23 years

[Guest guest]

Hi Janine..

Thanks so much for your response. You are the only one who responded (so

far) to my questions. I guess the other old timers in here figure if I want

to hear success stories about the AP I can go to the web site. I have been

there but I felt it would be much more immediate if I heard from those on the

list now since I am starting to get a feel for individual personalitys. So

far I have been very tentative in deciding to start the AP because I am

hesitant to rock the boat. My therapy has been conventional until now and my

RA is generally controlled with the medications I take and painless but I am

very slowly losing the use of my hands. I am starting to recognize the need

to do somthing else before that happens. I am spacifically curious about the

ability of the AP to halt or possibly reverse damage done to the connective

tissue in the hands of an RA patient. The only outwardly visible signs of my

RA are the knarley hands that seem to be typical of RA and a greatly reduced

energy level. Pain is inconsequencial unless, of course, I forget to take my

meds.

One of the not so visible signs of my disease that is of great concern to me

is a hugely diminished sexual capacity. I have not heard any of the men on

this list talk about that particular problem although I can understand

why(assuming some or all of them have it too) I would like to discuss this

issue with any of the men that are having this problem confidentially and in

personal e-mails if necessary although I have no problem discussing it with

the group as a whole.

After 26 years with rheumatic disease, the prospect of regaining some

semblance of a " normal " lifestyle is heady stuff to think about. I am just

trying to be very careful in my research so as to not make any mistakes that

could make me worse off than I am now.

Steve