janice / pain and suffering

[Guest guest]

HI JANICE,

MY NAME IS CINDI, AND I JUST READ YOUR POST. EVERY SINGLE WORD YOU

WROTE COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. YOU ARE

EXPERIENCING RA.

AT TIMES IT IS JUST LIKE YOU ARE DESCRIBING, ABOUT AS BAD AS IT CAN

BE. TIMES THERE WILL BE LESSER DEGREES OF PAIN AND DEPRESSION.

SOMETIMES YOU WILL FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE THING LICKED AND THEN IT

WILL COME BACK FULL FORCE.

EVENTUALLY, YOU WILL BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND RA AND YOUR BODY AND HOW

YOU RESPOND BETTER. NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT ONE DAY WILL BE

THE SAME AS THE NEXT. SO IF IT IS BAD TODAY, TOMORROW COULD BE A

LITTLE BETTER.

STAY IN THE SUPPORT GROUP, THIS HELPS YOUR FAMILY, YOU HAVE CARING

PEOPLE HERE THAT YOU CAN SOUND OFF WITH AND CAN GIVE YOU ADVICE AND

YOU CAN REALLY GET IT OFF YOU CHEST TO GIVE YOUR FAMILY A BREAK.

BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FAMILY IS EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT RA IS OR

THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND YOU. GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR VISITS, SURFING

DIFFERENT WEB SITES ON RA, THAT IS WHAT YOUR FAMILY NEEDS TO DO.

EVEN PAIN MANAGEMENT COUNCELING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY IF IT WARRANTS

IT IS A GREAT TOOL.

SOME DAYS IT SEEMS LIKE YOUR MEDS MAKE YOU SICK AND YOU ARE AL READY

IN ENOUGH PAIN. TAKE YOUR MEDS ANYWAY, NEVER GO COLD TURKEY OFF

ANYTHING, SOME OF THESE DRUGS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU DO THAT.

DISCUSS ALL OF YOUR DAILY SYMPTOMS WITH YOU DOCTOR AT EACH APPT. BY

KEEPING A PAIN JOURNAL THAT YOU CAN GO OVER WITH THEM. THAT WAY YOU

DON'T HAVE TO TRY AND REMEMBER EVERYTHING AND SINCE RA CHANGES FROM

MINUTE TO MINUTE YOU HAVE A CHRONICLE OF YOUR DAY A DOCTOR CAN LOOK

AT. ANTI-DEPRESSANTS OFFER A DOUBLE BENEFIT. THEY HELP YOU COPE

WITH ALL THE STRESS YOU ARE IN AND THEY ALSO HAVE A PAIN RELIEVING

BENEFIT. THAT IS WHAT MY NEUROLOGIST SAID AND SHE UPPED THE DOSAGE I

HAVE BEEN TAKING FOR YEARS AND I CAN ALREADY FEEL IT TODAY.

ALSO, FIND SOMEONE ON THE SUPPORT GROUP THAT DOESN'T MIND BECOMING

YOUR PAIN PAL IF YOU WANT. SOMEONE YOU CAN TALK DIRECTLY TOO ANYTIME

YOU WANT TO, SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST AND BECOME FRIENDS WITH, THAT WAS

A BIG LIFE-SAVER FOR ME. AND I WAS LUCKY TO FIND THIS WONDERFUL,

CARING LADY WHO IS JUST STARTING HER RA JOURNEY. WE E-MAIL AT LEAST

4 - 8 TIMES A DAY AND TALK ON THE PHONE. I LOVE HER AND COULD NOT

HAVE MADE IT WITHOUT HER, PLUS THE ADDED BENEFIT FOR MY FAMILY. IT

GIVES THEM A BREAK AND THEY KNOW I AM TALKING TO A PERSON WHO I CAN

TRUST AND WHO WILL HELP ANYTIME I NEED HER.

I KNOW THIS WAS KIND OF LONG, BUT THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE IS AMAZING,

YOU WILL NOT FIND MORE CARING PEOPLE ANYWHERE. WE ARE ALL LIVING

THE SAME THING YOU ARE, THE PAIN, THE GUILT, THE WORRY OVER OUR

FAMILIES AND BECOMING A BURDEN, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND

OUR LIVES. HOW TO LIVE THROUGH THIS KIND OF PAIN ON A DAILY BASIS.

YOU CAN DO IT. STICK WITH THIS GROUP AND WE WILL ALL HELP.

SINCERELY, CINDI