New to RA

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am new to the group. I was just diagnosed with RA a couple of weeks

ago. Fortunately,right now my case is not severe or in just the early

stages and the rheumy I am seeing seems pretty good. I am taking

Vioxx and Plaquenil. It is too early to know if the Plaquenil will do

any good. I have been following e-mails from this group for a while

now. It has been very helpful in understanding RA and the different

types of meds available to fight it.

Recently many of you have been writing about depression or anger.

Those feelings seem pretty natural when facing a chronic disease like

RA. I have had to totally redefine my self image, since I have always

thought of myself as extremely healthy and active. Facing a lifetime

of medications and sharply curtailing my activities are depressing

prospects. One thing that has really helped me cope is meditation. It

greatly reduces my stress and anxiety. It takes patience and practice

to develop a technique and see results, but it is well worth the

effort. I am not advocating meditation as a replacement for

antidepressants, but it would be a good supplement for those who need

medications.

It is difficult at first to find the time to meditate. I started out

by just sitting quietly for 10 minutes. After a week or two, I was

able to expand that to 20 minutes. On days when I don't have to go to

work, I now meditate for 30 minutes.

As far as developing a technique, all you need is a relatively quiet

place where you won't be interrupted. You don't have to sit on the

floor in the lotus position. That is probably impossible for most

people with RA. You can sit on a chair, stand or lie in bed. At first

it is hard because your mind races and you think of a lot of

different things. To control this, all you need to do is focus on

your breathing. Thoughts still come and go, but you just acknowledge

them and let them go. Sometimes I focus on different parts of my

body, starting with the top of the head and moving to the bottom of

the toes, imagining stress just melting away from each point. I

also use visualization, thinking of myself in a beautiful place like

a field of lupine on a ridge top.

After meditating my anxiety is reduced and I feel relaxed and

energized. It took some time and practice to realize this benefit,

but it is worth the effort.

Cndy - land