full-time but right now I am wondering

how long I can continue because it is getting more difficult each