RA Is Not “arthritis”: a PSA on Rheumatoid Arthritis
Not syrupy sweet, but a Public Service Announcement on Rheumatoid Arthritis
This video was not created to encourage patients, so it’s not all warm and fuzzy. Rather, this video is a short public service announcement with a distinct purpose: To tell the public that Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that is distinct from “arthritis” (what’s now called osteoarthritis or OA).
Did you ever want to tell the world that RA is not the same as their elderly grandmother’s arthritis? Did you ever feel like commercials make RA treatment look easy? Ever want to tell the world it’s not? Now’s our chance!
Mission Possible
I hope you’ll watch the video, but you probably already know the truth about RA. If this is important to you, please help broaden our reach! As a video gets more popular, it shows up when people search for information on RA.
- We can each post the video on our Facebook or Twitter page once in a while.
- If you have a blog of your own, feel free to embed the video there. (The copyright for the text and the music is all included so don’t worry about anything.)
- After you watch it here, you can watch it on YouTube & press LIKE there to increase its rating.
- You can also use the email this post button below to send this page to someone.
There are a couple of more PSA’s in the works already, but I’d love to hear your ideas about what we should tell the world next!
Recommended reading:
- Win a Hoodie in the Newsletter Contest!
- Having a Cuppa Together: a Rheumatoid Arthritis Meme
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Joint Protection
- Comparison of Biologics for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Pingback: Tweets that mention RA Is Not “arthritis”: a PSA on Rheumatoid Arthritis | Don't miss this! | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior -- Topsy.com
Loved the video. Just one side comment, the slides passed by so fast I could not read most of them.
hi kelly,
short but very informative…i’m gonna post the video in my FB account… :-))
have a blessed week…
Kelly – after watching your video you tube took me to “Another Hope: Rheumatoid Arthritis Infusion Therapy (2 of 2)”. I gave it a try.
Wow! It seems that “arthritis” is a piece of cake and with a simple and comfy infusion treatment (look at that chair!) I’ll become the next tri-athlete.
I was wondering if you and others could share what an infusion is like (I never had one myself). Is it like what they have on this video? Are the results of the video typical results?
Thanks..
LOL. That is so funny Alberto.
The infusion process? What a great question. I’ll write more about this. It does depend on the medicine. Some treatments have virtually no side effects & little risk of allergy so it is really easy IF you have a good infusion nurse who is gentle & skilled. Other Biologics are more prone to side effects or allergic response so the patient is given benedryl & / or steroids before the Biologic. As far as that video, it depends on the infusion center – some are really nice w/ wifi & comfy chairs. Others are more small or cold. It depends on the staff too. I will write a post on this really soon.
GREAT JOB KELLY!!!!! Thanks for putting this together….I took the email form of this and forwarded it to all in my address book asking them to pass it on… :-))
Thank you, Nancy!
Hi Kelly,
Great video and some very goo information! I will definitely do my part to share.
If I could make one request though, it would be to give a few more seconds on the pages with all the stats/text. I’m a pretty fast reader and even I couldn’t get more than the first 10 words or so.
Keep up the great work and the fight!
We’ll see what we can do. 🙂
My favorite part? Dancing through dinner parties! GREAT JOB. I’d applaud if I could, instead I just press LIKE everywhere I can.
Rachel,
I only got those remarks from their TV commercials. Lol. Thank you!
Brilliant work Kelly, thank you so much. I’ve shared on FB and Twitter.
Thanks!
Kelly, this is great! I wish the pause on the pics had been a little longer. I had to watch repeatedly to see them.
Thanks for all you do while fighting RA yourself!!!!!!
Thank you Shirley. I’ll slow it down more next time.
Brilliant work Kelly, thank you so much. Have shared on FB and Twitter.
Great PSA but I do have one suggestion, can you slow down the scrolls? It is almost to fast to read. I would like to express my sincere thanks for all you do.
Thanks Dee.
Great video Kelly. Would like to see the text portion of the video hold just a little longer but otherwise great!!!
Thanks Mary. I’ll try.
