Re: 'vocal pain relief!'

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hope you have a good day today and your animals uplift  you like only they can!

Related so much to your mail, as a very concerned  bystander, as it is so

similar to what a good  friend is going through (As a retired doc I also

feel so helpless).

Like you she also had been living with an ongoing serious  medical condition

but coping well when, as that wasn't enough the RA came along wreaking  all

its mischief.

(Strangely I was in the Haematology  field  and know how well the Glivec  can

work. So glad for you. )

With RA it is sadly much more 'messy' isn't it, drugs have such

variable effects and also so many non sufferers have no inkling of its

unpredictability and all its cruel ' hidden' body punches   not just

targeting the joints. My friend also makes little grunts of pain during

particularly painful everyday movements, (much to her  grown sons' discomfort

if they hear her?!!!). I can say as a doc there is a logic in it helping. There

is an element of diverting the brain by actively DOING something else with

effort, The Ouch! so the brain centre has competition while receiving the

paiful stimuli from the hands.  This reminded me of an old 'trick' which I

used to sometimes use, especially when taking blood from children. The trick is

that you let the person know that you are going to ask them to give a sharp

cough exactly when you say. That is the time  you quickly needle the skin

hopefully without them feeling it.!

Medicines and painkillers are only just a part of bravely coping with RA and

related conditions, aren't  they?

Sorry this is long. Do think this is such a  wonderfully

supportive, warm and practical site and am encouraging my friend to get

computer access so she  can have her own voice.

Until then best wishes

from ,

retired doc in UK

 

[ ] Methotrexate and other meds...

Hi Everyone,

I did start taking plaquenil today. I take my four Gleevec pills in the

morning, two Alieve, and one Ultram, and then I take another Ultram in the

afternoon. Now I am taking plaquenil twice a day. I am worried about so many

meds. I hate taking all of them, but they seem necessary. For some reason

the Ultram gives me energy, and I've been on it for years. My onc. says to

keep taking it, because he thinks it calms my arthritis pain.

Thanks everyone for the info on bottle/jar openers. I definitely need

the one that does it all, and opens tabs. I feed my cats and dogs Halo, and

the tabs on the cans are hard to open.

Grooming my horse has become very difficult, but she's worth it. I just

say, " ouch, ouch, ouch, " and keep going. Somehow, in some strange way,

using vocal " pain relief " helps!

So, does the pain eventually lessen with the plaquenil (and if I get on

metho, with metho), or does this pain always stay? So far, each day has been

the same since last September, except my wrists are much worse. Should I

put heat wraps on my wrists while doing work? Hot water does seem to help.

For the FMLA people - DEFINITELY take FMLA to cover you. No company can

count FMLA in your yearly attendance report as " time lost from work. "

Michigan has an " industrial unemployable " law, and without FMLA, we'd all lose

our

jobs. Thank God Bill Clinton signed the FMLA bill in '93.

Now, when you do take FMLA, request the entire amount of time (you do

not have to use it all), in intermittent events. This will cover you, and

WATCH YOUR DAYS. If anyone goes over the FMLA time, you can lose your job. I

have only used about 10 to 20 days a year, sometimes an hour at a time, a day

at a time, or maybe two days. Depends on what I need. Sometimes, if I'm

running late, I only call in for 15 minutes of FMLA time. You know, you just

have those days where you simply cannot get things - opened, buttoned, put away,

or even dressed - on time. Only people with RA would understand that, and

especially ones with dogs and cats at home, like me. Still gotta feed

everyone and let them out before work.

Well, thank you all for letting me ramble. Sorry for the longish post.

I still have so many questions, so be prepared...

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