WELCOME NEA !

[Guest guest]

HELLO NEA,

MY NAME IS CINDI AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR GROUP. IT

IS VERY SUPPORTIVE. EVERYONE JUMPS IN TO HELP AND KNOWS JUST WHEN TO

DO IT. ALTHOUGH, LIKE YOU, I WOULD RATHER EMAIL AT TIMES AND WOULD

BE HAPPY TO DO SO.

I HAVE RA, FM AND NEUROPATHY IN MY FEET. I HAVE BEEN TAKING MTX

AND I AM NOT DOING WELL ON. THE DOSAGE OVER THE PAST YEAR IS JUST

GETTING LOWER AND MY DR. WANTS ME TO START ENBREL NEXT MONTH. I

WANTED REMICADE BUT MY INSURANCE WILL ONLY PAY FOR ENBREL. COULD

YOU TELL ME SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF IT ? ALSO WHAT IS THE

PROCEDURE ?

I AM VERY SICK FROM THE MTX SHOTS. SO, LIKE YOU, I NEVER KNOW IF I

AM ILL OR IT IS THE SHOTS....I NEVER KNOW IF MY PAIN IS RA OR

NEURPATHY. MY NEUROPATHY IS SEVERE IN MY FEET AND ANKLES AND

STARTING IN MY HANDS.

I HAVE JUST GONE THROUGHT THE ACCEPTANCE STAGE MYSELF. I FOUND THE

VERY BEST THING THAT HELPED ME, BESIDES THIS SUPPORT GROUP AND

NEUROPATHY SUPPORT GROUP IS KEEPING A PAIN JOURNAL. I WRITE ABOUT MY

PAIN LEVELS ONE A SCALE FROM 1 - 10, WITH 10 BEING THE WORST. I

WRITE ABOUT MY FEELINGS, MY FAILURES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MY

INTERACTIONS NOW, WITH MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS AND MY LIMITATIONS AND

HOW I PLAN TO REDIFINE WHO I AM.

REMEMBER THIS SMALL THING NEA, REMOVE THE NEGATIVE THINGS FROM

YOUR LIFE. IF THERE IS A FRIEND WHO IS A COMPLAINER AND A GLOOMY

PERSON ALL THE TIME, REMOVE THIS PERSON FROM YOUR LIFE. IF THERE ARE

THINGS THAT HAVE ALWAYS BOTHERED YOU IN YOUR HOME, GET RID OF THE

JUNK. SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE DOWN TO THE BARE BONES, IT IS EASIER TO

COPE WITH YOUR LIMITATIONS IF THE CLUTTER IS GONE. THIS WON'T HAPPEN

OVER NIGHT AND YOU MAY NEED FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO HELP YOU WITH THIS.

BUT, SIMPLIFY, AND GET RID OF ANYONE OR ANYTHING NEGATIVE AS MUCH AS

POSSIBLE.

MAKE A PLACE IN YOUR HOME THAT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. MY

HUSBAND HAS BACK TROUBLE AND CAN NOT SLEEP IN OUR BED. ALSO, BECAUSE

OF THE SEVERITY OF MY RA, I CAN NOT TOLERATE HIM IN MY BED. SO OF

COURSE, THAT MEANS WE MAKE " DATES. " BUT, MY ROOM IS MY OWN PLACE OF

PEACE. I HAVE 2 POT POURRI BURNERS WITH SUMMER JASMINE GOING ALL THE

TIME. THE TV, MY HUBBY MOUNTED ON THE WALL LIKE IN THE HOSPITAL, SO

I CAN LAY IN BED AND WATCH IF I WANT TO. I HAVE BOOKS SURROUNDING

ME. MY NIGHTSTAND HAS THING CLOSE AT HAND, BUT ORGANIZED SO THINGS

LOOK PRETTY. I HAVE PICTURES OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND EVEN A FEW

FANTASY MEN ON THE WALLS. IN THE SUMMER, MY HUBBY BRINGS IN FIELD

FLOWERS AND LILACS WHENEVER HE CAN. I KEEP MY SHEET WASHED EVERY

OTHER DAY SO I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO FRESH SMELLING SHEETS, EVEN IF MY

PAIN KEEPS MY UP AT ODD HOURS, JUST LIKE YOU. I SLEEP WHEN I CAN, I

DO NOT HAVE A SCHEDULE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I EVEN MOVED MY SMALL

WORK STATION IN MY ROOM. NOW I CAN BE ON THE COMPUTER AT NIGHT IF

PAIN KEEPS ME AWAKE AND NOT BOTHER MY HUBBY OR MY DAUGHTER.

NOW, I HAVE THE HARD JOB OF REDEFINING WHAT MY LIFE IS GOING TO BE

LIKE AND LEARNING MY LIMITATIONS. ALTHOUGH, MY LIMITATIONS ARE

QUICKLY DECLING.

I WOULD NOT MIND AT ALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EMAIL ME. JUST LET ME

KNOW AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU.

I THE MEAN TIME, WELCOME TO THE GROUP. YOU WILL ENJOY EVERYONE

HERE AND JAN, LOVES TO SEND RECIPES, JOKES AND OTHER LITTLE THINGS

TO MAKE US FEEL WARM AND LOVED AND LAUGH.

WELCOME, NEA

SINCERELY, CINDI H.