Re: Just received diagnosis of RA - Help Please

[Guest guest]

Welcome to our group. I'm sorry about your nephew's diagnosis. How

sweet of you to seek information.

My website has links to a lot of information:

http://arthritissupport.info/

I'm not sure what a rating of 22 means. I've never heard of RA being

rated by numbers. It could be

a blood test number such as RF (rheumatoid factor), and if it is RF,

I wouldn't get to upset over it. Blood tests are

helpful for diagnosing rheumatic diseases, but they are only a part

of the diagnostics. RA can't be

diagnoses only by blood tests. Many people have a positive RF and

don't have RA. Others may have RA and not have RF in their blood.

I've had RA for 30 years and have never tested positive for RA.

The best advise I can give your nephew is to learn as much as he can

about the disease and it's treatment.

Knowledge is power. There are a lot of new meds that are much more

effective than what was available in the past, and if he can find the

right meds, the disease can be controlled and he could prevent damage.

a

On Nov 3, 2005, at 2:10 PM, shopsahoy wrote:

> Ihave joined this group because my beloved nephew has just (in the

> last

> few days been diagnozed with RA. He is 30 single and very handsome

> (were talking Brad Pitt) with his whole life to look forward to.

> After being in pain over the last few months and eventually going to

> the doctors RA has now been confirmed. To say he,s devastated is an

> understatement. Whilst we (his family) are all telling him that he'll

> be ok we really don,t understand it enough to know whether he will be

> or what to say to reassurre him. He has a rating of 22, which means

> nothing to me but may do to you,. Is there anybody who has any

> messages

> of reassurrance or help I can pass onto him.

>

> If you can be of help, many thanks in advance.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome to our group. I'm sorry about your nephew's diagnosis. How

sweet of you to seek information.

My website has links to a lot of information:

http://arthritissupport.info/

I'm not sure what a rating of 22 means. I've never heard of RA being

rated by numbers. It could be

a blood test number such as RF (rheumatoid factor), and if it is RF,

I wouldn't get to upset over it. Blood tests are

helpful for diagnosing rheumatic diseases, but they are only a part

of the diagnostics. RA can't be

diagnoses only by blood tests. Many people have a positive RF and

don't have RA. Others may have RA and not have RF in their blood.

I've had RA for 30 years and have never tested positive for RA.

The best advise I can give your nephew is to learn as much as he can

about the disease and it's treatment.

Knowledge is power. There are a lot of new meds that are much more

effective than what was available in the past, and if he can find the

right meds, the disease can be controlled and he could prevent damage.

a

On Nov 3, 2005, at 2:10 PM, shopsahoy wrote:

> Ihave joined this group because my beloved nephew has just (in the

> last

> few days been diagnozed with RA. He is 30 single and very handsome

> (were talking Brad Pitt) with his whole life to look forward to.

> After being in pain over the last few months and eventually going to

> the doctors RA has now been confirmed. To say he,s devastated is an

> understatement. Whilst we (his family) are all telling him that he'll

> be ok we really don,t understand it enough to know whether he will be

> or what to say to reassurre him. He has a rating of 22, which means

> nothing to me but may do to you,. Is there anybody who has any

> messages

> of reassurrance or help I can pass onto him.

>

> If you can be of help, many thanks in advance.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi:

It is wonderful that you have come here for your

newphew to seek out information and support for him.

This group has been a great source of both for me, and

I would encourage him to write in as well.

RA is a disease that affects people of all ages - even

children. I was dx 6-1/2 years ago at the age of 45,

and I was shocked with the dx at that age. I am sorry

that your nephew has gotten this dx at his young age,

but there are so many medications now to treat RA, and

more in research stages, that I am sure that he will

be able to find the right med or combo of meds that

will help him.

Has he been prescribed any medications? We have, as a

group, been on just about every medication there is

for treatment of RA, so we can give him personal

insight into the meds. Is he under treatment with a

rheumatologist? If not, I would suggest that he find

one - these specialists are more able to prescribe and

supervise his treatment.

The initial dx of RA can indeed be very devastating,

but there is hope, and there is life after RA. With

the medications I take, I am able to do just about

everything that I did prior to dx with some

compromises. No one can say what course your nephew's

RA will take, and this alone is very frustrating - not

knowing how the disease will affect you. Grief, anger,

depression, are all involved in coming to terms with

RA. Life does change. Some things I had to give up and

I miss my old life, but in a way, RA has forced me to

slow down and smell the roses so to speak. I don't

take things as much for granted anymore, and am more

grateful for the things that I am still able to enjoy.

