Fatigue and working with RA

[Guest guest]

There has been some awsome posts on these subjects. I thought I might

add a little to it with your indulgence.

I was diagnosed in April of this year and finally get to see a Rheumy

the 27th of this month. My Doctor has me on a list of meds and when I

take the right amount of steroids I seem to do OK.

I own my own business, I am in the Alaska Army National Guard and I

am a EMT in my home town. At this time I am 150 miles north of the

Arctic Circle working as an EMT at a remote site. I am comunicating

via satelite.

I am 55 years old with an 11 year old daughter at home. She has been

such a blessing since this started. She helped me put on my shirt

when I couldn't by myself.

Sometimes I ask all the rhetorical questions but it does no good.

There are no answers so I trudge on.

I have learned that I have to slow down and take it easier. If I'm

having a bad day I ask for a little extra help. I am more careful

about how I walk as I have fallen twice now out of the blue. Other

than being embarassed no injuries.

I asked my ambulance service if they wanted me to take a leave of

absense and they said no. My experience and being a crew chief was

more of a loss to them than my asking for extra help when needed.

The weekend before I came up here I spent out in the field with my

guard unit. I did as much as I could and rested when needed. The Army

will probably medically retire me but I can still serve until they do

as best I can.

My little girl loves for me to hold her in my arms and on a good day

I will sit her on the cabinet and she will slide off into my arms and

she wraps her little arms around my neck and gives me the biggest

hug. On days I can't she remains on the cabinet and we make do. She

just can't take the running leap into my arms like she did before

last March.

RA has changed my life but I am learning how to deal with it. Even

the depression that sometimes accompanies the desease. There are

pretty good days and not so pretty good. Some days hurt more than

others so I take an extra pain med.

I can't imagine my wife and daughters, I have 4, trying to make it

without me and I sure don't want to miss seeing what they do with

their lives. I still go to my grandson's soccer games when I can.

Life is worth the pain and stiffness and effort. Hang in there

everyone. New meds are on the way and in ten years it will be a hole

new ballgame.

God Bless and thanks for reading my rambling thoughts. If you made it

through HA HA!

Jay