Archive for the ‘For the newly diagnosed’ Category
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Hey Superman! Does Accepting Limitations Make Us Weaker?
Katie Beth and I got in Monday night from a weekend with other warriors in Houston where I was able to speak about being an empowered patient. That immediately followed an e-Patient Boot Camp talk in Orlando with e-Patient Dave. Preparations and traveling drain so much time and energy that I haven’t been able to [...]
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Rituxan Decision: Serving Humanity or Taking Care of the Patient (Me)
This is one of those rare posts about my personal medical journey, a Professional patient post. That’s kind of a warning in case I use the word “I” too many times to be polite. It’s crunch time. No one can decide but me. About a year ago I hit the end of the line with [...]
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The Consequences of Not Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Sometimes people ask me whether taking treatment for RA matters. Over the last couple of years, I’ve answered dozens of emails with this question, posted on Facebook last week: “What are the consequences of not treating RA?” Why patients wonder about not treating Rheumatoid Arthritis Since I live with RA myself, I know the validity [...]
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The Mouse in My Pocket: We Are Not All Alone
RA can be Isolating. Even with loved ones, we might feel lonely because they don’t know what we’re going through. Our friends can’t visualize the ice-pick that’s stabbing us or appreciate what it’s like to move around in cookie dough all the time. Being alone is not all bad, but feeling cut-off sucks Being alone [...]
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My Dear Friend Renoir: a Poem on Life with RA
This poem is one reader’s sentiment about fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis after the model of Renoir. by Eveira Prados What a shame I felt and I still feel, When the contemplation of quitting invaded my mind. Thoughts that keep telling me, “What a mess!” “Is this real?” “How am I going to survive?” I took the [...]
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Rheumatology Blog Carnival #2: How Can Diagnosis Be Improved?
Welcome to the second ever rheumatology carnival, a blog carnival on diseases of rheumatology such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and Juvenile Arthritis. You are in for such a treat. I hope you’ll take time to read each of the blogs that was submitted. What would improve diagnosis of RA or [...]
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The Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Mystery
Mysterious flares For me, a Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis was a very long process. From the teen years on, sudden painful flares attacked my hands, feet, hips, and shoulders – only I had no idea they were called flares. The whole process seemed rather comical, like a scene from a Dick Van Dyke episode: healthy girl [...]
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Newly Diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis Map
Lately, I’m getting more mail and messages from the newly diagnosed. Rheumatoid Arthritis is such a complicated diagnosis to handle. There is so much to figure out, I’ve often joked that we ought to get a degree and little letters after our name: RA. Answering emails and messages is an enjoyable part of my day [...]
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