Surgery May be Part of Your Battle With RA...A sixth RA-related surgery is scheduled for a few weeks. The goal is to remove damaged bone and tendon in the elbow and to reattach tendons to the joint using...reactions3comments
Understanding Clinical Trials...A clinical trial is a research study that is conducted to determine whether a specific medical intervention, such as a treatment, device, procedure, or change in behavior is safe and...reactionscomments
Painkiller Injection Gets FDA Approval...An article on Reuters caught my eye the other day about a new painkiller injection getting approved by the FDA: Hospira's non-opioid painkiller gets FDA approval. With the federal government...reactionscomments
Coping with a Flare...Woke up this morning and a flare hit me like a brick. I tried to go to work today but couldn't even manage to dress myself. Life is getting harder...reactions11repliesSymptoms
All This from A Spider Bite...Three years ago while working in our yard I was bitten by a common spider. Little did I know what was in store for me. First were the huge bumps...reactionscomments
Contemplating Goals for 2015...During 2014 I made some good progress on my health goals, starting with gaining strength and improving my walking. In the spring I started Enbrel and my CRP (a blood...reactionscomments
Tired...My grandmother had sever RA and passed when I was 13. She was bed ridden For those 13 years with it. I started experience fatigue and joint pain at 13...reactions2comments
Fighting the ra fight...I have been fighting RA for 20 years. I was in my early 30's when I was put on methotrexate. I am 56 and now on xeljanz, and piroxicam. I...reactionscomments
Starting ACTEMRA...Hello all! So I'm starting a new biologic this month--the first time in a long time. I've been on Remicade continuously for the last eight years. My doctor and I...reactions4repliesTreatment
These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, Aren’t They?...A Barbie doll’s feet are made for female fashion footwear. Ironically, the human foot is not. Yet, in spite of the foot and back problems that plague many women, it...reactions15comments
Flare in Ankles...Hello all, I am experiencing a flare that causes pain in the inside and outside of ankles and down the sides of feet. There's not much swelling. It is a...reactions4replies
Confusing symptoms...I have read that there are very few lupus/ra patients and understand that some symptoms are very general and could characterize the majority of different autoimmune connective tissue diseases, but...reactions2repliesSymptoms
New Year's Intentions...The other day I was going through the overflowing myriad of stuff in my e-mail inbox and I paused to look at an e-mail I received from a yoga studio...reactions3comments
The very confusing world of autoimmune diseases...I am a 44 year old RN...I have not been told that I have RA by a Rheumatologist, but my positive RA factor and symptoms and my primary MD all...reactions9comments
Only as Strong as My Weakest Joint...I’m gripping the walker tightly, listening to my heartbeat thumping. My thoughts are racing, but I grab onto one: “I will make it down this hallway.” The only problem is...reactions2comments
Never seeming to get anywhere...Hello, I was ms-diagnosed for so many years that when I finally did get the right diagnosis, it was bad. I was told that I have the more aggressive form...reactions2repliesTreatment
Counting My Blessings: Healthful Practices...While the holidays can be wonderful, all the holiday cheer can also highlight the aspects of our lives that make it hard to feel cheerful. RA can bring out the...reactions3comments
Lucky me!...I'm one of the lucky ones with this disease. I wasn't diagnosed till I was 42 which means I had 42 years of health. I was extremely healthy. I had...reactions12comments
The Unwelcome Premonition...In my late twenties, a lady who worked in the same building as me, someone I barely knew, came up to me one day and told me she was psychic...reactions7comments
Counting My Blessings: Good Days...While the holidays can be wonderful, all the holiday cheer can also highlight the aspects of our lives that make it hard to feel cheerful. RA can bring out the...reactions2comments
