addendum

[Guest guest]

please copy and paste that link into your browser...the link is broken

within the post..

AND Does anyone else prefer the term, 'retired' whateverprofession

to 'disabled' whateverprofession ? OR do I show bigotry when I do

that? I use it to keep my privacy with people I do not know well.

[Guest guest]

trying again.

link here......finally found the code..

<http://www.eorthopod.com/eorthopodV2/index.php/fuseaction/topics.main/I\

D/79791a8f7dd9f446b38653cbeab9a955/area/17>

>

> please copy and paste that link into your browser...the link is broken

> within the post..

>

> AND Does anyone else prefer the term, 'retired' whateverprofession

> to 'disabled' whateverprofession ? OR do I show bigotry when I do

> that? I use it to keep my privacy with people I do not know well.

>

[Guest guest]

i was always full time plus. then i went to 35 hours then i went to 30 hours per

week now im at 28. we are adjusting finances (no new truck) interest on house

etc just in case my hands get worse and i need to work even less. i consider it

" semi retired. " those that need to know, know enough. everyone else thinks im

independently (sp) wealthy. yeah right. semi retired, that sounds good. and when

i can't hold my job anymore then ill " retire " im a union employee so i get full

medical at 20 hours a week so in that respect im blessed. but my husband and i

are starting now to downsize just in case the disease progresses. be prepared!

so yes i guess i also prefer the term retired. im not disabled, not yet, just

alittle limited.

casey

trueadelan <adc1979@...> wrote:

please copy and paste that link into your browser...the link is broken

within the post..

AND Does anyone else prefer the term, 'retired' whateverprofession

to 'disabled' whateverprofession ? OR do I show bigotry when I do

that? I use it to keep my privacy with people I do not know well.

---------------------------------

We have the perfect Group for you. Check out the handy changes to .

[Guest guest]

True,

Where I live the (neighborhood) is very noisy and like

to be in everyone's business. I tried to say the

retired thing first then I got well you are

independently wealthy (NOT). Someone in this area

found out that I was on SS. So I was told that I LIED

to get on it because I don't look sick, although this

is probably not the answer that most people would want

to use my reply ( to stop all from coming near me) was

that I was mentally unstable and that I could and

would go OFF at any moment or by a comment that was

said that I did not like. I am now called the crazy

B---- of the neighborhood, but I got my peace and

quite back and also I don't hear what the people 2

houses down were fighting about the night before.

I will say that they leave me alone now and I don't

have to be bothered with the he said she said.

I will say you have to know me to understand..

I really don't care what most people think especially

my neighbors. What matters the most to me are my faith

in God and my children and grandchildren. I wasn't

really lying too much about being mentally off I have

major depression so I do have something wrong

mentally!! Plus the look on the faces was priceless, I

would say the same thing again just to see that look.

I hate hearing but you don't look like your sick. No I

just weigh 180 when I should weigh 125, I sleep most

of the day when I used to sleep about 5 hours a night

and was ready to go, I USED to work 2 jobs not for the

money but to burn the energy. People that don't KNOW

you really do not have the right to judge NOBODY

really knows how another person is feeling yes we all

have PA but some of us the pain might not be as bad as

the swelling, vise-versa. We just know how our body

feels and we have a lot of the same symptoms. That is

what makes this group so close there isn't any

judging(or I wouldn't be here) and someone without

even knowing it can lift others spirits when they are

not even talking to them. I get so much out of the

comments written here, like the one Brent made about

seeing a therapist, I am seriously considering it now,

just because he mentioned it and I think it might

really help me. Finding one that I can open up to is

another story!

Another question I wanted to ask I have seen the drug

Arava mentioned. Could anyone who has been on it tell

me what it is like? Right now I am not on anything but

pain meds and depression meds and a few others. I have

never heard of Arava and would like to know more about

it, I am tired of being tired. The main thing is I am

sick of being SICK. It has been one thing after

another since I was 36 I was dx with colorectal

cancer,since then down hill. My 14 yr old son does not

remember a time when I was NOT sick, he was 6 when I

was Dx with cancer. I am 43 now, just overlook me

tonight I am in a down mood with depression

today/tonight and would really like to just say forget

it and crawl in a hole and die, but that is not my

nature so I will continue the fight. Plus I do NOT

believe in killing oneself nor do I have the

guts!!!Just having a really bad night with my mental

health. Venting is helping right now so I am

venting.Yet I feel bad too because I KNOW there are

some you of that have way worse than I do, which makes

me feel like I haven't any right to complain but

tonight I am doing it anyway. I am going to beds now

so goodnight all and tomorrow IS going to be a better

day! Sharon

[Editor's Note: Sharon, I was on Arava. It is a DMARD (i.e. same class as

methotrexate). I was switched to it when my liver became unable to tolerate

MTX. As with all of our meds, some people do very well on it, some don't feel

much improvement, some feel none and others are allergic to it. Since you have

had cancer, you should obviously speak with your doctors before starting

anything for PA. I never felt Arava did much for me so my rheumy switched me

back to MTX but the injectable version rather than in pill form and I've had no

more liver issues. Kathy F.]