Once again great job Kelly. Will be posting and sharing as soon as I get on computer tonight. Too hard trying to do things on the phone.XO
Thanks Lois. God bless.
Like everyone else I love the video, definately need to slow down the text and pic’s for easier read and more impact with the pics.
Sorry I had email wrong on post. Can’t wait to share this PSA first one is going to be my Co worker who whines and complains every ache and pain she has is excruciating. Yesterday she whined all day because the corner of her mouth her lips were chapped and cracked and the pain was so horrible to openher mouth! ARGH!!!!!
What a great comercial! bring it on! we need to tell the world the true facts thankyou
THANKS!! Grace.
OK OK.. I think Kelly heard about of the frames already!
😀
Good job! I’m done trying to explain RA to other people. It is easier to just say “I’m fine.” We need more of this out there…keep it up!
I do the same a lot Kelli. I understand. Hopefully this will be a model & we’ll see the truth on TV / online commercials where people will have to see it.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I will be sharing this with my “friends” and family. You are so to the point and informational. Again, thank you.
Love , Kristi
Thank YOU Kristi. :heart:
Kelly,thank you for putting together a highly succinct and accurate video about the “true RA”, not the wishywashy, dreamworld version. Of course, it brought tears to my eyes. How many years have I, and so many other RAers lived with the guilt and fear and misunderstanding of this disease’s inaccurate portrayal??!!! Thank you for all your advocacy efforts. God bless you.
Dearest Julie,
Thank you for watching & for sharing. I had no idea you had those struggles any more. You are the strongest cheerleader for everyone. God bless you too :beauty:
Great video. I’ve been saying this for years. If you could slow it down a little to get the visuals of the effects & treatment that would be great. What an awesome job. Should be posted on Dr. Oz’s website. We need awareness.
Thanks, Lesa.
Very nicely done.
Thank you, Melissa.
Thank you, Kelly! I have already shared this on my Facebook. You did a nice job with this video!
Thanks Phyllis! 🙂
Kelly I’ve thought about this all day. This video is excellent and enormously important but I’m joining some other posters in saying the images go by too fast especially the one showing patients and damage. People need a few seconds to look at each image in that one slide alone. So I’m pretty much begging you to edit this video and make it quite a bit slower. The video is just so good and important that however awkward it is, I think a revision will be worth the difficulty. It’s the best thing to explain RA that’s ever been made.
Hi Jay,
I’ll do another one or re-make this one as soon as I’m able. I’m not able to do much right now with the ACR & some other things right on my lap now.
Yes, great video PSA. And in one minute and twenty seconds! Can you speed up the portions of your speaking a little bit faster in order to add more time to the graphics? Also, speaking a good bit louder too. I think this can be done while still keeping the same tone. Just needs some practice. 🙂 Would be great if you could get all that into sixty seconds so it could be run as a commercial on TV! Send it over to the ACR, and to the drug companies. Way to go Girl!
Excellent Kelly, I posted this on my fb page and I’m hoping people will watch and post on their page. Unfortunately, not many respond when I post something about RA. Not fun for them, I guess. I watched a few more video’s on “you tube” about RA after watching yours. Pretty disappointing. They say RA mostly affects the joints of the hands and feet, but can affect organs such as the lungs and heart. I’m always disappointed in this because large joints are affected in most people and especially true for me. I am feeling discouraged at the moment about spreading awareness because of the responses I get. On the bright side, close family members finally seem to be getting it! It takes time and patience. BTW, I did not see my knee on the video, 😉 wink, too many hands, which emphasize again the misleading, RA is a hand disease theory. Thanks for all your hard work and patience in spreading awareness.
Loved the PSA Kelly!..I have a dilema though…I want to post this on my FB page but an old friend has it filled with her breast cancer stuff..Dont get me wrong..i have compasion for her and all the others but she has none for me and my RA! So if i do post it theyre gonna think im trying to get one up on her! Im not! I hate being a chicken since my ra came out of remission but thats what i am now! Any thoughts on how i can handle this? Thanks Kelly!
