RE: Re: Newbie question about golf

[Guest guest]

Hi NOrma from Texas,

My RA symptoms started in my hands but Plaquenil has helped.  I am a massage

therapist so they do still hurt at times but from the x rays I do not have any

damage as yet.  I was diagnosed about two years ago.  I painted part of my

kitchen a few months ago.  That sort of gripping seemed to bother my hands more

than my work, but again, no damage, thankfully.  Hope this helps.

________________________________

[Guest guest]

: Thank you very much! My hands hurt now and I just cleaned the house a

bit. they feel sprained by the thumb and some other fingers. Is this what you

get?

Do you find you live your life normally? Did you get dry eyes with RA?

Painting is hard work, but enjoyable. I use to paint my walls a lot, but now

live in an apartment. Do you have problems with your feet. Mine are bothering

me, but only slightly. I worry about it all getting worse and worse. But I

guess your meds kept your RA at bay, I am guessing. Sorry for so many

questions, but I am full of them right now and you are the experts right now.

Thanks again for the response. Sincerely Norma

From: skaye81@...

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:03:13 -0700

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

Hi NOrma from Texas,

My RA symptoms started in my hands but Plaquenil has helped. I am a massage

therapist so they do still hurt at times but from the x rays I do not have any

damage as yet. I was diagnosed about two years ago. I painted part of my

kitchen a few months ago. That sort of gripping seemed to bother my hands more

than my work, but again, no damage, thankfully. Hope this helps.

________________________________

[Guest guest]

May I suggest next time you paint put a tennis ball on the handle. Use fat pens

and the largest grip possible on anything you grasp.

Raniolo

From: Bloomquist <skaye81@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 9:03 PM

 

Hi NOrma from Texas,

My RA symptoms started in my hands but Plaquenil has helped.  I am a massage

therapist so they do still hurt at times but from the x rays I do not have any

damage as yet.  I was diagnosed about two years ago.  I painted part of my

kitchen a few months ago.  That sort of gripping seemed to bother my hands more

than my work, but again, no damage, thankfully.  Hope this helps.

____________ _________ _________ __

[Guest guest]

I'm glad to share this with you but I also need to tell you that the one thing

I've learned in the Group is that every ones condition is different While I my

condition might be fairly typical, it doesn't mean at all your condition will be

the same. Having said that, that's the first thing that you learn about

Rheumatoid Arthritis, your condition can (and probably will) change

dramatically from day to day It takes a while for the medication to work and

to know how you will react to hit As I said, it started in my hands and wrists.

Then I had serious flares in my shoulders, and as is more common than not, I

had issues with the right side, that being my dominate side, from fingers,

hands, and shoulder. In my case, I generally have most my issues with my upper

body, but I have had random issues with my knees and ankles. Many in the group

have issues with their legs and ankles, most of us have had issues with our

hands because it's so difficult not to use them (not that I am speaking for the

Group at all, just in general. The first thing to do is see a Rheumatologist ,

get a treatment plan together, and see how fast you can get stabilized, in my

case it's been almost a year and I am still working on it.

When you are first diagnosed it is overwhelming, the doctors seem so vague and

no one seems to want to commit to what's going to happen. That's really because

no one really knows what's going to happen and that's the most difficult thing

about RA. You have to take it one day at a time and see how it goes. The Group

here offers an amazing amount of support, we all know what you are going

through, but also, we're not doctors We can tell you our experience with certain

medications but it is up to your doctor to decide what those are. You are on the

right track, a fast and aggressive treatment gets the best results for RA, it

also can limits how aggressive the disease will be. Having been diagnosed last

year, I am fortunate that I am getting better, and I expect this trend will

continue. I live on the third floor of my condo building and walk the stairs

every day (but I'm not having issues with my legs). I have no intention of

giving up independent living, nor will it be necessary in the immediate furture

.. Try not to be anxious, and take it one day at a time. RA is not good but it's

not the end of the world. You'll learn to manage quite well and the Group is

here for the support you need. You'll quickly learn that a lot of people don't

" get it, " but here we understand.

Stan,

Seattle, sun!

PS: You can also write to me personally if you need more information.

Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 11:57:01 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific

Subject: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

Stan, you say this is how your RA started?  May I ask how agressive your

RA got after the hands?  Right now I can type and work,  but in the

morning they are stiff and sprainy feeling and the major part goes away

but is still there all day.  I have no major pain, but I can take pain

well.  Where else in your body did the RA attack and what has it kept

you from?  I am asking all these questions because I have my apartment

comig up for renewal and not sure what I need to do.  I want to be

independent and keep working.  But the unknown is totally overwhelming.

Just to hear how others progressed may give me an idea.  Is your

medication helping your RA from progressing very dramatically?  Gee, I

am sure you have been in my position where you are totally lost and all

I have to talk to  is you guys!

