Re: New to RA/Cindy/Meditation

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I read your post with great interest. I, too, am recently diagnosed

and have mild/early RA. I, too, am taking Plaquenil and Vioxx and

have a rheumy who seems pretty good. I am going through the same

stage of reassessing how I can be in the world; like you, I always

viewed myself as very active. And,last but not least, I practice

meditation! Feel free to e-mail me privately if you'd like to discuss

our common interests in more detail. I'd love to have a pen pal.

Sierra

> 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