Re: Meds & rice socks (long post)

[Guest guest]

Hi :

Wow, your family is a very busy bunch! I can't see

where you would be able to get any rest at all with

all that you have to do, and with the number of

activities your kids are involved which you need to go

see and support. Your hubby sounds great, one in a

million, and you're a lucky lady to have a man like

that. I hope that you two get some time to be alone

together too - maybe a " date night " where you could

just focus on each other. My husband and I try to do

that each Saturday, either with our best friends after

church, or on our own. I really enjoy those times. I

go to church with our best friends (have known them 15

years) and their family. My kids are not really into

it, my son goes occasionally, my daughter is not

interested. My husband is Persian and is Moslem, and

he does not even go to mosque, let alone go to church

with me!

My kids are both in college - Menifee campus of Mt.

San Jacinto. My son (22) is in his second year, my

daughter in her first. My son also is a para educator

with the school district and teaches autistic students

- he's hopeful that when the new term starts that he

will be given his own classroom. He wants to become a

child psychologist. My daughter (19) is great with

anything having to do with computers, computer

graphics, wed design, and is my tech assistance as I

am pretty computer illiterate. I am sure that her

future will be in computers in some way!

As far as the drugs that are used for cancer as well

as RA, such as methotrexate, the doseage that is used

for RA is sooooo much less than that used for cancer.

Yes, there are some very concerning side effects on

most of our medications, but I have made the decision

for myself, and for my family, to use the medications

so that I can live a quality of life that I need. I

am still able to do most of what I want, with some

compromise at times, and the medications allow me to

do that. I put it in God's hands too, but I think

that we need to take as much a part and fight this

disease as much as we are able to do by using the

drugs available to us. My grandmother had RA, and

ended up very crippled, and in a wheelchair. The

medications we have now were not available to her. I

have confidence that by taking the meds I do, this

will not be my future.

I was on injectible Mtx for a while, and then it got

hard to come by, and I went back to pills. I do think

the injections work better, and hopefully yours will

begin to help you soon. Yes, you are right to be

concerned about any side effects on other organs, but

don't obsess about it. Your doctor will be having

blood work done on you on a regular basis which will

check for liver enzymes, white blood cell count,

amoung other things, and I have never had anything

show up negative on my labs. Your doctor will watch

you closely for side effects. I have been on Mtx now

for almost 4 years. My only side effects have been

more fragile skin, when I get a even a scratch from

our puppies I will bleed, and some hair thinning. The

Mtx is helping me and I'll put up with the little

things because it is. Enbrel has been my magic drug,

and in combo with the Mtx, my RA is under good control

right now. Now I need to get the fibro under control!

The rice socks are very simple. Get some old socks -

I prefer knee socks as they can cover more, double

them up, and put rice inside of them (not instant

rice, just regular) until they are almost packed, but

still have give so that they can form to the joints.

You can also put in some potpourri or herbs to make

them smell better - a little aroma therapy - and then

put them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. They are

pretty hot coming out, but will stay warm for several

minutes. I use mine mostly on my wrists, but have

also done elbows, ankles, knees, and draped it around

my neck to go shoulder to shoulder. They are great.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! Take care

-

Kathe in CA

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Kathe Sabetzadeh <lv2ryd@...> wrote:

Hi :

Wow, your family is a very busy bunch! I can't see

where you would be able to get any rest at all with

all that you have to do, and with the number of

activities your kids are involved which you need to go

see and support. Your hubby sounds great, one in a

million, and you're a lucky lady to have a man like

that. I hope that you two get some time to be alone

together too - maybe a " date night " where you could

just focus on each other. My husband and I try to do

that each Saturday, either with our best friends after

church, or on our own. I really enjoy those times. I

go to church with our best friends (have known them 15

years) and their family. My kids are not really into

it, my son goes occasionally, my daughter is not

interested. My husband is Persian and is Moslem, and

he does not even go to mosque, let alone go to church

with me!

My kids are both in college - Menifee campus of Mt.

San Jacinto. My son (22) is in his second year, my

daughter in her first. My son also is a para educator

with the school district and teaches autistic students

- he's hopeful that when the new term starts that he

will be given his own classroom. He wants to become a

child psychologist. My daughter (19) is great with

anything having to do with computers, computer

graphics, wed design, and is my tech assistance as I

am pretty computer illiterate. I am sure that her

future will be in computers in some way!

As far as the drugs that are used for cancer as well

as RA, such as methotrexate, the doseage that is used

for RA is sooooo much less than that used for cancer.

Yes, there are some very concerning side effects on

most of our medications, but I have made the decision

for myself, and for my family, to use the medications

so that I can live a quality of life that I need. I

am still able to do most of what I want, with some

compromise at times, and the medications allow me to

do that. I put it in God's hands too, but I think

that we need to take as much a part and fight this

disease as much as we are able to do by using the

drugs available to us. My grandmother had RA, and

ended up very crippled, and in a wheelchair. The

medications we have now were not available to her. I

have confidence that by taking the meds I do, this

will not be my future.

I was on injectible Mtx for a while, and then it got

hard to come by, and I went back to pills. I do think

the injections work better, and hopefully yours will

begin to help you soon. Yes, you are right to be

concerned about any side effects on other organs, but

don't obsess about it. Your doctor will be having

blood work done on you on a regular basis which will

check for liver enzymes, white blood cell count,

amoung other things, and I have never had anything

show up negative on my labs. Your doctor will watch

you closely for side effects. I have been on Mtx now

for almost 4 years. My only side effects have been

more fragile skin, when I get a even a scratch from

our puppies I will bleed, and some hair thinning. The

Mtx is helping me and I'll put up with the little

things because it is. Enbrel has been my magic drug,

and in combo with the Mtx, my RA is under good control

right now. Now I need to get the fibro under control!

The rice socks are very simple. Get some old socks -

I prefer knee socks as they can cover more, double

them up, and put rice inside of them (not instant

rice, just regular) until they are almost packed, but

still have give so that they can form to the joints.

You can also put in some potpourri or herbs to make

them smell better - a little aroma therapy - and then

put them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. They are

pretty hot coming out, but will stay warm for several

minutes. I use mine mostly on my wrists, but have

also done elbows, ankles, knees, and draped it around

my neck to go shoulder to shoulder. They are great.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! Take care

-

Kathe in CA

__________________________________________________