Good Morning...

[Guest guest]

Good Morning fellow RA family members.

As you know, I don't get to post much anymore but want you all to know...I am

still here and quietly supporting everyone with not just prayers but love and

understanding. I always feel the support from the group even though some do not

even know that I am here.....the energy that flows from the RA family is

tremendous.

Tess: I was so hoping your new opportunity would go further than it did,

however, maybe the opportunity was not for giving you a job but for allowing you

to realize that you do have worth after all these years of being imprisoned with

your pain and forced to withdraw from the " normal " things in life. I told you

years ago, I recognized the free spirit in you and now that you are in a

position to release it....I do believe there will be no stopping you as to what

and how you will apply that to in your life.

Judi: My heart goes out to you as always...and you are in my daily prayers for

answers for you. Sometimes, in finding the answers, it gives more to giving you

strength than all the medication in the world. I still find myself listening to

your words of wisdom and learning from your lessons of quiet strength to meet

your challenges.

Kirsten (MN): I just discovered the hot paraffin wax bath for my hands about

three weeks ago at a women's church function.......my thought was.... " Why has

this been kept secret for so long? It needed to shouted from the rooftops. "

(and watch stock go up on the wax bath manufacturers). It is now on my agenda

to find a way to fit one into my budget.

: I hope you are feeling better. There is nothing worse than having a sore

throat and sometimes that can impede your recovery because you are unable to

take in the nourishment you need to head in the direction of recovery. I hope

by the time you read this, the healing has begun.

Joyce M: ....just wanted to add to all the others as well as you about having a

DO for a Dr. My previous experience with a DO had kinda turned me against them

(He was my mother's Dr to begin with) back when I was in my very early 20's and

having gall bladder attacks. Just entering into the world of pain and not

having a regular Dr sent me to him where he pronounced upon careful scrutiny

that I was wearing my bra too tight. Two years later, I ended up in the ER

(after ignoring the pain...afterall he was the Dr) with a dead gall bladder and

hepatitis caused by the dead gall bladder. Upon moving to AZ last summer, I

somehow, acquired the most wonderful Internist who also happens to be head of

Internal Medicine at Luke AFB who has been devoted to getting answers for me (I

will write more of this at later time) and has not relied on previous notes from

uncaring Dr's or the cursory tests. I just found out a month or so ago, he is a

DO and we talked about it. I find my whole outlook

on DO's to be altered to the good now. The only flaw in the ointment is he is

being transfered to the AFB in San this month as they are cutting back

on services at Luke. This will leave me beginning on October 1st to find my

medical in the outside facilities as I will be 65 and there will be no senior

coverage there any longer. I will be including DO's in my search for a new one.

Cin: Welcome to our family. I am able to identify with what you had to say

about your diagnosis which went back 10 years but well could have gone back to

when you were a teenager. I started having symptoms when I was 11 and my knees

started " going out " and was considered to be growing pains by the doctor and a

way of getting out of doing things by my mother.

Everyone else: I am not ignoring you....just in interest of time and space (and

keeping you from boredom as I intend to be wordy) will say just that you are all

in my thoughts and prayers. So will close for now...

Take care all and remember the SMILES...they will carry you further than just

about anything in your life. They are always there for you to give away and to

take in return. The choice is yours in how to apply them.

Jan in AZ (formerly of CA)

PS Ken..are you doing okay? Have not seen as much of you posting and I do enjoy

your posts.

~ " If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the

entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. " ~