Being Blessed While Having Rheumatoid Arthritis
Twitter, RA, and Coincidental Blessings
Having Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to depression. We’ve talked about RA and depression before. However, most people with Rheumatoid Arthritis work so hard to stay optimistic that they tend to be quite cheerful. Every day, I am encouraged by the bright and hopeful RA’ers I met.
Sometimes, I don’t even know they are RA’ers – at least at first…
A few weeks ago, I saw a very encouraging tweet on Twitter and looked at the string of authors (re-tweeters). I clicked on the links to the author’s pages one at a time to see whether I might follow any of them. I chose to follow one woman. The lady’s profile page said she was a homeschooler and a writer. Looking over her encouraging tweets, I guessed she was probably a Christian.
Next thing I knew, the woman was commenting on the RA Warrior blog and messaging me about Rheumatoid Arthritis. She’d been diagnosed with RA for 12 years. She assumed I’d heard about her RA and followed her for that reason. I had to tell her: I had NO idea you had RA. I just thought you looked like a sweet person to follow.
Last month, I was tweeting about the Ares rocket launch that was the first step in the experimental system which will lead to the replacement for the Space Shuttle. I live near the Kennedy Space Center and I love all things space. Another space tweeter recommended me as a space tweeter to a third woman who’s an astrophysicist.
I barely had time to notice and enjoy following them back, when I noticed a strange coincidence: a wonderful new comment on the blog with the same name as the lady scientist. You guessed it. She has Rheumatoid Arthritis.
There are times in life when we wonder whether we are on the right track. Other times, it’s more obvious that God is leading us. Writing this blog about Rheumatoid Arthritis can seem like a daunting task at times. It helps immeasurably to see the relationships and connections that follow – often without human orchestration.
Social media has helped me to connect in some extraordinary ways with readers of this blog. There’s a fellow blogger who recently donated toward the expenses of this website. There’s the fantastic surprise I had the other morning when I woke up and found I’d been nominated for Most Educational Person to Follow. (Have you voted today?)And just yesterday, I got a package in the mail from an RA’er who sent me some special socks that I’ll be wearing this morning to my first Orencia infusion.
If you are not already following me on Twitter, you can click on the blue birdie at the top of the page. We have an amazingly supportive and informative Facebook group. If you aren’t a FB Fan yet, there’s a button on the sidebar. And by the way, while you’re over there at the sidebar, click to join this site, too. Have a blessed day. ;D
Recommended reading:
- Parvovirus B-19 and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Who is the real fraud?
- I Failed the Rheumatoid Arthritis Control Quiz
- RA Warrior and “Do Follow”
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I am so glad I decided to use twitter and stumbled upon you! have a wonderful day and enjoy your new socks! they are my addiction ok one of many
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I hope this doesn’t post twice, if so sorry. Wrote long comment that disappeared. Maybe I wasn’t suppose to say those things. (I’ll save it for my personal blog)
Kelly, I’m sure your treatment will be over when you have time for blogging and twittering. Wishing you the very best results.
MissDazey
http://sadiesjourneywithjra.blogspot.com/ – I am linking my site, but also the site we keep for our 12 year old daughter who has been living with JRA for the majority of her life. I also have RA, but don’t write about it, in the face of what my dd faces, my battle seems nothing! I have not ever looked for sites regarding RA, but in the last several weeks I have been looking and came across this site yesterday. Thank you -your writing is amazing and your articles speak so well to many struggles that RAers face! I love that you are talking about how RAers look to be optomistic, what choice do we have?? We have to hold onto hope!! Honestly, life is a gift, it is wonderful and we can’t let RA win!
Thank you!!
http://sadiesjourneywithjra.blogspot.com/ – the above link is our family site and this link here is my 12yr old daugthers site that I keep in regards to her JRA which she had had since she was very young. I just found your site and I love it and appreicate it very much. So much great support and encouraging articles. Thank you!!!
Hey, friend! You’re a sweet one to follow too
I appreciate what you’re doing with this blog. Keep it up! If you ever have doubts, check out the smiling faces of your followers. We’re smiling because you bring us hope right here. Thank you!
I have to agree with you Kelly, it is healthier to be as positive as we can. My RA has made life hard, sometimes even debilitating, but has also created a spirit within me that I never knew existed. I know this will sound a bit bizarre, but what I’ve learned because of it, I would never want to lose. If ever the genius who could remove all signs of my RA, I would still ask don’t take away what rheumatoid arthritis has done to my soul”. RA in many ways has shown me I am a kind person, a person that can understand and listen to others who share this journey of RA, it has made me patient and I revel in the days when my pain is low. I wouldn’t want to give away the perception it has taught me. It’s invaluable and essential to who I am and who I hope to be, along with my enduring husband who has been there for me every step of the way. Don’t get me wrong, I do mourn the healthy person I once was, but I swear to all that is beyond our thinking, even with a disease like RA, we can learn a lot about ourselves and others. I still get irritated and think “why me” every now and then. That is inevitable. When I am down, I get really dark. But now, when I find myself in those moments of despair, I talk myself out of it and take on the monsters of RA. I know it is okay to allow yourself to be unhappy occasionally.
Thanks for letting me sound off ….. Blessings, Ves
Counting my blessings is what makes living with RA so much “better” than the doctors predicted. To heck with them and their doomsday warnings- the wave of positivity we are riding and finding so many others who live this way (both with RA and living a positive life) has been a true blessing for me. <3<3<3
I am so much more positive now that I know I am not alone. Being alone and feeling like you are the only one experiencing these strange and torturous symptoms can be very frightening! Thanks for helping me smile again and be my optimistic and happy self!
You have a wonderful spirit. Good luck with the Orencia!
When the Enbrel stopped working for me, I switched to Orencia. I am doing much better now, but still live with mild pain everyday. That is something I can not control. When I wake up every day, I can choose to be happy or to be mad at the world. That is something I can control.
A dj on a local radio station where I grew up, use to sign off every day by saying “Smile … it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to”.
I love the Kennedy Space Center! I have been there twice, an amazing place. I was there in 88 for the first shuttle launch after the Challenger disaster. The launch was delayed and we had to fly back home the day before it launched.
Terry, it was cool to come home and read that. Right now, we are anxiously awaiting a launch – STS 129. We just raced back from Orlando to watch the launch. After today, there are only 5 launches left. We never miss, but we had to run over for the dentist. I won’t do that again. You won’t be able to get me to risk missing one of the last 5. Gotta go get my camera ready.