Stan, thanks for the info on Tylenol Arthritis...will get some today.  I

am taking Celebrex twice a day now for a previous injury and thankful I

have it until I see the doc.

Thanks, Norma from Texas

[Guest guest]

That's interesting. My " stuff " started with one swollen finger. My PCP

looked at it and asked if there was any RA in my family. She was right

on the ball, because even after it had spread to all my fingers and

really badly to my shoulders, my first rheumy still got it wrong at

first.

Sue

On Jul 23, 2009, at 1:03 PM, D. wrote:

> Hi Norma! All my 'stuff' started with a sore finger and then became

> all my fingers and wrists.

[Guest guest]

Multiple flares in borth shoulders are the worst, makes me feel like a bag of

potatoes.

Stan

Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 1:35:55 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

That's interesting. My " stuff " started with one swollen finger. My PCP  

looked at it and asked if there was any RA in my family. She was right  

on the ball, because even after it had spread to all my fingers and  

really badly to my shoulders, my first rheumy still got it wrong at  

first.

Sue

On Jul 23, 2009, at 1:03 PM, D. wrote:

> Hi Norma!  All my 'stuff' started with a sore finger and then became  

> all my fingers and wrists.

[Guest guest]

That's a great I idea, if it doesn't work at least you'll be able to find every

possible position there is that you can't sleep in!

Stan

Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 4:19:30 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific

Subject: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

Oooo - I hear you on that one, Stan! And it totally stinks trying to sleep -

hurts on either side and flat on my back hurts my lower back, with a pillow

under my legs hurts my legs - can't do the stomach with this knotted up hernia.

I'm seriously considering an adjustable bed!.....Doreen

 

 Multiple flares in both shoulders are the worst, makes me feel like a bag of

potatoes.

 

 Stan

[Guest guest]

Norma, RA presents differently for everyone. I woke up one morning with

every joint and muscle hurting. I immediately went to my PCP who diagnosed

it right away. Back then, during a flare, I could contain the pain with

plain aspirin. It got really aggressive quickly, and in 3 years, I was in

bed full-time, and in the next few years I was homebound. Now I'm using MTX

and Humira, and use Morphine for pain, and it's not always good enough.

Dennis in eastexas

On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 1:57 PM, nwms3165 <nwms3165@...> wrote:

>

>

>

> Stan, you say this is how your RA started? May I ask how agressive your

> RA got after the hands? Right now I can type and work, but in the

> morning they are stiff and sprainy feeling and the major part goes away

> but is still there all day. I have no major pain, but I can take pain

> well. Where else in your body did the RA attack and what has it kept

> you from? I am asking all these questions because I have my apartment

> comig up for renewal and not sure what I need to do. I want to be

> independent and keep working. But the unknown is totally overwhelming.

> Just to hear how others progressed may give me an idea. Is your

> medication helping your RA from progressing very dramatically? Gee, I

> am sure you have been in my position where you are totally lost and all

> I have to talk to is you guys!

>

> Stan, thanks for the info on Tylenol Arthritis...will get some today. I

> am taking Celebrex twice a day now for a previous injury and thankful I

> have it until I see the doc.

>

> Thanks, Norma from Texas

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with Dennis, it's very difficult to predict what will happen on an

individual basis. We just all hope for the best and deal with what comes on a

daily basis.

Stan

Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 4:14:16 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Newbie question about golf

Norma, RA presents differently for everyone. I woke up one morning with

every joint and muscle hurting. I immediately went to my PCP who diagnosed

it right away. Back then, during a flare, I could contain the pain with

plain aspirin. It got really aggressive quickly, and in 3 years, I was in

bed full-time, and in the next few years I was homebound . Now I'm using MTX

and Humira , and use Morphine for pain, and it's not always good enough.

Dennis in eastexas

On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 1:57 PM, nwms3165 <nwms3165@ hotmail .com> wrote:

>

>

>

> Stan, you say this is how your RA started? May I ask how agressive your

> RA got after the hands? Right now I can type and work, but in the

> morning they are stiff and sprainy feeling and the major part goes away

> but is still there all day. I have no major pain, but I can take pain

> well. Where else in your body did the RA attack and what has it kept

> you from? I am asking all these questions because I have my apartment

> comig up for renewal and not sure what I need to do. I want to be

> independent and keep working. But the unknown is totally overwhelming.

> Just to hear how others progressed may give me an idea. Is your

> medication helping your RA from progressing very dramatically? Gee, I

> am sure you have been in my position where you are totally lost and all

> I have to talk to is you guys!

>

> Stan, thanks for the info on Tylenol Arthritis...will get some today. I

> am taking Celebrex twice a day now for a previous injury and thankful I

> have it until I see the doc.

>

> Thanks, Norma from Texas