Re: QENSTION FOR JENNIE G

October 20, 2004

Hi Cindi. I am an accountant, and all I knew about RA before I got

it was what I knew from my mom. I watched her deal with it since I

was 13, I knew RA could lead to severe disfiguration and lack of

function, and I knew Enbrel was a miracle drug for her. Everything

else I have learned since my symptoms started in the fall of 2002.

When I got it, I started talking to my mom a lot more about RA and

what she knew about RA.

I think I found the accupunture doctor in the paper or on the

internet. I just wanted to try and it and see if it helped. I think

it was December/January when I went, and I went for probably 6-7

sessions. I was impressed by him becuase he was a medical doctor

too. He described 'balance' as in something was out of whack in my

system. He said we often get out of whack because of diet, stress or

other things. Some people don't get sick when this happens. Some

get cancer. I got RA. (this is what he believed, and I think it's

consistent with eastern medicine). Anyway, he agreed RA should be

treated with medication by a rheumatologist, but that accupuncture

could help by getting me back in balance (basically by helping to

relieve some of the stress I was under). The first session was so

relaxing. As good as a massage. Other one's were less helpful, but

probably because I needed them less. I would go again right now if

it was free. But he suggested every week and that was $200 per

month. I don't have that.

I pick up bits and pieces of information from all kinds of places

(books, magazines, online). I think that a and post the

best information here, you can't get anything like it anywhere else.

I also talk to my mom a lot about RA, coping with RA, new medicines

and treatments. Sometimes I learn something here and share it with

her, but most of the time I'm learning from her.

I think the most important lesson I learned from my mom (not because

she told me, but I learned this from watching her) is that once I had

RA, I had no choice but to integrate it into my life. It is part of

who I am now. And it meant I had to make changes. I realized for

myself that I needed a less stressful job, I needed a divorce, and I

needed to eat better if I was going to properly manage my life with

RA. It took a while, but I finally realized that exercise had to

become part of my life too. And with all that came the realization

that by having a better job, being happier and healthier, my life was

going to be better. So I blame RA for making me wake up and realize

what is important in my life. My life is so different from what it

was, I don't want to imagine going back to the time before I had RA.

Jennie

>

> HI JENNIE,

> HOW DID YOU FIND THE ACUPUNCTURIST ?

> DID YOUR DOCTOR RECOMMEND HIM ?

> DID IT HURT ?

> WHAT DOES BALANCED MEAN ?

> DO YOU STILL GO TO ONE OR WOULD YOU GO AGAIN IF YOU WERE

> UNBALANCED ?

> WHERE DID YOU LEARN SO MUCH ARE YOU A MODERATOR OF THIS GROUP TOO ?

> ARE YOU IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, ALL YOUR POST ARE SO FILLED WITH

SUCH

> AMAZING INFORMATION ?

> YOU REALLY HAVE SPENT ALOT OF YOUR TIME TO HELP PEOPLE ON THIS

> GROUP WITH SO MANY DIFFERNT TYPES OF PROBLEMS, DO YOU WORK IN

> RESEARCH, YOU ARE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT SO MANY THINGS. THAT TAKES

> ALOT OF TIME, YOU HELP SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.

>

> THANKS FOR THE TIME IN ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS,

> CINDI

October 20, 2004