Re: I am new to RA

February 22, 2008

Hi babysalemsmom

Welcome to the group. You might want to check the paper for people looking

for companions, like work a day shift with Alzheimer's patient or someone

that can get around but just can't be safely left alone. Those are usually

through the persons family not through agencies. I am an Rn and worked for

an agency that supplied CNA, or CHHA to people. They were always calling for

private duty sitters but when they go through an agency it costs the family

lots more money.RA can be controlled with meds. There will always be days

that you can move due to the pain but the meds can help slow or stop the

erosion of the joints.The RA will give you all the options. Unfortunately

most of the meds take awhile to work. In the mean time he can prescribe

anti-inflammatories that may help or narcotic pain meds. Ask your PCP to

give you something in the meantime. Feel free to ask anything, vent or just

read posts. There is so much helpful information in this group. I hope your

pain decrease soon

On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 10:21 PM, babysalemsmom <babysalemsmom@...>

wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I had just been diagnosed with RA. I was having pain in all my

> joints when I went to the Doctors. She tested me and sent me for X-

> rays. Then she told me the news. I thought it was nothing. Until I

> started reading up on it. I soon found out this was definitely

> something. I started feeling worse and worse everyday. I made an

> appointment with the Ra Doctor. It can't come soon enough. I am in so

> much pain, I have lost my appetite, I am so depressed, and I am not

> sleeping very well. I take so much alleve during the day just so I

> can work with out complaining very much. I need to work, my Husband

> and I don't make a lot of money. I used to love my job. I work with

> mentally and physically disabled adults. I lift and transfer them and

> take them to the bathroom and bathe them. I have been doing this work

> for almost 10 years. It doesn't pay much but I love to take care of

> them. They deserve so much respect. I take care of 22 people in a

> day. It is supposed to be only 7 people to 1 person, but my work

> doesn't think I need any help since I have been doing this for 2

> years without any help. Now I am slowing down and I can't take care

> of my people like I used to and my work is looking at me like I am a

> wounded animal and have to be taken out back and shot. I am trying to

> find some type of work that I could do that doesn't require physical

> work but I don't know what I would be good at. So I have been putting

> my resume out there, I haven't heard back from anyone yet. In the

> time being I am so scared I am going to lose my job before I get a

> new one because I can't do it like I used to. And I haven't even

> taken a day off because of this I am just slowing down quite a bit.

> When I get home at night I can't do anything. I just lay on the couch

> crying and complaining about how much I hurt. My Husband has taken up

> much of the housework and cooking. I feel so bad about this. I feel

> like my life has been stolen away from me. I just started it!!!!! I

> don't even have children yet. I am only 31. I just got married last

> September. Our life was supposed to get easier not harder. I don't

> know what to do. Or what to expect in my life. How am I supposed to

> make plans in my life if I don't know what I am going to be like

> later on? I am so scared. What am I supposed to do?

>

February 22, 2008

Thank you. I never thought about being a companion. I will chek into that.

Re: [ ] I am new to RA