Re:Cheryl Dines

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl,

     This is Steph in Charlottesville, VA. I'm 31 and was diagnosed with JRA

with adult persistence in 1999 when I was 22. I was also very fit. I had been a

serious dancer for 10 years when I was dx'd. I started with vicodine,

prednisone, naproxyn, mtx, folic acid & sulfasazine too. In March 2000 I added

Remicade, one of the biologics. I have successful on it for 8.5 years now. Now

my meds are mtx, folic acid and ibuprofen. I also take Flexeril for a pinched

nerve unrelated to my RA. I only take prednisone briefly when I have to go to

the dentist.

     My advice: find a rheumy you trust and go for the biologics. Yes, the list

of potential side effects is scary. But, as you've learned with mtx, most of

them are rare. When I started Remicade, it had only been approved for 1 year.

The risks were really unknown. But the pain I was in was so bad, it was worth

the risk.

    Your days of being active aren't over. I'm not a dancer anymore, but I have

walked in 1 marathon and 1 half marathon with the Arthritis Foundation.

 

Welcome to the group, Cheryl. I hope you find it as helpful as I have over the

past 8 years.

Take care,

Steph in VA

Hi all. I am new to this group and was diagnosed with RA in Dec 07. Being 37

and quite healthy and relatively fit, I have struggled so much with the thought

of having this hideous disease. I take mtx, arava, plaquenil, sulphasalazine

and other supplements to offset the side-effects. What is next? Surely they

can't make me take more? I still experience pain with this past week having it

in my shoulders in addition to hands, feet, knees and ankles! I am so new to

all of this I still don't recognise it until I have pain for several days. Then

I have to take prednisone to try and bring it under control. I tried Mobic but

it doesn't seem to work for me. Just wondering if anyone can give me any advice

on how to cope mentally. I can take the pain, but the thought of deformed

joints and a life of managing a condition just doesn't seem possible.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Steph

It is great to read your story and I am going to take the advice and

try a new Rheumy. I haven't been happy with mine from the start and

after my appointment today, I am changing.

>

> Hi Cheryl,

>      This is Steph in Charlottesville, VA. I'm 31 and was diagnosed

with JRA with adult persistence in 1999 when I was 22. I was also

very fit. I had been a serious dancer for 10 years when I was dx'd. I

started with vicodine, prednisone, naproxyn, mtx, folic acid &

sulfasazine too. In March 2000 I added Remicade, one of the

biologics. I have successful on it for 8.5 years now. Now my meds are

mtx, folic acid and ibuprofen. I also take Flexeril for a pinched

nerve unrelated to my RA. I only take prednisone briefly when I have

to go to the dentist.

>      My advice: find a rheumy you trust and go for the biologics.

Yes, the list of potential side effects is scary. But, as you've

learned with mtx, most of them are rare. When I started Remicade, it

had only been approved for 1 year. The risks were really unknown. But

the pain I was in was so bad, it was worth the risk.

>     Your days of being active aren't over. I'm not a dancer

anymore, but I have walked in 1 marathon and 1 half marathon with the

Arthritis Foundation.

>  

> Welcome to the group, Cheryl. I hope you find it as helpful as I

have over the past 8 years.

>

> Take care,

> Steph in VA

>

> Hi all. I am new to this group and was diagnosed with RA in Dec

07. Being 37 and quite healthy and relatively fit, I have struggled

so much with the thought of having this hideous disease. I take mtx,

arava, plaquenil, sulphasalazine and other supplements to offset the

side-effects. What is next? Surely they can't make me take more? I

still experience pain with this past week having it in my shoulders

in addition to hands, feet, knees and ankles! I am so new to all

of this I still don't recognise it until I have pain for several

days. Then I have to take prednisone to try and bring it under

control. I tried Mobic but it doesn't seem to work for me. Just

wondering if anyone can give me any advice on how to cope mentally.

I can take the pain, but the thought of deformed joints and a life of

managing a condition just doesn't seem possible.

>

>

>

>

>