I am 63 year old female. I've had RA for 20 years. I've been taking Enbrel for quite a few years and getting by ok. About 6 weeks ago I got a cold which developed into a bad cough (which I am prone to). I got antibiotics from my gp and stopped taking Enbrel temporarily. After 2 or 3 weeks my cough was getting better but my RA pain was getting worse so I had a dose on Enbrel. The next day or two my cough set in again, worse this time. Another 2 or 3 weeks past with no Enbrel, and my RA was getting worse (but I feared being hospitalized with pneumonia as happened 4 years ago). I got another round of antibiotics. Then Friday, when I was at work, my RA suddenly flared up badly--all my joints became very painful. I could barely walk or get out of a chair. I had to ask a colleague to drive my car around to the door. I made it home and up the stairs with great difficulty. I had some predisone tablets and took about 20mg, but the next morning I was worse. I made it out to the living room and sat in a chair. But I could not get up. Fortunately my husband was home. There was no way to get in touch with my RA doctor on the weekend. Eventually we decided to call an ambulance. There was no way I could get up and walk down the stairs. Nothing like this had happened to me before so it was very scary. At the hospital they gave me an injection of prednisone and some morphine, and my husband took me home. I was able to make it up the stair with great difficulty. It is the next day now. I was quite a bit better this morning. I can get out of a chair and walk across the room. But I feel very shaky and weak. I've lost a lot of confidence. I guess I'm scared I won't ever get better. The good news is my cough is almost gone and I have started up my Enbrel. But will it every make we the way I was just a few days ago? I was certainly not an athlete, but I could at least walk slowly and get around. I'm just scared.