The moderators of our group, a and , can point

you in the right direction for information that your

nephew can read on the internet, and, if he wants to

join the group, I know that it would be very helpful

for him to be able to communicate with individuals who

truly understand what he is going through. I learn new

things all the time from the members in this group,

more than I have ever learned from my doctors, and

their personal experiences have helped me greatly. To

be able to talk to someone who is going through the

same thing that you are, and who really gets it, is a

great blessing.

It is a life changing dx, and he will be going through

many feelings and emotions in this journey. To have

such a supportive family is a blessing to him - he's a

very lucky man. Please let us know how he is doing,

and encourage him to join in too. Hope this helps -

Kathe in CA

--- shopsahoy <lesley8526@...> wrote:

> Ihave joined this group because my beloved nephew

> has just (in the last

> few days been diagnozed with RA. He is 30 single and

> very handsome

> (were talking Brad Pitt) with his whole life to look

> forward to.

> After being in pain over the last few months and

> eventually going to

> the doctors RA has now been confirmed. To say he,s

> devastated is an

> understatement. Whilst we (his family) are all

> telling him that he'll

> be ok we really don,t understand it enough to know

> whether he will be

> or what to say to reassurre him. He has a rating of

> 22, which means

> nothing to me but may do to you,. Is there anybody

> who has any messages

> of reassurrance or help I can pass onto him.

>

> If you can be of help, many thanks in advance.

>

>

>

>

>

>

Kathe in CA

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

Hi:

It is wonderful that you have come here for your

newphew to seek out information and support for him.

This group has been a great source of both for me, and

I would encourage him to write in as well.

RA is a disease that affects people of all ages - even

children. I was dx 6-1/2 years ago at the age of 45,

and I was shocked with the dx at that age. I am sorry

that your nephew has gotten this dx at his young age,

but there are so many medications now to treat RA, and

more in research stages, that I am sure that he will

be able to find the right med or combo of meds that

will help him.

Has he been prescribed any medications? We have, as a

group, been on just about every medication there is

for treatment of RA, so we can give him personal

insight into the meds. Is he under treatment with a

rheumatologist? If not, I would suggest that he find

one - these specialists are more able to prescribe and

supervise his treatment.

The initial dx of RA can indeed be very devastating,

but there is hope, and there is life after RA. With

the medications I take, I am able to do just about

everything that I did prior to dx with some

compromises. No one can say what course your nephew's

RA will take, and this alone is very frustrating - not

knowing how the disease will affect you. Grief, anger,

depression, are all involved in coming to terms with

RA. Life does change. Some things I had to give up and

I miss my old life, but in a way, RA has forced me to

slow down and smell the roses so to speak. I don't

take things as much for granted anymore, and am more

grateful for the things that I am still able to enjoy.

The moderators of our group, a and , can point

you in the right direction for information that your

nephew can read on the internet, and, if he wants to

join the group, I know that it would be very helpful

for him to be able to communicate with individuals who

truly understand what he is going through. I learn new

things all the time from the members in this group,

more than I have ever learned from my doctors, and

their personal experiences have helped me greatly. To

be able to talk to someone who is going through the

same thing that you are, and who really gets it, is a

great blessing.

It is a life changing dx, and he will be going through

many feelings and emotions in this journey. To have

such a supportive family is a blessing to him - he's a

very lucky man. Please let us know how he is doing,

and encourage him to join in too. Hope this helps -

Kathe in CA

--- shopsahoy <lesley8526@...> wrote:

> Ihave joined this group because my beloved nephew

> has just (in the last

> few days been diagnozed with RA. He is 30 single and

> very handsome

> (were talking Brad Pitt) with his whole life to look

> forward to.

> After being in pain over the last few months and

> eventually going to

> the doctors RA has now been confirmed. To say he,s

> devastated is an

> understatement. Whilst we (his family) are all

> telling him that he'll

> be ok we really don,t understand it enough to know

> whether he will be

> or what to say to reassurre him. He has a rating of

> 22, which means

> nothing to me but may do to you,. Is there anybody

> who has any messages

> of reassurrance or help I can pass onto him.

>

> If you can be of help, many thanks in advance.

>

>

>

>

>

>

Kathe in CA

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

Hello.I'm sorry to hear that your nephew has RA.As far as the

test goes...my RA blood test was called RA Latex Turbid(RA

Factor is what was printed on the top of the page).The normal

range was 0.0-13.9.I assume this might be the test your nephew

was given?

I'm new to this also but hope this helps.

[Guest guest]

Hello.I'm sorry to hear that your nephew has RA.As far as the

test goes...my RA blood test was called RA Latex Turbid(RA

Factor is what was printed on the top of the page).The normal

range was 0.0-13.9.I assume this might be the test your nephew

was given?

I'm new to this also but hope this helps.