What questions do you have for our RA Health Leaders?
World Arthritis Day is October 12, and our Rheumatoid Arthritis Community has a special event in store to help raise awareness and celebrate this incredibly important day.
Below, share questions you have for our RA Health Leaders that they will answer during the live panel discussion. They will focus on diverse treatment experiences, how to get support from others, and how to advocate in medical and social settings.
I was diagnosed with RA 25 yrs. ago. Along with multipule other auto-immune diseases. Now I've been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Am very confused. Anyone in my situation?
what are symptoms of psoriasis arthritis. Please? 
, I'm not , but I wanted to make sure your question got answered. PsA symptoms share a lot of overlap with RA (join paint and swelling, fatigue, etc). You can read more about those symptoms at our sister site dedicated to PsA -- https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/psa-symptoms. I hope this helps and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have further questions about RA or PsA.
Best, Erin, Team Member.
i born with genetic condition, that affect every organ in the body including skin, organs inside, eyes, joints total musculo eskeletal system. so at 23 i got rheumaric fever, osteoartritis, then it came fibromialgia, because of the genetic condition i inherit everything in the book. my condition is call Ehlers Danlon Syndrome, born too with celiac disease, malabsorption syndrome so thats how how everything starter this affect your whole body inside and outside. 7 herniated discs, very damage, a collapse spine, that left me total dependant in a wheelchair, walker, in top of everything, now they diagnose me with rheumatoid arthritis, i already have osteoporosis, osteopenia, and thats why my spine collapse and have compression fracture. i got an infection for three years and no one will care enough to really find out why, it was one tooth that the infection came out through the cheek outside of the mouth, finally i have emergency surgery they took half of my cheek inside of my mouth and they diagnose me with osteonecrosis of the jaw. 4 years later. so my immune system is very compromise. so one thing that no doctor told me, if you have an infection on your teeth and you older and have osteoporosis and take prolia watch it, infection, antibiotics and the infection all together can give osteonecrosis, but every person is different. so we can have more than one condition because our immune system is very compromise.
I had infections in my tooth several times before they finally crumbled. It was a rush to my RA they said and I had to be on an off antibiotics for a while. Finally I had to get implants which pretty much bankrupted me but I had no choice. I even had a jaw infection once and that was super painful so I get it, you are not alone! Keep on keepin’ on, DPM
My sister has RA also. She has something called CREST syndrome too. As I understand (may be wrong but) scleroderma is one of the letters in CREST. Just found out a friend was just diagnosed with Scleroderma. I do not see a site dedicated to Scleroderma and am wondering if there is one that is recommended for people with Scleroderma? Thank you so much
Hi
. First, let me say as the youngest of three brothers, I completely get what you said. Second, yes - Crest is actually considered a less severe form of scleroderma (I know it probably doesn't seem that way to those who have it) and is also known as limited scleroderma. I also want to share with you this page from the National Scleroderma Foundation: https://scleroderma.org/. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) thank you so much Richard - I appreciate the information! I will pass this along! I appreciate it!
I was always the one who "took care" of everything for my family. How do I get them to deal with the fact that I can't do right now and need their help sometimes right now? Thank you
This is a complicated question and one many of us wrestle with every single day. I have lost spouses even over this sort of thing so it’s not an easy fix. The best I have found is that just keep trying to explain to them and above all else don’t get frustrated and lash out. I know, I know, it’s not easy that last part, but every time I get aggravated it just seems to have the opposite of the desired effect. SO I just explain as best I can and in my years I’ve found out that if someone can handle it, they can, and if they can’t there isn’t much you can do to make them. Just know above all else it’s not your fault and you a Hi
. As Daniel said, this is complicated and there is no easy answer. That said, I happen to be the husband of someone with RA (my wife, Kelly Mack is a contributor here) and I can tell you that it can be done. I certainly know that I have no super powers of empathy or understanding. I want to share with you this article from our patient leader Lynn Marie on explaining living with RA to others, as it is one of the best I've seen on this topic: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/disease-explanation. Also, it can be helpful to have someone go with you to a rheumatologist appointment, so they can hear first hand what the disease entails. Hope this information is helpful. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
