HI PATSY

[Guest guest]

HI PATSY

WELL I WAS DX WITH RA WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25 YRS OLD. WAS PUT ON ANTI-INFLAMITORY TABLETS. AND PAINKILLERS. THEY SEEEMED TO HELP MOST OF THE TIME APART FROM GETTING FLARE UPS NOW AND THEN.

THEN I THINK I MUST OF WENT INTO REMISSION FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS COS I DIDNT SEEM TO HAVE TO MUCH BOTHER. THEN WHEN I WAS ABOUT 35 YRS OLD IT CAME BACK WITH A VENGENCE. I WAS IN AND OUT OF HOSPITAL WITH REALLY BAD FLARE UPS. TRIED VARIOUS MEDS BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO WORK FOR ME. WHEN I WAS 40 YRS OLD I HAD A HYSTERECTOMY AND MY RA JUST WENT ON THE RAMPAGE AFTER THAT. I HAVE BEEN ON METHETREXATE STEROIDS AND LOADS OF OTHER MEDS . BUT NOTHING WORKED .I HAD TO GIVE UP MY JOB AS AN AUXILARY NURSE . 6 YRS AGO I HAD A NEW WRIST JOINT PUT IN AND 1 YEAR AFTER THAT I HAD MY OTHER WRIST FUSED. I ALSO HAD TO USE A WHEELCHAIR FOR OUT DOORS AND WALKING STICK FOR INDOORS (STILL DO).COS OF JOINT DAMAGE TO KNEES AND ANKLES.

THIS YEAR MY WRIST JOINT THAT WAS REPALCED HAD TO COME OUT AS ALL MY BONES HAD CRUMBLED AWAY AND I HAD TO HAVE A WRIST RECONSTRUCTION DONE AND FUSION.

I AM GOING INTO HOSPITAL IN SEPTEMBER FOR MY LEFT KNEE REPACEMENT THEN A BIT LATER ON I WILL HAVE MY RIGHT KNEE DONE.

THEY DONT REALLY KNOW WOT TO DO ABOUT MY ANKLES THE ONLY THING THE RHUEMY SAYS WOULD BE FOR THEM TO BE FUSED.

I AM CURRENTLY TAKING ARAVA.NAPROXEN.CO-DYDROMAL. PAROXITINE TO CALM THE IMMUNE SYSTEM . ALSO STEROIDS BUT ONLY WHEN I GET REALLY BAD FLARE UPS OH AND I ALSO TAKE TAMOXIFEN AS I HAD BREAST CANCER 4 YEARS AGO .

I THINK I HAVE JUST LEARNED OVER THE YRS TO LIVE WITH THE RA AND HAVE JUST HAD TO ADAPT TO THINGS. I HAVE A BRILLIANT HUSBAND AND A GREAT FAMILY TO HELP ME.

I BET YOU WISHED YOU HADNT ASKED ME NOW HA HA

LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS ARE WITH YOU AND HOW LONG YOU HAVE HAD RA

LOVE JOYCE

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