Carol - sensitive subjects

[Guest guest]

I have never been so sure as I am today, that this has got to be a rare and

wonderful group of people. ,ina's absence you have sustained us all

every step of the way with your valuable information and warm sense of humour.

Please, everyone, this has become a safe place that began with a and

and in order to keep it this way we should feel free to talk about our problems

without any criticism. Just think of it as a careless nonsensical remark and not

to be taken seriously. Who in their right mind would choose a life of pain if

one pill and exercise would fix it?

Hugs

June

[Guest guest]

Amen, Althea!! Couldn't have said it better.

blueroses11 <blueroses11@...> wrote:

Carol,

I hope that you will reconsider about sending sensitive subjects via

private email in the future and that anyone else out there will not

do that.

I know it is extremely hard to feel that we are criticized by what we

do and how we live our lives but all of us are helping others out

there on a daily basis.

I know how hurtful small comments can be but I hope you will know

that most of us know what you are going through and understand. It

is very difficult for a person who has a mild case of RA to

understand what a person with a moderate to severe or severe case

is. Each of us is different.

Exercise and education are good for all of us.

Having an open mind is paramount to " supporting " people within a

support group.

I hope for 's sake that she never experiences the pain that a

lot of us have with RA and that she never develops anything else

wrong but I have to say that I doubt that that will be the case as RA

is a progressive disease. It can be halted temporarilly but the

fight is always to stay a foot ahead and if you pur your head in the

sand about it you will be left behind.

Education in the medical field is always evolving. Just think - 10

years ago people with RA didn't have the drugs to combat it that we

do today. Anyone diagnosed today with RA will have a much better

chance of not becoming disfigured or disabiled but those who had it

before then can only be helped by the drugs of today. The clodk can

not be turned back for them.

I have moderate to severe RA and it is a constant battle. I have had

3 operations to combat side effects from my disease. I consider

myself lucky that I have a great RA who is willing to go after my

disease with everything out there.

I take MTX once a week. I have taken as much as 20 mg a week and am

at the present down to 6 mg. I take Remicade - once every 8 weeks.

I would almost be willing to commit murder if that was the only way I

could get the Remicade. It has made that much of a difference in my

life. I have Lortab for those days where the pain just won't go

away. I have skellaxin as a mild muscle relaxer to help me too.

I wouldn't give up my drugs for anything. I also eat a very balanced

diet and when I can I do mild exercises but I can't do them all the

time.

I went through 2 years of intense fog when I first came down with RA

and didn't know what was happening to me. I support each person here

and would recommend that before people criticize someone else for the

medications they take or their lack of exercise that they try to walk

in that person shoes first.

Read and find out why that person is doing what they are doing or ask

them their history first before saying something that might hurt

hteir feelings. We are hurting enough not to have to waste the

precious energy we have worrying about somehting we shouldn't have to.

I applaud each and every person here who is willing to open

themselves up to ask questions and give answers in a very public

atmosphere.

God bless,

Althea