Judi,
This is exactly who this PSA is aimed at, THEM! My sister had a mastectomy in July. In no way did one disease “out shine” another! We may not have great knee joints, but we still have back bone. post it!! POST IT! Go Judi GO!
It is your page right? After all it is not her BC awareness bulletin board. If you still feel uncomfortable, wait until her posts have gotten bumped to the bottom or gone (you can make this happen quickly, lol), then post this video.
Judi, I wouldn’t think you were trying to One up on me if I were your friend. Hopefully, she wont think that. I’m so glad for the friends I have who do understand. It was uncomfortable sharing with them at first since I felt like I’m complaining… but I’m so glad for those few who “get it.”
My friend is going through breast cancer right now too, but it has actually opened her up and made her realize what we with RA go through. I explained to her that we take chemo too and that a lot of us go through the infusions, the hair loss the nausea the pain the fevers…and everything else. It really made her understand more and she was grateful to get a glimpse at what our life is like. I say post it, but I do understand how hard that is.
Kelly
The video is well done. Good job. After you play it there are other google videos and if you look six over there is the McDougall diet that will cure us all if we will only listen. I really appreciate what you are doing. Misconceptions abound. My wife tries so hard to understand that you can see the frustration in her face. It is a lot more than a trip to the health food store, a Tai Chi lesson, an aspirin, a new diet, or even a new attitude can fix. Hope you are feeling a bit better these days.
Phil
Kelly, great video. I’ve gone to YouTube to view it and left a comment, and will use it on my blog soon.
The only suggestion I have, besides make more of these, is too allow more time to read the screens. I’ve had 3 concussions from racing, I’m a slow reader. lol
Thanks all of you for your support! When i first found this site i read a womans post. She was saying how she hurrys back to this site where she feels safe! That has stuck with me and brought me back also for a safe place to talk about Rheumatiod! We have to have awareness so others can live with understanding and support! Not being thought of as being a hypercondriac and feeling its safer to keep our mouths shut! As i do feel with my friends! Its being able to talk without being judged! Its just time and we have to figure out how to do this Now! Thanks to my real friends!
I was very interested to read one of the viewer comments saying they had suffered from hives. I suffered from hives for 3 years before being diagnosed with RA about 5 years ago.
Hi Matthew, Yes, hives & rashes are not universal by any means but they do happen w/ RA. I had strange symmetrical rashes at onset also. What is Florida Collocation?
Kelli..Hope ur taking care of yourself while in Atlanta..You do understand my position..This friend is catty and would make me out to trying to take the limelight..Which is so untrue! I dont like being in the limelight..I will find another way for awareness besides FB. I appreciate all the advise..You have created a pdf to print out. That would be great to start with. Thanks Kelli Judi
Hey Judith, you do what you are comfortable with – that’s my opinion. What is best for you. You are welcome to the pdf or print anything from here if you want to give it to someone. The situation you describe is common & why most of us are so private about our suffering. We can just do the best we can. :heart:
I’ve posted the link on my Facebook. I can’t even define how I feel. I realise that I don’t know enough about the disease and the impact on me and mine. I just know that I had tears while watching it.
Thank you for finding the energy to make this video.
x
I shed a few tears when I realized it wasn’t going to be at all like the commercials and not even close to the “manageable” point my Doctors had lead me to believe. This site has saved me many times. I’ve read and reread many articles. I have even practiced saying some things aloud, just to be sure my Dr. will hear me without interruption. I hope you find the help you need here.
Wow. This is what we need people to hear.
Thank you! 🙂
The words go by a little to fast people are telling me it’s hard to read it. Great video though thanks Kelly
That’s feel good comment, thanks Tara! It’s nice to hear when people do “get it”. I wish it was more often, but I really think the tide is turning. I personally have received a few apologies from my friends. And it can overwhelming after being, not mis-understood, but not understood.
