Should I make lifestyle changes
I'm a 63-year-old retiree diagnosed with RA about five years ago. I've tried various medications, with Humira initially helping but eventually becoming ineffective. Enbrel is working well now. A major challenge is having a compromised immune system, especially with my wife's family being anti-vax. I enjoy family gatherings but avoid them during flu season due to health concerns. This often causes tension.
I'm wondering how protective I should be with RA and if there are lifestyle changes to consider.
Hello,
. First, let me say, I am sorry to hear of the challenges you're managing between your RA, having a compromised immune system, and extended family being anti-vax. It can be incredibly tricky to manage family relationships any day, but having health concerns adds another whole layer to the complications. Good for you for avoiding them when you need to take care of yourself, despite the tension. You do need to do what is best for yourself and your health!
As far as how protective you should be, I would definitely talk with your doctor (if you haven't already) about precautions and any lifestyle changes. An added bonus might be that you can blame your doctor for being cautious with family members, "Oh, my doctor said not to do A, B, C, in order to take care of my health."
That being said, I hope some of our community members here who are in similar situations can chime in and share their precautions and lifestyle changes with you. Our advocate, Nan, wrote about precautions (during the height of the 2020 pandemic) that you might be interested in, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/avoiding-germs. Even though it's written about Covid, she also writes about how precautious she was even before that time.
Keep doing what you feel comfortable with! I applaud you for taking care of yourself and your health. Wishing you a gentle day. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)Sorry to hear your dilemma. It’s so hard to deal with family and friends who don’t understand our need to protect ourselves. My situation is very similar. I even had to quit going to church during Covid because so many refused to wear masks. Thankfully, services were streamed for me to watch at home.
