RA Update

Many of you have been calling and emailing to see how I have been feeling. I really appreciate your encouragement and concern, and so I wanted to give you an update. I was really hoping that this warmer weather would make me feel like a new woman. I guess that was wishful thinking since I still have RA. On most days that the weather is warm, I do feel better than I do on other days, though I'm still very sore. I think the bit of relief that I get on warm days makes the pain on cold mornings or rainy days even worse because I'm just not expecting it.

You've also had lots of questions. Quite a few people have asked "Aren't you too young to get RA?" It's actually very common in women in their 30s and 40s. There is no known cause and no cure. It can, however, go into remission. Also, some have asked the difference between Rheumatoid Arthritis and just regular arthritis. RA is something that happens very quickly. It doesn't develop over time like regular arthritis, but rather at a very fast pace over weeks or months. The immune system basically starts attacking good tissue. Some people think that if you have an auto-immune disease, your immune system is weakened. That's not actually the case with RA. The weakening of your immune system happens when you take certain medications that suppress your immune system in order to suppress the attacking of the good tissue. I am not taking those types of medications.

I've always been a very independent person, taking care of myself and not needing anybody. So, it continues to be hard to ask for help when I need it. Frank just mentioned to me this morning that if I ever need help with anything, just ask. And I responded by saying, "Don't you know I get tired of having to ask for help with every little thing every single day?" I mean, literally, snapping Little's pajamas, picking her up, opening jars of baby food, walking down the stairs, really anything that you take for granted being able to do without even thinking. I think that really put things into perspective for him. I'm learning to accept help from those who love me. It's not always an easy thing to do.

My medicine hasn't started to work, nor have the all natural supplements that I'm taking. But the most discouraging thing has been that this disease has caused my milk supply to dwindle, and I'm almost at the point of having to stop nursing. You nursing moms out there know how heartbreaking that can be as it's such a special bond between momma and baby. However, I'm thankful for the time that I was able to nurse my sweet angel, and she's transitioning to a bottle like a champ.

I go back to the doctor next month and don't really know what to expect with the visit. Last time I was there, he did some labwork to rule out other possible problems (lupus, fibromyalgia, etc.) He told me that if I didn't hear from him within 3 days, then all the tests were negative and the diagnosis of RA was correct. Well, I never heard from him. Maybe I'll get more details at the next visit.

Please continue to pray for me...for strength, for healing.