[Fwd: An Inspiring Message]

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to share a message I found on the newsgroup. Geared primarily

towards those who were diagnosed with JRA many years ago.

Aloha,

Georgina

--- Re: Actress Aida Turturro

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 10:16:14 GMT

Newsgroups: alt.support.arthritis

Hey guys,

Listen, I've probably seen the some of the worst JRA you could imagine.

Joint deformity was a reality all over my body by the time I was 6.

There's no way I could have achieved the success as an actress as this

lady has due to my appearance, but at least she is talking about the

disease!

20 years ago when I was going thru treatment, there really were no good

treatments out there. I had a rheumatologist at s Hopkins Hospital

and they still couldn't stop the disease progression. I've been on

doses of aspirin for 20 years to help keep the inflammation and pain

down to tolerable levels. All the treatment that the docs could offer

me in my teens was either drugs that would mess up my liver and kidneys

or surgery that would incapacitate me for another year or two while I

fought to walk again.

You know what I did? I walked out on the whole thing. Bye docs, see ya

later PTs. I took my aspirin with me and just went thru school and work

suffering in a pain I figured would be with me till the day I die. Only

now in my early 30's am I learning things have changed. There are

medications that relieve pain, treatments that stop the joint damage,

surgery that works and doesn't disable. In another 10 years they'll

probably find ways of repairing the damage to cartilege and bone.

But the people like me still suffering in silence out there don't know

there is new hope. All we've heard about is this silly cure or that.

The educational program Aida Tuturro is hawking with the Arthritis

Foundation is meant to get the word out. Go back to your doctors;

there's something they can do now.

Embrace that and then we'll tackle all the gruff RTs, pain validation

and acceptibility of joint deformity issues after. Get involved as they

ask and let's make a human face for this thing. It is not just an old

person's disease!

For anyone interested on providing feedback, I posted an e-mail to The

View with my personal story of JRA. You may want to do the same for you

and let those hosts know how many of us are out there wanting to be

heard and helped. Go to http://www.abc.com/theview

Just my thoughts,

***

P.S. For my part, I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow. A new one who

hopefully listens.