Comments on: 3 Reasons to Stop Saying “Complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis”

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:14:12 +0000

Pamela, there’s no way to tell you how encouraging you are to me. I’ll just tell you it is always needed & appreciated; never wasted. I hate when there is concrete in the veins – but I love the word picture.

By: Pamela Montgomery

Pamela Montgomery — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:03:50 +0000

I love the analogy – It is similar to one I use to explain the fatigue to my husband – I tell him it is like someone poured concrete through my veins!

I hope you are doing well today Kelly!

Thank you as always!

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:02:40 +0000

Pamela, I’m so glad you came thru that ok. It sounds kind of scary. You must have been thrilled to talk to that dr whose wife has RA – the next best thing to a dr who’s had RA. I’m pretty down tonight too since I can’t move. Feels like I’m in cement up to my eyballs. Ouch.

By: Pamela Montgomery

Pamela Montgomery — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:30:55 +0000

“Complications” I agree with your phrasing – RA IS complicated. Everything about it is Complicated – but the things it can cause are NOT complications, they are a part of the disease. I was in the hospital last week with what at first was thought to be an abdominal obstruction. I kept telling the doctors, the nurses anyone who came near me that I KNOW part of this is RA, I tried to explain that the internal inflammation was RA, that the high white blood cell count was high every time I have my blood work done. They were ready to do surgery to remove an obstruction that wasn’t there. FINALLY the CT SCAN showed that the obstruction was getting smaller (thank goodness it was before they cut me!) I have a lot of scar tissue from several surgeries in my abdominal area and when I got the inflammation it pressed against my stomach and intestines. I am usually up and positive but this past week I was SO DOWN due to the ignorance of doctors (until an older doctor finally listened to me because his wife has RA) – either way I am rambling a bit here but RA is complicated, living with RA is complicated, making people understand what you are dealing with is complicated, but the symptoms are just that – not complications………….Thanks for listening to my ramble tonight – tomorrow will be a brighter day!

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:14:36 +0000

a hand disease?! My RA hit me in every part of my body; I woke up one morning and everything hurt!

Let’s hope the new standards and definitions of RA help educate people on what we deal with on a daily basis.

Also, I thought you might find this interesting:

A while back I looked up arthritis in the old family encyclopedia and was curious how it was defined. In the 1958 World Book Encyclopedia RA is refered to as rheumatism (chronic rheumatism). The only treatments then were warm dry climate, diet, hot baths, massage, passive motion exercise, and heat treatments.

Thanks for your RA Warrior posts! You always have great info.

By: Brandy

Brandy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:49:28 +0000

I hope Mallen was joking about the flat ..wow.
Anyways I wanted to thank you for all that have written. I am newly diagnosed and seeking answers. I think I have learned more reading here than any web med site. My family doctor sure doesn’t know squat! My rheumatologist cancelled on my first visit (she’s pregnant) so I’m still patiently waiting. Until then I read and learn, anything to distract me. Glad I found you, thanks again!
Brandy

By: Mallen

Mallen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:37:42 +0000

RA is real complicated disease. It is definately not cut and dried. I may have a “complication” of RA called Felty’s syndrome. Apparently only about 1% of RA sufferers get it. I see my rheumatologist tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a productive visit.

Mallen

(PS sorry about your flat, that sucks!)