New here- Hello to everyone

December 27, 2005

Hi there.

My name is Melisa and I am 30 years old. I have had RA since I was

about nineteen. I was in the Army when I was diagnosed, and didn't

recieve proper treatment for two years after my diagnosis (I was

stationed overseas). Since then I have been on just about

everything there is. Right now I am taking Prednisone,

Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine, Celebrex, Achiphex, Folic Acid,

Gabapentin to sleep and Tramadol for pain in the day, I just had to

stop taking Humira because of injection site reactions and lung

complications.

My typical experience is that medicine works

for me for about six months to a year and then it either stops

working or I develop a reaction to it. I have been on Remicade,

Enbrel, and Humira and I am about to start a new drug called

Rituximab. It is not FDA approved for use in RA yet, it is the

final stages of the clinical trials. My doctor thought it would be

approved before Orencia (Abadacept) but that didn't happen, so

anyway, the VA approved me trying Rituximab since I have had bad

luck with all the other TNF blockers. Rituximab suppresses B cells,

so it is a different kind of immune system suppressant than anything

out there. I don't know anyone else on it.

Basically I don't know very many people at all.

Anyway, right now I am in a huge flare. I don't think I have ever

felt this bad for this long. I am so fatigued, and my energy level

is so low. The pain and stiffness is intense and I am so CRABBY! I

have two kids and a supportive husband, but sometimes I really feel

like no one understands me. I look relatively healthy and I try

really hard to not let people know how bad I am suffering. Which is

counter-productive because no one really knows how hopeless I feel.

Sorry this is so long...... It is hard to summarize all that is

going on and all of the emotions involved. But just by reading some

of the posts here I know that a lot of people feel the same way as

me, so I am hoping that finally I have found people that understand.

Thanks for reading.

Melisa

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