question - people getting it

[Guest guest]

I have a question for you all...

I'm going to start seeing a therapist (actually she's one I saw

20 yrs ago) since I feel like I need some short term help getting

thru this initial phase of dealing with the fact that RA has completely

trashed my life.

But she doesn't know about RA at all. And I think she needs to realize

the ramifications. I'd like to print out some stuff and give it to her.

I thought I'd give her the " spoon " essay but I'm wondering if there's

anything more " medical " that I can give her. Something that explains

the inflammation, fatique, pain, disabling stuff...

Any ideas?

Thx,

[Guest guest]

I have been doing the exact same thing. Fortunately, the therapist

I'm seeing (who also happens to be a work colleague) has been great

about doing his own research on RA. He also borrowed a couple of

books from me on RA that I picked up at & Noble that were

pretty good. I can't remember the names at the moment, and he still

has the books, but I know one of them was from the Arthtitis

Foundation. I really liked it because it had a lot of

straightforward clinical information, but was also sprinkled with a

lot of anecdotes written by people who are actually living with RA.

I thought it gave a really good balance to the book.

I have to say that seeing the therapist really does help for me. It

gives me a place that I can talk to someone face-to-face without

feeling like I'm complaining to family members all the time. Of

course, he's always telling me that I have to get better at asking

them to help me, but I'm working on it.<g>

There's an awful lot to deal with when you are first dx'd with this

crummy disease. I'm usually a pretty up-beat person, but it's hard

to remain that way on your own when you are exhausted, in pain, and

trying to figure out how to reconfigure your life.

>

> I have a question for you all...

>

> I'm going to start seeing a therapist (actually she's one I saw

> 20 yrs ago) since I feel like I need some short term help getting

> thru this initial phase of dealing with the fact that RA has

completely

> trashed my life.

>

> But she doesn't know about RA at all. And I think she needs to

realize

> the ramifications. I'd like to print out some stuff and give it to

her.

> I thought I'd give her the " spoon " essay but I'm wondering if

there's

> anything more " medical " that I can give her. Something that

explains

> the inflammation, fatique, pain, disabling stuff...

>

> Any ideas?

>

> Thx,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

My advice to you would be to go ahead and print what you think is most

important medical information and give to her, but also, if she is a good

therapist, she will research the disease on her own, and if she has anything to

clarify about your individual symptoms, she should ask you. Just my two cents!

Good luck!

Kristi

<kyrik@...> wrote:

I have a question for you all...

I'm going to start seeing a therapist (actually she's one I saw

20 yrs ago) since I feel like I need some short term help getting

thru this initial phase of dealing with the fact that RA has completely

trashed my life.

But she doesn't know about RA at all. And I think she needs to realize

the ramifications. I'd like to print out some stuff and give it to her.

I thought I'd give her the " spoon " essay but I'm wondering if there's

anything more " medical " that I can give her. Something that explains

the inflammation, fatique, pain, disabling stuff...

Any ideas?

Thx,

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

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[Guest guest]

,

This one, written by rheumatologist Paget at the Hospital for

Special Surgery, is very good:

http://www.hss.edu/Conditions/Rheumatoid-Arthritis/Rheumatoid-Arthritis

A fact sheet from the Arthritis Foundation:

http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/Fact_Sheets/RA_Fact_Sheet.asp

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] question - people " getting it "

>I have a question for you all...

>

> I'm going to start seeing a therapist (actually she's one I saw

> 20 yrs ago) since I feel like I need some short term help getting

> thru this initial phase of dealing with the fact that RA has completely

> trashed my life.

>

> But she doesn't know about RA at all. And I think she needs to realize

> the ramifications. I'd like to print out some stuff and give it to her.

> I thought I'd give her the " spoon " essay but I'm wondering if there's

> anything more " medical " that I can give her. Something that explains

> the inflammation, fatique, pain, disabling stuff...

>

> Any ideas?

>

> Thx,

>

>