Moms, Grandmas, and RA

[Guest guest]

Hi, Stacey,

I do not know how my mother or grandmother were able to deal with

the pain. I remember that my grandmother would take to her rocking chair

and rock for hours just to be doing something that did not cause or

aggravate her pain. My mother was not so patient with it and turned to

alcohol for awhile until she decided that it was not helping and was only

ruining the relationships that she had with family and friends. I am

inclined to be like my grandmother -- doing something so that I don't have

to think about the pain. What I got from my mother is an incredible sense

of understanding when others are in pain. Helping others was how Mom

managed to get off of the alcohol. I do that, too, but my own health is

beginning to get in the way.

Both of them managed to have hands that were okay. It was their

knees, ankles, and feet that became mis-shapen. My feet give me trouble but

so far, it is only the toes that are weird looking and I can still stuff

them into my shoes, so I figure that I am okay. If any of this hits my

hands, then I am going to be in a world of trouble... No matter, I will

find a way around that.

In the meantime, I am learning and keeping my journal. By the time

I get that referral to the Rheumy, I will be able to publish my first book!

The insurance company is withholding approval... Again, no problem. I

don't need their approval and the only change that occurs is that they pay

less of his bill. My other carriers will take care of it. Thank God for

lots of insurance. Now if only I had a prescription plan that didn't rely

on me filling out the claim forms... Ugh! Maybe this is the year that

prescriptions will be covered under Medicare. I am praying about that one.

Dianne

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

From: <bintherdunit@...>

> Hi Dianne,

> We had some lightning and thunder with high winds, but not much more. We

> were lucky. There was a tornado F2 in northwest PA that did some pretty

bad

> damage. But we did ok.

> I am glad to hear that you are keeping a journal. When I was first

> diagnosed, I was so confused and there was so much to keep track of, that

I

> thought I was going crazy. I called it TMI (too much input). The journal

> helped a lot, because I could read the info when I was calm enough to know

> what it meant. LOL. My knees were the first affected also, then the

other

> joints just joined the party. My grandmother had terrible RA. Back then

> they just told her she had arthritis and left it at that. Her hands were

so

> gnarled and twisted. Now, I wonder how she did it. She only took aspirin

> for pain. There wasn't much more than that back then. But she was a

> wonderful, productive woman. She could cook the best tasting foods. And

she

> never measured anything. I miss her terribly. But I know that she is the

> one looking over me and helping me to deal with this horrible disease.

> Love and Hugs

> Stacey in PA

>

>