I'm new to the forum!

Nishjoshiuk
Nishjoshiuk Member Posts: 12
edited 11. Oct 2013, 17:14 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi, I'm quite new to the forum but think its a great idea as I'm tired of people who really don't understand arthritis. I have rheumatoid arthritis and have done for the last 22 years! I'm probably at my lowest and its never been this bad. Fingers crossed hearing everyone else will bring me back to focus and find the old me and continue to fight and not be beaten by this crippling disease! I am 40 years of age with 2 kids ages 7 and nearly 4 so things can be tuff.
Look forward to hearing some good things and help those along the journey as let's face it I think I could get a degree in arthritis lol.x

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's lovely to meet you and I hope we can help with support (obviously you won't need the information as you're an old hand at this malarkey :wink: ). I am seventeen years in with PsA, then OA and now fibro, all mixed in with plantar fasciitis in one foot and Achilles tendonitis on the other. I'm having a whale of a time. :lol:

    Of course those who don't enjoy the luxury of living with this disease have no idea how it feels and why would they? I didn't have a clue about it before I started mine. I don't know how living with MS feels, or Parkinson's, or cancer but I think the ubiquity of arthritis is its weakness. Everyone seems to know someone who had it but of course they are always older. Another problem we have is that it is almost an invisible disease - I was beautifully brown in the face over the summer and all I heard was 'You're looking so well!' Shame the reality didn't match the image. :(

    I deal with it by not talking about it. When people say 'How are you?' I say 'Fine.' and leave it at that. On some days it's hard to tell where the arthritis leaves off and I begin but no matter, it is what it is and it will do what it will do - I don't need to bang on about it. This is where the forum is such a help because you can bang on about it, fully aware that the 'audience' is fully clued-up and will understand.

    Right, it's time for brekkie, tea and pills - hurrah! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • lulubell69
    lulubell69 Member Posts: 110
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello and welcome
    I'm 44 with RA and like you I am feeling very down. I've been downstairs since 3am due to the pain and stiffness, weeing in a bucket cos I can't get upstairs until later through the day.
    I'm sure many will come along with wise words and can identify with all you have said
    Les
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,087
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello there :)

    Welcome to the forum from me too. I do think we will make you feel much less isolated and hopefully supported too. It is hard when your kids are wee - I do hope you have decent help with them (OH/family).

    It also looks like you have plenty to bring to the table too so look forward to reading your posts :D

    Love

    Toni xxx
  • trepolpen
    trepolpen Member Posts: 504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi , welcome to the forum , had RA from mid 90s myself , there are good people on the forum that understand what we go through
  • mig
    mig Member Posts: 7,154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello and welcome, I consider myself a lucky arthritic person in that I wasn't diagnosed till I was in my early 60s,I have RA which at the moment is under control ,the friendship and support I found on this forum is second to none,stick with us and you will find what a good crowd we are.Have a look at the chit chat page it's very light hearted .Hope to see you posting again. Mig
  • villier
    villier Member Posts: 4,426
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello

    Welcome to the forum, as it is OA I have I cant be of any help with the RA. but I can be here to support. I also have a very rare neurological condition so I am no stranger to living with chronic pain, there are a lot of helpful and supportive people on here, pleased to meet you hope to see you around.................Marie xx
    Smile a while and while you smile
    smile another smile and soon there
    will be miles and miles of smiles
    just because you smiled I wish your
    day is full of Smiles
  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi welcome to AC forum, you know this evil disease in side and out so you may learn something new or be a real support and give advice to others. Welcome to the club!! :)
  • kentishlady
    kentishlady Member Posts: 809
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Welcome from me too. We're all hear to help, listen and advise (if possible), so hope to see you around. Beryl
  • snowdrop123
    snowdrop123 Member Posts: 41
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi

