just joined - intro

February 7, 2006

Hi, my name is Joy & I just joined the list. I was diagnosed with RA when I was

27, and that was 26 years ago. I'm doing pretty well on the meds I'm on but I

feel over-medicated & would like to go off of some. Here's what I'm taking now:

methotrexate, plaquenil, prednisone, celebrex, humira, elavil (for

fibromyalgia), aciphex, fosamax (because of the prednisone, which I've been on

since 1992) & synthroid. I'm also using restasis for dry eyes. I'm very

fortunate that I don't pay a penny for meds & no insurance co. has any say in

it. I'm a 60% disabled veteran & my husband is retired military so most of our

medical is free. I don't know what I'd do otherwise, I also have 4 children, 3

of whom have special needs. The care we get in the military is awesome.

Now a little about me. I became a mother of twin boys at the age of 41,

through adoption. Four years later I (we) adopted a baby girl & 4 years after

that another little girl. The kids are now 12, 12, 9 & 8. My 8 year old

daughter has autism & is in a multi-handicap class. I homeschool the other 3.

It's quite a challenge with all their therapy, counseling & Dr. appts. And it's

going to get worse, because my daughter's developmental ped just put her in for

2 speech therapy appts & an OT appt. each week. I guess I should say we " car

school " instead of homeschool. I rarely go to a Dr. myself because I'm always

running the kids around. I get really stressed out sometime, but It's just

awesome that I'm able to do all of this. While we waited (7 years) to adopt our

first, people would ask me how I could take care of a baby with my arthritis.

Now they're asking me how I take care of my 4 & I just have to tell them, " I

couldn't do it without God. " There are times when I feel

like I'm barely managing, but He gets me through. Don't mean to preach... Oh,

yea, I also have a wonderful husband & I couldn't do it without him, either.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle the volume of this list, but it

looks like a very supportive list & I look forward to getting to know you.

Joy (Ohio)

---------------------------------

- Helps protect you from nasty viruses.

Recommended Posts