Healing...I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I would like to write a note of HOPE to everyone else who lives with this horrible disease day in and out. I was young...reactions2comments
Proving Your Illness to Society...16 years of age, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 14. I cannot believe how young I am myself to have this disease, let alone many other young adults in this...reactions2comments
Chew on this...Eating is such a necessary part of our existence that we often just take it for granted without giving it a whole lot of thought. It is, however, one of...reactionscomments
There are worse things than dying......I never used to think that. Dying was the ultimate. Dying was THE worst thing I could imagine could happen to someone. Until I got sick. Very sick. And then...reactions1comment
I may be young but my body is old....Not long after being born my aunt who's seen arthritis & knows the signs saw it in me. I was an easy going baby unless it rained. Nothing would help...reactions3comments
A Cocktail Full of Hope...My Rheumatoid Arthritis journey started off in early 2011, at the age of 33, with pain in small joints of hands, fingers and wrists. Eventually, over a time span of...reactions4comments
Arthritis is Arthritis... Right?...I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 31 years old. The young internist who diagnosed me way back in 1987 said that that RA was an autoimmune disease. I had...reactions4comments
I lie to you everyday....I lie to you everyday. I lie to strangers. I lie to friends. I lie to family. I lie when I tell you I slept well. I lie when I...reactions9comments
Pencil Me In...There is a lot to hate about rheumatoid arthritis: the pain, swelling and fatigue, the side effects and expense of treatment options, and the fear of what the future with...reactions10comments
Life as I know it......I was diagnosed with RA after months of wrong guesses just before my 36th birthday. I was scared, shocked, and frustrated. It's never easy to hear that you have something...reactions2comments
The Pillow Queen...“Do you really need that many pillows?” I don’t know how many times my husband has asked me that. In spite of being very supportive and compassionate, my husband continues...reactions23comments
It's not me....I could start this story telling you all I've had this for over ten years. Or I could start by saying I am learning to ride a motorcycle and started...reactions1comment
I feel like a crybaby!...I'm 58 years young, and was diagnosed with RA three years ago. Since my diagnosis, I believe I have had RA for well over 10 years, because the pain and...reactions12comments
Living with End Stage RA...According to clinical definitions, I’ve been living with “end stage rheumatoid arthritis” most of my life. Obviously, this phrasing is inadequate to describe my disease, because it may be severe...reactions16comments
elaine...I am 76 yrs old. I had fusion of C1 to T1, then T 10 to L5 with titanium bars screwed to each vertebrae on each side of my spinal...reactions1comment
Living in Rheumaland...Rheumatoid arthritis pain is sneaky. Like a slouching cat creeping up on a mouse, it pounces without warning and sinks its fangs deep into its hapless, unsuspecting prey. That’s me...reactionscomments
Retirement with RA...Ok let me shake things up a bit here. Lots of talk about pain, mixed diagnoses etc...so lets talk about something a bit less serious. I am a male who...reactions3replies
Does Itching Cause Anxiety or Does Anxiety Cause Itching?...Several months ago, I had the displeasure of going to see an immunologist, after my rheumatologist was unable to provide an answer for some severe itching attacks I was having...reactions23comments
Looking Good Vs Feeling Good...Ladies especially, have you found that if you wear makeup, folks you interact with think you are feeling good? If I actually "do" something with my hair and put on...reactions2comments