RE: MELISSA AND FALLING AND DROPPING THINGS.

March 25, 2005

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 25, 2005