Hi, my name is Lorna I was diagnosed with RA in Nov. 2007. I am so much better now thanks to a quick diagnoses and the medications I was given over the last 2 years. It was hell in the beginning but I tried to be positive and kept a diary, detailing my feelings when starting the medication. I hated taking so many tablets, but I turned it around; Because of these tablets I can move again.
I am not great on computers so excuse any mistakes. Glad to be part of your forum.

Hi Lorna

Welcome to the forum - but sorry you have RA.

I'm 66, married to Steve with a lovely daughter Lucy , SIL and two wonderful grandkids (2 and 4)

I'm really pleased to read such a positive post and glad that your current drugs are giving you your life back.

Look forward to chatting

Love Jeanxxxxx

Hi Lorna
Welcome to the forum, I'm Sheila and had RA for two years. Have found lots of help here with great people .
Look forward to seeing more posts from you and glad the tablets have improved the RA.
Best wishes
Sheila

Hi Everyone, Thank you for the warm welcome. I am 50, married to my husband Ken for 28years, have 3 grown up daughters, Siobhan, Sonia and Mhairi.
I wish I had come on-line sooner when I was first diagnosed. I did contact NRAS and had someone from there called Jess call to reassure me. I will never forget how kind and supportive she was. I keep in touch with her from time to time.
It was a long haul in the beginning, I had been helping lay a driveway in my daughters garden, then I was cutting down trees in my garden. I'm a very active outdoors person. Then on the 3rd Nov I had my usual flu jag as I have asthma, this is where I go downhill. The following week my hands started to stiffen, I thought it was doing too much in the garden. The following week my neck, shoulders and arms started to hurt. I thought it was shifting the trees we had been cutting.

The 3rd week was worse still, I thought then this is more than gardening. I went to the doctor and after a number of blood tests they found nothing conclusive. By the end of weeks 4 and 5 I was almost bedridden. On 14 painkillers a day and in agony all the time. I could not hold a cup, brush my hair even had to get someone to open the tablets for me. Everywhere I had a joint I hurt including my jaws and head. I could not turn my head, had to be helped on to my feet, it was hell, 2 weeks before xmas I really thought I was dying. All I could think about was my family.

At the end of the 5th week I went to see the doctor again at this point my hands were decoration they were swollen sore and solid. I was hardly able to walk and bent over in pain. I was in tears when I said to her " you have to help me, it's like I am riddled with arthritis." She said she would call a doctor for advice and call me at home later or have me hospitalised to find out what was wrong. I got the call to be seen by a Rheumatology doctor the following day. I will never forget when I walked in her consulting room she smiled to me and said you wont walk out of her as bad as you have walked in. After all the usual questions and examination and x rays, She looked and said to me she thought I had RA but blood tests would be sure. She went on to give me a steroid injection which enabled me to move a bit better. She was lovely and has helped me so much.

I did have RA quite severe at that point. I was put on Methotrexate, Sulfazalazine, Hydroxychloroquine, and folic acid. It was like being hit with a sledgehammer in that consulting room I now had to tell my younger daughters, I had told my husband and my eldest. We were all upset that weekend but I tried to remain positive, things could not be much worse than they had been already. I was told the triple therapy was the most recent at that point for treatment. As I said it was scary and the thought of all these tablets mind blowing.This is why I kept a diary on the effects of the tablets, my feelings and did so for the next year and a half. I also take Mangosteen Juice as well, have done for all the time I have been on the tablets.

I did look forward and try to be positive, I was not going to be beaten by this and I have not. I am almost as good as I was before, I have to watch not to get too tired or I ache but on the whole I keep really well. My tablets were reduced last summer, I no longer take Sulfazalazine.

I hope this gives hope to others, there is light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. Thinking about you all Lorna xx

Hi Lorna,

Welcome to the forum but sorry you have RA!
I'm so pleased to hear how well you reacted to the drugs and that they are continuing to keep you under control.
I'm 60 and have had RA for 9 years. I live with my husband of 31 years and we have a 23 year old daughter who is in her third year at uni.
Looking forward to getting to know you.

Doreen xx

Hello Lorna and welcome. I enjoyed reading your story. It is lovely to here that things are now better for you now. It does seem that in your case the intensive treatment early on has been of great benifit and shows how treatment is improving. I'm Glenys 56, married to Mick for 38 years. 2 daughters,1 granddaughter, 2 grandsons, I love them all but wish that I could move faster and with more freedom. x

Welcome to the forum Lorna!

I'm Helly, 35yrs old and married to Phil. I was born with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which went into remission when I was 12 thanks to a combination of steroids and methotrexate. Unfortunately it came out of remission last September. I am now on Etodolac and Hydroxychloroquine.

Again welcome!