Would like to hear positive stories bwe all know how bad it is so we have to live in hope of it gett

Hi . This is an excellent point about the need for hope. I know that people with the worst cases of RA can still live full, happy lives because I see it everyday. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), was diagnosed at age two, 45 years ago - before modern treatments, with the damage to show for it. She has used a wheelchair since her teens. She also went to college, got a graduate degree, has a great career and loves to travel and spend time with friends and family. I was just telling her rheumatologist earlier this week that she gets me to do things I probably wouldn't otherwise. Also, five years ago she started a new treatment that brought her inflammation numbers into the normal range for the first time - hope is real. In addition, our patient leader Lynn Marie wrote this article on the positive attributes that she credits to life with RA: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/positive-attributes. I can think of a number of other positive stories and situations and I hope others will chime in with their thoughts and experiences. Wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member)