Welcome Cristen

[Guest guest]

Hi Cristen, welcome to the group. You've already seen what an

incredibly diverse group of people we have here. It's good you are

confident in your rheumatologist, that can be the biggest hurdle in

getting RA under control.

Jennie

--- In , " Cristen s " <cdharriss@n...>

wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I joined the group about two weeks ago. I have been reading the

majority of the emails, and have learned tons. I am glad to hear

that I am not the only one struggling with fatigue, pain, flares

etc......

>

> I live in North Carolina and feel very fortunate that I am going to

The Duke RA clinic. My " Rheumy " is (I feel) one of the best in the

country. I was officially diagnosed with RA at the end of July.

It's aggressive, and about in every joint including my neck and low

back which scares me the most.

>

> I am a pet dog trainer which is a rather physical job, so that is a

major struggle right now. Hopefully, I will be able to continue to

work. I am one of those rare people who actually love their job :-)

>

> Thank you for all of the info. You all are very kind and

understanding.

>

> Cristen

>

> PS if I ever have to get a handicapped sign, I will be as proactive

in my community as possible. How dare people judge RA sufferers.

> [ ] Handicapped parking

> >

> >

> > Hi everyone, hoope you are all OK?

> > Today something weird scary happened. I parked in handicapped

parking

> > and an older man began honking at me, screaming at me and

chasing me down

> > in his car. He was screaming all kinds of horrible things at

me and I was

> > afraid he was going to accidentally hit one of my kids. Store

security

> > came out and got me and the kids safe.

> >

> > I have some scary things happen to me a lot over my

handicapped parking

> > placard. My car gets keyed. People follow me thru stores

taunting me.

> > Once someone followed me home, honking at me and tailgating

me. People

> > glare at me.

> > I need handicapped parking because my feet are affected,

msostly,

> > sometimes my knees ankles or hips act up, bot often it is my

toes and or

> > feet themself. I have a scooter on the back of my car, but do

not always

> > use it, nor do I always use the in store scooters - for similar

reasons-

> > people glare- and stare and make rude comments.

> > People often say I am too young to be handicapped. I wear

bell bottom

> > jeans quite often and funky hats- sometimes little bitty

braids, if my

> > girls want to braid my waist length hair. I am 45. Other

times people

> > say I do not LOOK handicapped. Do they mean I have 2 legs?

> > The parking issue is complicated becuz my husband is a 100%

service

> > connected disabled Nam vet, and we have license plates for

him. But I DO

> > have a blue state issue handicapped placard, and if I forget to

bring

> > that, I do not even try to park in handicapped parking. I also

have my

> > Medicare card and a RTA-CTA handicapped riders pass. (for

reduced fares

> > and priority seating)

> > When I go to the laundromat, my husband follows me in HIS car

and brings

> > the laundry in and comes back when I am done to carry the

laundry back

> > out. On laundry day I cannot schedule any other physical chore

for that

> > day. On grocery shopping day, I cannot cook that nite nor plan

anything

> > else for THAT day. I have been having to make a 3 hour each

way commute

> > to chicago for my kids to see their doctors quite often the

last 3 weeks,

> > and the next day I am immobile. (lots of walking in UIC and

SHriners

> > hospitals, and in Chicago, etc and I do not have an electric

lift for my

> > scooter, so it is hard for me to use it when I am alone-

besides, when

> > people see me walk around to get the scooter, they glare and

wonder why I

> > use it at all if I can walk at all)

> >

> > I do not know why people do not understand many disabilities

are ones

> > that are not obvious to the casual observer. ALl they really

need do is

> > follow me for 2 minutes, watch how I walk, I kind of waddle

sort of -

> > watch how I close my car door- (with my butt, it hurts my

fingers) watch

> > how fast I grab a shopping cart to lean on, but how careufl I

am in how I

> > push it with my hands. Watch how I open doors to places of

business, gosh

> > they hurt my writsts and fingers terribly. Notice, I do not

buy gallons

> > of milk or any pop or jugs of juicce, they are too heavy. I do

not buy

> > cat litter or large bags of pet food, they are also too heavy.

Nor do i

> > buy bags of potatos or fruit. If I want to buy those things, I

bring the

> > kids with me..they put those things in the cart, up on the

checker line

> > and into the car. Watch when I write my check to pay. I do

not hold my

> > pen the same as most people, and watch me try to tear my check

out of the

> > checkbook.

> > I am starting to be scared of these people who get so nasty

becuz they do

> > not know what a " handicapped " person " looks " like. Truth is

many people

> > with no legs are so incredibly strong they can wheel a

wheelchair for

> > miles and not get worn out, they only need the extra space the

handicapped

> > parking gives them. Others of us need that closeness to the

store.

> >

> >

> >

> >