Re: RE: MELISSA AND FALLING AND DROPPING THINGS.

March 26, 2005

Hi Cindi:

I agree whole-heartedly with the importance of a

support group - especially this one. You are right

when you say the doctors should have a list of support

groups to hand out when a diagnosis is made - it took

me a couple of years to find this one too and it has

made a great difference in how I have been able to

cope and understand these diseases. I have told my

doctor several times about things that I have read

here that he is not aware of - guess you can't be up

on everything and run a busy practice - and I have

also taken articles in to him from this group.

I too, have RA, and fibro, and my balance is

definately affected. I drop things very easily - my

daughter had to reach down and pick up change three

times at the store the other day - same transaction

too lol. She just looks at me and shakes her

head....... but she does understand and is a great

help to me with the housework, cooking, and caring for

the horses. My husband and son also pick up after me

often and help me with the heavier things so I don't

drop them. It's all part of the fun of these diseases

....lol.

Kathe in CA

--- Cindi Hein <heinscsf@...> wrote:

>

> DEAR MELISSA,

>

> I HAVE RA, FIBRO AND NEUROPATHY. I NOTICED RIGHT

> IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS JOURNEY, THAT I WOULD HOLD,

> OR THINK I WAS HOLDING SOMETHING AND IT WOULD JUST

> FALL OUT OF MY HANDS. NOW, I KITCHEN DISHES ARE ALL

> BROKEN. THE FEW THAT REMAIN ARE OUT OF MY REACH AND

> REPLACED WITH PLASTIC AND PAPER. I HATE SERVING

> BEAUTIFUL FOOD OR FOOD THAT NEARLY KILLS ME FROM

> PAIN TO COOK, AND SERVE IT PAPER PLATES.

>

> BUT THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS. I ALSO DO FALL,

> ALOT. MY PERCEPTION OF BALANCE HAS CHANGED AND THE

> TERRIBLE PAIN AND WEAKNESS IN BOTH OF MY KNEES AND

> ANKLES PREVENTS ME FROM SITTING OR STANDING WITHOUT

> GREAT EFFORT AND PAIN. IF I WERE ON THE FLOOR, I

> COULD NOT LONGER GET UP WITHOUT HELP. I HAVE A

> SHOWER CHAIR AS WELL. I AM ON MY 4TH YEAR WITH RA

> AND FIBRO AND PN. STAIRS ARE IMPOSSIBLE. I COULD

> NOT EVEN GO AND VISIT MY DUAGHTER AT COLLEGE BECAUSE

> HER APARTMENT HAS TO MANY STAIRS. I HAD TO BET A

> SMALLER BED AND LOWER TO THE GROUND BECAUSE I COULD

> NOT GET IN IT WITHOUT ALOT PAIN. THINGS CHANGE,

> FOR SOME IT IS SLOW, AND YOU GET A CHANCE TO ADJUST.

> FOR ME, IT CAME LIKE A HURRICANE AND THE WHOLE

> FAMILY WAS AFFECTED, THE KIDS IN SHOCK NOT EVEN

> BELIEVING WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME AT FIRST. WE HAD

> TO CHANGE SO MANY THINGS IN THE HOUSE. I HAVE NOT

> BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE A CAR AND I NEVER WILL AGAIN. I

> AM ONLY 45 YEARS OLD.

>

> TO ADJUST TO THIS RAPID DECLINE, MY ONLY REAL HELP

> CAME FROM THIS SUPPORT GROUP AND MY NEUROPATHY

> SUPPORT GROUP. MY DOCTORS HAVE BEEN ZERO HELP. THE

> PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC WAS ZERO HELP. MY

> RHEUMATOLOGIST WAS SOME HELP. SURFING THE WEB

> HELPED. BUT, IN ALL, THESE WONDERFUL, CARING

> PEOPLE RIGHT HERE IS WHAT TAUGHT ME WHAT WAS

> HAPPENING TO ME AT THE TIME AND WHAT WAS GOING TO

> HAPPEN, FROM THOSE WHO WERE AHEAD OF MY ON THE

> JOURNEY.....OTHERWISE, I CAN NOT EVEN IMAGINE WHAT

> WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME AND MY FAMILY. THERE IS

> NOT ENOUGH THAT CAN BE SAID FOR SUPPORT GROUPS. MY

> DOCTOR SHOULD HAVE STEERED ME TO ONE ON MY FIRST

> APPT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND ONE AND TO KNOW TO

> DO SO ON MY OWN......THIS IS A PRIVILEDGE TO BE HERE

> !

>

> GOOD LUCK TO YOU, MELISSA. KEEP POSTING AND ASKING

> QUESTIONS. NO QUESTION IS TOO SMALL. AND SOME

> QUESTIONS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MIGHT THING AT

> THE TIME....

>

> HAVE PFD ! CINDI FROM WI

>

> CINDI

>

> __________________________________________________

>

March 26, 2005