Great video I and I shared it on FB. I would slow it down a wee bit. I have been wanting to do a PSA or video on RA. My daughter is currently doing a project for school and the concept is similar to a video the band did for it and I thought it would be a good PSA. The concept is what would you say if you knew your life was down to minutes and people hold a sign up stating what they would say. I think having people of every age holding a sign up that defines them or states their current age, age of diagnosis, statistics, joint deformities, surgical scars etc. would be a good one. Before my friend I worked with in producing my corporate videos passed away we were always going to work on a documentary about RA to pitch to Cable. Specifically his contacts at Discovery Health. I would love to work with someone on this.
Melanie, Please email me about your ideas. I’m planning more & I’d love to talk. The point of this project is to show that it *can* be done. Even if it’s done on the “kitchen table” like mine, it shows that it’s possible. kelly @ rawarrior.com
Thank you for this video! My husband has psoriatic arthritis, not RA, but I can relate to this. I get tired of people saying, “Oh, yeah. I’ve got a touch of arthritis in my hands like you.” I will definitely be sharing this on my blog.
Thanks! Yes, I’ve read your blog a few times so I know about your husband’s PsA. Is he using Humira? Doing any better? I actually thought of you earlier today announcing a first #rheum blog carnival for RA, JRA, PsA, AS. Nothing spectacular – we are just going to respond to the questions I raised in this post – click here. If you (or anyone else) are interested, you can email me your link at kelly @ rawarrior.com
This is an excellent real and to the point advertisement. I hope people will someday ‘get it’.
THANKS LINDA!
I definitely feel like the pictures have to be slowed down… I had my hubby ( non RA’er) look at the video, and he wasn’t able to comprehend the full effect of the pics…. please slow this down… it was however a FANTASTIC video on RA….Keep up the good work Kelly…. you do such an awesome job…..
Pingback: Rheumatoid Arthritis: Why Don’t People “Get It?” « Wellness With a Side of Life, Please
Thank you for all you do Kelly.
:heart: thanks
Thank you Kelly!
Calling all readers – Out of all of us there has to be a marketing or producer or video editing expert… I am not suggesting that the PSA needs to be ‘professional’ as I love the kitchen table idea, BUT we absolutely want this to be successful. Thank you Melanie for offering your info and interest. Anyone else?
Unfortunately it isn’t my area of expertise, but I did notice like others that the speed was fast and the sound seemed low… I am wondering if the ‘word/picture’ slides should have some commonality such as a similar background or frame. The story is correct, how to give it more punch!? I don’t recall the name of the recent follower who shared her hands and feet pics, but maybe she could have a segment. People need to know that RA is NOT cured.
Can you tell I am passionate about this;)? I too was one who saw the commercials and was given bs by my doc. It was devastating to find out the truth.
Fabulous video! If I hear one more person tell me how much it sucks for “us” to have “our” aches and pains – no, what sucked and continues to suck is/was being diagnosed at 15 months old with RA, 23 surgeries, being life flighted in a helicopter twice, seizures and permanent neurological damage because of the RA…I could go on and on. THAT’S what sucks. “Aches and pains” are the least of it.
Kelly Thank you, once again you’re telling it like it is, not like the outside world sees it.
Keep up the good work.
Those commercials really got my hopes up! They should be outlawed!
like the info in the PSA- a suggestion for the next one would be to sit in front of a plain wall so you stand out more, also, the text changes too quickly, I couldn’t read it before it proceeded to the next one.
Keep up the good work, Kelly, you are desparately needed and appreciated by all of us who are fighting this fight with you.
The message is good but it runs so fast you cannot read the pages. Slow it down.
Great PSA! I can’t tell you how many times people have compared my RA to their Grandmother’s arthritis. I was diagnosed in 1997 and it has been a roller coaster since. RA is a disease that is hard to explain to those who don’t have it. No one can understand how you can walk normally one day and limp the next! I love your website too! Thanks for getting the info out there.
God bless you for making this PSA. I was diagnosed with RA 17 yrs ago. Even my current primary care Dr. said he didn’t believe I had RA because my hands were not deformed. (something to look forward to!) My husband has told me that everyone has arthritis.
It’s time to end the ignorance.
Thank you again,
Julia Silveira
The message was great and a lot of information. It is a fantastic video. I have posted it to my face book.