RE: I'm a newbie here =))

March 26, 2002

Hello there, I am a newbie also here. Not exactly newbie as I have been

receiving the emails for quite some time now but never really wrote anything

yet. I am a female of 38 years old with rheumatoid arthritis and mother to

fraternal twin boys of 3 1/2 years old my pride and joy. I am working on a

freelance basis right now and the boys are still attending daycare. I am

taking right now Vioxx during the day and at night I keep my prednisone. Do

you have any good tricks to ween myself from prednisone as I would like to

be free of that drug? let me know. My email is bobbie.pascal@...

Thanks a lot for the assistance.

-----Original Message-----

From: Beatrice L. Fleming [mailto:ladibugs@...]

Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 7:37 PM

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject: Re: I'm a newbie here =))

Renae:

Good for you! What a fine example you are. Welcome to the group.

Beatrice

>From: " Renae " <just24294me@...>

>Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis

><Rheumatoid Arthritis >

>Subject: I'm a newbie here =))

>Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 11:32:55 -0600

>

>Thought I would take a moment and introduce myself - just joined yesterday.

>I'm 58 yo, raised 5 children as a single mom, 7 grandkids (and every one of

>them the most beautiful in the world - obviously <g>)), had RA symptoms at

>13 yo, diagnosed at 16 yo. Have faced the normal run of drugs over lo these

>many years - 45 to be exact :-)) You name it, I've taken it. In '94 I

>started facing joint replacement & surgeries to keep my hands mobile. Both

>wrists are fused w/all the latest bells & whistles. Left thumb had a joint

>replacement, which BTW didn't work. Was fused later. Elbows have had nerve

>reduction. Fingers on right hand have all gone south :-)) But TG I can

>still use them & take care of myself. I was forced to take a medical

>retirement & am now on state & SSD. I live alone in this very large home

>that belonged to my parents. The VA built it for my father who was also

>afflicted w/RA. It's a wheelchair home, so that's one thing I won't have to

>worry about in the future :-)) I take the normal flow of scripts for RA -

>plaquinil, trexate, Elavil, folic acid, pain meds, predisone, neurontin

>(for unexplained tremors), Nexium & Wellbrutin (for the day to day

>depression in dealing w/this disease). Currently I'm going through lots of

>test to determine what's causing lots of tummy & rib pain. One test

>revealed I have gallstones -UGH! And another showed there is lots of

>calcium built-up in lymph nodes in my breast. Next is an endoscopy. UGH

>again.

>

>My main passions in life are my precious grandkids (that range from 13 to 7

>mos.). No *real* hobbies, but am an avid fan of Nascar (Jeff Gordon is my

>fav driver -) & hockey (Dallas Stars). I've been able to attend several

>Nascar races over the last 6 years. I strive daily to keep this disease

>from getting me to the point where I can't enjoy life. I am a list owner of

>several Nascar lists & have made some life long friends through them. In

>fact, through one of those lists, I have been blessed to meet IRL some

>members. We've bonded some wonderful relationships through that. Currently

>I'm redecorating my home. Slowly but surely, I'm getting furniture painted;

>antiquing picture frames, etc.

>

>I have found over the years that humor & a positive attitude makes living

>w/this horrible disease a lot better. I look forward to *getting to know*

>some new friends here :-)))

>Renae

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April 8, 2002

Welcome to the group Renae,

I am 40 and have been diagnosed with RA since 13 years old also. I too have had my fun with the many meds, none of which seem to work. The only one other than aspirin that did help was methotrexate, but in Jan. developed a reoccuring bacterial infections just when I was due to start kineret!. Since then I have been going every other week to the rheumy, dermatologist and just recently a hematologist to find out why this is happening. None of them have any answers so I have been of rheumatoid meds for a while and it just plain stinks! Hopefully I will get the test results back this week and they will tell us something or its off to another dr, an infectious disease dr, this time. whoopie!! Anyway through it all I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 20 years and have 2 wonderful, teenage sons. I also work full time and teach religious education classes. Well enough about me. Good Luck!

God Bless, Barbara

Renae <just24294me@...> wrote:

Thought I would take a moment and introduce myself - just joined yesterday. I'm 58 yo, raised 5 children as a single mom, 7 grandkids (and every one of them the most beautiful in the world - obviously <g>)), had RA symptoms at 13 yo, diagnosed at 16 yo. Have faced the normal run of drugs over lo these many years - 45 to be exact :-)) You name it, I've taken it. In '94 I started facing joint replacement & surgeries to keep my hands mobile. Both wrists are fused w/all the latest bells & whistles. Left thumb had a joint replacement, which BTW didn't work. Was fused later. Elbows have had nerve reduction. Fingers on right hand have all gone south :-)) But TG I can still use them & take care of myself. I was forced to take a medical retirement & am now on state & SSD. I live alone in this very large home that belonged to my parents. The VA built it for my father who was also afflicted w/RA. It's a wheelchair home, so that's one thing I won't have to worry about in the future :-)) I take the normal flow of scripts for RA - plaquinil, trexate, Elavil, folic acid, pain meds, predisone, neurontin (for unexplained tremors), Nexium & Wellbrutin (for the day to day depression in dealing w/this disease). Currently I'm going through lots of test to determine what's causing lots of tummy & rib pain. One test revealed I have gallstones -UGH! And another showed there is lots of calcium built-up in lymph nodes in my breast. Next is an endoscopy. UGH again.

My main passions in life are my precious grandkids (that range from 13 to 7 mos.). No *real* hobbies, but am an avid fan of Nascar (Jeff Gordon is my fav driver -) & hockey (Dallas Stars). I've been able to attend several Nascar races over the last 6 years. I strive daily to keep this disease from getting me to the point where I can't enjoy life. I am a list owner of several Nascar lists & have made some life long friends through them. In fact, through one of those lists, I have been blessed to meet IRL some members. We've bonded some wonderful relationships through that. Currently I'm redecorating my home. Slowly but surely, I'm getting furniture painted; antiquing picture frames, etc.

I have found over the years that humor & a positive attitude makes living w/this horrible disease a lot better. I look forward to *getting to know* some new friends here :-)))

Renae

April 9, 2002