Re: Hello, I'm a newbie, and I talk too much. Cloud

[Guest guest]

Welcome Cloud!

This is a great group - very supportive and

compassionate people, and our moderators are wonderful

for finding answers for anything we have questions on.

We have all been terrified at the start of it all, I

think, and frightened of what the future with RA holds

for us. My grandmother, too, had RA, and was very

crippled by it. However, you have to remember that

medications have come a long way since our

grandparents were diagnosed, and we have a much

greater chance of avoiding being crippled up or having

joint deformities. I am currently taking Enbrel and

Methotrexate, and this combination is keeping my RA in

pretty good control. I still have pain daily, from

joint to joint, but it is tolerable, with flares from

time to time. I am still able, though, to do what I

need to do in order to take care of my home and

family, and my animals.

I think chubby babies are pretty cute too! My first

was a preemie and was so skinny - still is at 22 - and

then my next baby was almost full term and she was a

so chubby that my husband thought I was feeding her

too much - nope, I told him, this is a normal looking

baby!

I think it is great that you have such a good

relationship and communication with your first

husband, and it is so good for the kids, you are

right, to see their parents get along without

fighting, even if they are divorced, they can still

care about each other. Too bad more people don't do

it that way.

I am married 23 years to my best friend, my hubby, and

have children 22 and 19, and they are all supportive

of me, and my daughter, especially takes care of me

when I am having a hard day. You have quite an array

of ages in your kids, from teen to a little one! I

hope that you are able to continue with your school

work and obtain that degree - maybe you want to

specialize in working with rheumatologists? That would

be great -we need more rheumys and people to care for

us.

I have great respect for native americans and their

way of life - their respect for mother earth is

something we should all learn from, and living with

nature instead of in conflict with it. Maybe you

could teach us a thing or two!

We are happy to have you here, but sorry for the

reason you found us. Make sure that your doctor

treats your RA aggressively from the beginning, as

that will give you the best opportunity to avoid

disability and pain. Take care - and hang in there -

Kathe in CA

P.S. You don't talk too much at all lol!

--- S Cloud <tikicloud@...> wrote:

> I just got back test results that are very

> suggestive of RA. My

> grandmother had it, and I believe my aunt may have

> it and just not

> have symptoms that are painful enough for her to

> have gone to a

> physician. My doc is scheduling me with a

> rheumatologist as soon as

> possible to finalize that diagnosis.

>

> Today is a good day. I'm only a little stiff when I

> first get out of

> a chair, and I'm only having to go back and correct

> a little of my

> typing and not every word so my fingers are working

> pretty well.

> This morning it was worse. I limped around and

> couldn't work open a

> bottle of Ibuprofen. Had to have my daughter do it

> for me.

>

> I am a LPN, and have been for 15 years now. I have

> not worked in

> the medical field for the past 2 years, I have been

> taking college

> courses towards an RN degree, with the eventual goal

> of becoming a

> nurse practitioner.

>

> In addition, I am Native American of the Muscogee

> Creek tribe, and

> was raised for the first 14 years of my life with my

> grandparents in

> a very traditional indian manner. While I'm pretty

> mainstream as an

> adult, sometimes little things will not make sense

> to me and I'll

> question them. Please be patient with me! I made

> someone really mad

> just last month by telling them what a happy fat

> baby they had. They

> were offended and felt like I was accusing them of

> overfeeding their

> child. My family thinks happy, smiling chubby babies

> and toddlers

> are healthy looking. Oops.

>

> I am 34 years old, I have 5 children, from my eldest

> at 17 (she's

> adopted, btw) to my youngest and only boy who is 5

> and just started

> kindergarten. I remarried last October. My first

> marriage lasted 12

> years, and my ex is now a good friend. He often

> stops at my house

> and has dinner with us to spend time with his kids.

> If we go on

> family outings to the zoo, etc, he comes along if he

> can. I know

> that seems strange, but there it has slowly become

> comfortable to

> all of us and I think it's better for the kids than

> watching parents

> who tear each other apart.

>

> I have been doing research online and in the library

> and with

> friends in the medical field since the lab work came

> in, and frankly

> I'm terrified. I can see where episodes of foot,

> ankle, wrist and

> finger pain and fatigue have happened for the last

> several years,

> getting more frequent and more painful. This most

> recent episode of

> joint pain was so bad that I stepped out of bed one

> morning and had

> to sit down on the ground because the pain was so

> horrible in my

> feet and ankles. This is what triggered me to go see

> my doc.

>

> I am terrified. I remember that at age 45 my

> grandmother could no

> longer tie her shoes or braid her hair without

> difficulty, and would

> walk around slowly each morning rubbing a homemade

> balm into her

> hands until she felt well enough to start her day. I

> have read that

> treatments today can help prevent that kind of

> acceleration of this

> disease. I am still scared.

>

> I will happily and thankfully accept any

> suggestions, websites,

> information, support, etc etc that anyone is willing

> to share.

>

>

>

>

>

>

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