Myths and misinformation

[Guest guest]

> 3-RA is caused by putting your warm hands in cold river water.

> what's next? RA can be cured bu bunjy jumping from an alien space

ship while orbiting a melting polar ice cap? Jeez! How can I respond to

these idiots with out violence?

When I emailed my dad to tell him that I was diagnosed he responded that

he had a cure and sent me a treatise on the benefits of stinging

nettle and some other herb. Um, excuse me, but that's not gonna stop

the progression of the disease!

I wanted to reply " Well, if that's really a cure then nobody would even

HAVE RA anymore, " but figured it wasn't worth it. If he wants to believe

that then nothing I say will convince him otherwise.

Then there's the, " Oh, my grandma has that! " (meaning osteoarthritis) or

" I have two bad knees so I can empathize. "

Basically I just try to ignore them. Although I do say " I have RA, an

autoimmuned disease, " rather than use the word " arthritis. " Not that

that really stops people from minimizing RA, tho...

[Guest guest]

, boy we must all have the issues with family members!!!!! My dad (parents)

completely denied that there could possibly be anything wrong with one of their

kids. I suppose that I enjoy taking meds for something that does not exist. Sure

wish someone would inform my body then!!!!! Also agree with the osteo comments

still not the same, I am going to also include the autoimmune part when talking

about this wonderful disease that doesn't exist. Thqanks for the input-keep

smiling Peg

<kyrik@...> wrote:

> 3-RA is caused by putting your warm hands in cold river water.

> what's next? RA can be cured bu bunjy jumping from an alien space

ship while orbiting a melting polar ice cap? Jeez! How can I respond to

these idiots with out violence?

When I emailed my dad to tell him that I was diagnosed he responded that

he had a cure and sent me a treatise on the benefits of stinging

nettle and some other herb. Um, excuse me, but that's not gonna stop

the progression of the disease!

I wanted to reply " Well, if that's really a cure then nobody would even

HAVE RA anymore, " but figured it wasn't worth it. If he wants to believe

that then nothing I say will convince him otherwise.

Then there's the, " Oh, my grandma has that! " (meaning osteoarthritis) or

" I have two bad knees so I can empathize. "

Basically I just try to ignore them. Although I do say " I have RA, an

autoimmuned disease, " rather than use the word " arthritis. " Not that

that really stops people from minimizing RA, tho...

[Guest guest]

I think a lot of us have the same issue as far as that goes. I believe they do

it because they don't know how to respond. Sometimes it's fear- " Something is

" wrong " with my child or spouse, etc.: Sometimes it is misplaced guilt-usu. a

mom thing. " Boy, we sure peed in her end of the genepool. Now she's sick, and

she got it from one of us.. "

And sometimes its just plain ignorance. As hard as it is sometimes, we just

have to forgive them. They really have no idea what its like, and half of them

don't even know what autoimmunity is. It is up to us to educate them as much as

we can, as much as they will allow us to educate them. After that, we have to

just let it go. We can't force them into understanding, and for them to have a

true understanding, they would have to have these diagnoses also. None of us

wants that. (I wouldn't wish this on my ex-brother-in-law.)

I finally was approved for SSD, and its pitiful. I can't believe I did all

that, for a little bit of nothing. I bet I'd make more money panhandling. But at

least I finally have medical. I just took my 3rd dose of mtx last nite. My

rheumy did finally call it RA, even tho it isn't showing in blood work. At least

I know Im not crazy. I haven't posted for a while.

Good luck, everybody.

Jane

peggy sue <peggylm20@...> wrote:

, boy we must all have the issues with family members!!!!! My dad

(parents) completely denied that there could possibly be anything wrong with one

of their kids. I suppose that I enjoy taking meds for something that does not

exist. Sure wish someone would inform my body then!!!!! Also agree with the

osteo comments still not the same, I am going to also include the autoimmune

part when talking about this wonderful disease that doesn't exist. Thqanks for

the input-keep smiling Peg

<kyrik@...> wrote:

> 3-RA is caused by putting your warm hands in cold river water.

> what's next? RA can be cured bu bunjy jumping from an alien space

ship while orbiting a melting polar ice cap? Jeez! How can I respond to

these idiots with out violence?

When I emailed my dad to tell him that I was diagnosed he responded that

he had a cure and sent me a treatise on the benefits of stinging

nettle and some other herb. Um, excuse me, but that's not gonna stop

the progression of the disease!

I wanted to reply " Well, if that's really a cure then nobody would even

HAVE RA anymore, " but figured it wasn't worth it. If he wants to believe

that then nothing I say will convince him otherwise.

Then there's the, " Oh, my grandma has that! " (meaning osteoarthritis) or

" I have two bad knees so I can empathize. "

Basically I just try to ignore them. Although I do say " I have RA, an

autoimmuned disease, " rather than use the word " arthritis. " Not that

that really stops people from minimizing RA, tho...