Helooo ling time suffer r.a recent diagnosis last month

Stoicone
Stoicone Member Posts: 2
edited 1. Mar 2021, 19:20 in Living with arthritis

Hey Dave ..here ..37yr old dad of four ..suffered all my days with pain and thought it was active life Xtreme sports BMX skater guy .

turned out last month it has been r.a all my days and I've been dealing with it untill now ..brought down by vivid it glared me bad.

It's now one month on after diagnosed and on methitrex, vit d and pain killers doesn't help with pain have new meds to collect today. We shall see I want my life pain free and I'll battle towards that. I've four kids two are twin boys with disabilities just me and the misses who is also r.a positive.

No support network buy nothing will stop me things need done kids need dad .not easy and some days I just want to curl up sleep or not surface but I do not have that option ...I can't rest I don't get a chance need to buy won't happen so battle on ...we shall stoic to the end .I hope the meds start working soon .

Comments

  • RedPanda
    RedPanda Member Posts: 8

    Hi Dave,

    Sorry to hear you've been diagnosed with R.A. It can take some time to find the right meds for you and even then it can just be about trying to prevent/treat whatever comes your way. If you find after a few months that the medication you are on is not working for you don't be afraid to let your rheumatology department know - they want you to live your best life! There are a number of different medications you can try too so if it takes a few goes try not to be disheartened, keep communicating with your doctor's.

    For pain management I'm guessing they told you ibuprofen? This just takes the edge off for me, heat/microwave packs work best for me when I have bad pain, and really hot baths. The main thing is rest, which is such a pain in the **** especially when you are active. I don't have kids so I can only imagine how busy that makes life, but I do circus skills/gym (in non-lockdown times) and it's taken me a while to really listen to my body. I've had RA for 10ish years so I've had some practice. Preventing a flare is way easier to do then treating it, it can be tricky but when you feel yourself getting over exhausted or can feel the strain on your joints stop and rest - way easier said then done! I'm not saying that's going to work 100% of the time but it has reduced flares for me.

    If there are certain things you notice that are a struggle ask if you can speak to an Occupational Therapist, they can give you equipment or show you ways to get round the things that cause you pain. You may not need them forever but could help take the strain while you are waiting for meds to work.

    Life sounds really hard at the moment, it can be so tough when you get the diagnosis and it seems like you won't resemble yourself again. Lean on your medical team, this site, and try being open with your wife too. If you can support each other if one of you is flaring and the other is not so bad it could take the pressure off. I really hope the meds start working for you soon and things get easier for you. Remember it's okay to feel however you are feeling, being diagnosed with any illness is not an easy thing. You are strong and your kids can see that 😊