    I just thought I'd say hello to you and agree that this forum is such a good idea. I really appreciate having a connection to people who can really understand about what it's like living with arthritis. The info I have read on here has really helped me to understand so much more about it and the people on this site are very caring and supportive. Cheers all :D
  • Nishjoshiuk
    Nishjoshiuk Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Wow is all I can say at the moment! Thank you all for your replies feel quite emotional about it now as you have all said some really lovely things and I feel right at home here already.
    Today had to be the worst day as it took me so long to get changed making my daughter late for school and then I thought its time to let her teacher know why we are late on occasional times! She understood because she has MS and I felt terrible telling her this when I can visibly see she suffers.
    Back on the steroids as I love my children and I can't bare my daughter trying to help me dress in the morns but she understand my illness and loves me so much that it is effortless for her to want to help me. I try and tie her hair up and she understand that mummy can't give her the fancy pigtails she wants as she can barley tie the band round her hair.
    Now this is why I felt I must start the steroids again as this little person should not have to deal with this at such a young age.
    Don't know about you all but much as they work I have so many issues with it but my daughter made me realise what is important this morning as she does every morn.
    It's only short term till I get my new meds which is tomorrow and can hopefully it will work and give me some more years of being half human again! I will right more soon on how I have dealt with it over so many years but at present I can't help but think its my time to feel the full impact of the disease as it was inevitable that at some point it is going to be down hill.
    Thank you again all look forward to chatting more.xx
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello nishjoshiuk and welcome from me too. I well remember those dreaded mornings of getting the children up and off to school. I quite agree about the steroids. They are a short-term, last-resort treatment. What are the 'new meds' you are getting? I hope they work well for you so that you can get off the steroids quickly.

    We all feel 'the full impact' from time to time, and that's where this forum is so valuable, but it doesn't have to be downhill all the way. Some of us have found great benefit from a change of DMARDS or anti-tnfs and I hope you will too.

    As for your daughter – kids are resilient and I think it does them no harm to discover that not everyone leads the perfect lives they see on TV. As for pigtails, though – could one of her friends do it at school? I remember we used to plait each other's hair in primary school.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • destiny0321
    destiny0321 Member Posts: 88
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi & welcome from me as well i have psoratic arthritis & oa i am 58 and had oa for 33 yrs & psa for 10yrs but we got to keep smiling through the pain.
    hope everyone not to bad today love destiny
  • Toots
    Toots Member Posts: 483
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi there and welcome to the forum x

    Your daughter sounds like she's a star, but I understand you saying it shouldn't be this way :( Hoping your new meds will make a difference x
    Toots x
  • Nishjoshiuk
    Nishjoshiuk Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sticky wicket thank you for support! At present I'd be happy to met friends do it but a case of headlice is around and my girl is always the first to get it but I brush and she ties, thi k she does a better job than me.
    Drugs I am trying next is the Humira! I was on embrel for 6 years and had to reduce that over the last 4 years to 1 injection every 10 days as it affected my bloods but we discovered that I was just an akward case with low everything even without meds lol.

    Feeling positive today steroids must be kicking in and read lots of people stories on here which made me feel better as came back to reality and thought it could be worse and that is why I have kept going for so long. Plus I'm an actives RA sufferer. I have always believed in mind over matter and it really worked for me until you start to see the deformities appearing on your limbs! But this forum is amazing and I can feel the benefits of this already.
    Xxx
  • Stormyblue
    Stormyblue Member Posts: 23
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Nishjoshiuk wrote:
    Hi, I'm quite new to the forum but think its a great idea as I'm tired of people who really don't understand arthritis. I have rheumatoid arthritis and have done for the last 22 years! I'm probably at my lowest and its never been this bad. Fingers crossed hearing everyone else will bring me back to focus and find the old me and continue to fight and not be beaten by this crippling disease! I am 40 years of age with 2 kids ages 7 and nearly 4 so things can be tuff.
    Look forward to hearing some good things and help those along the journey as let's face it I think I could get a degree in arthritis lol.x


    Hello I am new too, recently been old I have O/A , i suffer a bad knee since I was a young girl (5 years old) moan to the gp when I was in my teens who fob me off with tablets, finally at a later stage I got a gp who listen and get to the bottom of it since my hands have been playing up, was mild after the birth of my youngest son over 8 years ago, just getting worst nowaday. ( will have good day and certainly make the most of it) am awaiting physio, I am hoping to get some form of knee support to cope with being active. however the pain side is something I could do without and like you no one seem to understand my condition either cos on some days I am okay then the next I am like an frail old lady with a walking stick. ( roll eyes) but hopefully we can have a friendly banter and have a smile back on our faces :) and help each other throught this.
    Life's for living, use it well
  • Nishjoshiuk
    Nishjoshiuk Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Stormyblue. Thank you, yes I think sharing and Banta will keep us going. I don't feel so much alone and know that most people understand on here which is refreshing!
    Always here a well to get through those tuff times especially when your trying to be a good parent and do right for the little people.
    Cheers for the words and remember young at heart just have to work on the bad days and not resemble old ladies lol.xx

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