Rheumatoid Arthritis and work…I am NOT unemployable!
I think it’s time I addressed a few of the other impacts of rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve written a little bit of an overview here. I’ve written a little bit about why I can’t get a real job. All of that still stands. But I still am capable of working. I just have some specific needs. [...]
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Enbrel and wanting the fairy tale
I wanted the fairy tale. Remission. Pain free…or at least low disease activity. Immediately. The happily ever after that does in fact happen sometimes with biological dmards. Why not me? The day after my first shot of Enbrel I felt amazing arthritis–wise. Pain was mild…at least 50% reduction. Very little stiffness…and I had energy. I [...]
Rheumatoid Arthritis and maybe Enbrel is working???
I haven’t wanted to write this post. I don’t want to call it too soon. So I will refrain from saying what I am thinking. I’ll just say this. I had my first Enbrel shot one week ago. The day following the shot, I had very little pain. The next two days were slightly worse, [...]
Rheumatoid Arthritis and I have Enbrel in my fridge!
I have in my fridge right now, a one month supply of Enbrel (etanercept). I can barely believe it. I have been working towards this for years. I have all the available read the studies I could find on biological dmards, learned which ones have been proven effective on their own (some work far better [...]
Rheumatoid Arthritis and losing hope
For the last month I have been very quiet, mostly because I found myself getting to a point where I was losing hope. Depression was starting to sink in. I believe almost everyone who suffers moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis will suffer some depression at some point. For me, it happens when I lose hope. [...]
Rheumatoid Arthritis and pain – pain and happiness are not mutually exclusive
I gave up any expectation of ever having another day without pain a few years ago. This doesn’t mean I gave up. It was actually a liberating experience. It allowed me to stop wishing for things I can’t have, and start finding ways to make the best of what I still DO have. Once I [...]
Things Rheumatoid Arthritis has taught me
RA has been a teacher. Not my favourite way to learn, I’ll admit. But I have learned a lot. I, like many it seems, used to be a Type A, in charge, 25 hours in a day kind of person. I had a good career, two children, one of whom is on the Austism Spectrum. [...]
What does a Rheumatoid Arthritis flare feel like?
The thing to understand about inflammatory arthritis pain is that it’s always there. It’s not like muscle pain that happens when you use the muscle, or a broken bone that hurts when you use the limb. Arthritis pain is constant. There’s no comfy position to get into so that it doesn’t hurt. I have pain [...]
A day in the life of Rheumatoid Arthritis
2am. I am awake because there is pain all over my body. My ankles and knees are aching. I want to throw off the sheet because it feels too heavy. But it is cold, so I keep it over me. My electric blanket is on, in the hope that the heat will help ease the [...]
You know you have Rheumatoid Arthritis when…
1. You know you have Rheumatoid Arthritis when you are too sick to get to work, even though you work at home. 2. You know you have Rheumatoid Arthritis when the first 4 ‘favourites’ in your GPS navigator are medical specialists. Your GP/primary care doc isn’t in the list because you see him so often [...]
