First of all a big hello to everyone on the NRAS website. I'm new to this site and I'm still finding my feet, I'm also pretty new to my condition. I was diagnosed early last year and it has been a real roller coaster ride ever since. I am constantly in pain and it has now got to the point were I'm I'm having to leave my job as a carer. I cant walk for more than a couple of minutes without it hurting, and my hands are the size of boxing gloves at the min. My boyfriend is really supportive and understanding but i can see the strain is starting to affect him. To be perfectly honest I'm feeling really lost, I cant even take my dog out!! I'm only 24, and i cant even walk upstairs without feeling pain and breathlessness. Reading this back to myself, i feel sorry for who ever is reading this. Thank you for reading, Kim xxx

Hi Kim

Welcome to the forum and so sorry to hear that you have been having such a terrible time, you won t feel alone now as you have joined us, you will get so much support and understanding as we really do understand what you are having to go through. You can always give one of the ladies a ring on the helpline if you want to have a chat with somebody or need some help or advice, I have phoned in the past and it helps so much.

What treatment are you on, as the RA is obviously not under control at the moment, however it certainly can be waiting game for the right drugs to work. Just remember they will get it under control eventually and you will get you life back, so you will get there

Take care, and keep posting.

Julia x

Dear Kim

Welcome to the forum but sorry you are suffering so much with your RA. You will feel like you have been run over with a ten ton lorry, not just physically but also emotionally. It is a hard diagnosis to come to terms with and unfortunately there is no quick "cure". It may take a while for them to find a drug which suits you, but believe me there are lots and lots of options out there which can help you, but unfortunately patience is not on prescription. You must be proactive in your treatment with RA. I presume you have been referred to a rheumy team. You must tell them constantly how much it is affecting your life and especially if you are having to give up work. Their main criteria is to keep you going, especially at such a young age and I think you need some goals in your life, otherwise you will soon fall into depression.

I was diagnosed three years ago and it has been a roller coaster. However, you will get there but you will need lots of support. It is good that your partner is being supportive, but definitely leave the NRAS booklets on RA lying around for him to read. My Husband does not say a lot about my illness but I know he has read the booklets and in considerate in a macho type of way. He knows what I can attempt and what I can't and works around this without actually telling me what he is doing. Bless.

I think the most important thing you need to do is talk to someone and I believe that the NRAS helpline is a brilliant place for you to start. They will put you in touch with someone who has been there, and certainly got the t-shirt. Unless you have this dratted illness you will never fully understand it.

Above all, don't worry. Things may seem bleak at the moment, but they will improve and you will get some normality back into your life. O.K. it may not be your old life, but all of us with RA find our lives have changed and in a lot of cases it can be for the better. Me personally, I have learnt that there is more to life than dashing around, doing shopping, housework and all the other thousands of jobs which seemed so important three years ago. If you get chance search for the "traffic light system" on the forum. It shows you how to equalise your day with jobs that can tire you, with simpler things where you can reserve your energy so that you are not always so tired out.

Keep posting and reading, as this forum has been an absolute god send to me in both support, love and information during times when I could not see a better life.

Take care

Jackie
xx

Hey Kim.

Im now 36 and when I was 24 I went on a trial for a then new drug
its called
etanercept

within 24 hrs i felt totally different
it worked well and gave me almost 3 good years.
At that time, id had severe ra for almost 5 yrs.
there were no more options at that time and i was desperate

so
it never does well to look too far ahead.
you only ever see negative stuff!
there are lots of amazing things I have done even with crappy disease
im no one special
but there is a lot of life to be lived
even if it is rather different from what anyone hoped for.

when your ra is a little better Kim
have you thought of doing a course through OU?

Jenni x

Hi Kim, and welcome to the forum, where you`ll find lots of info and support.

I`m so sorry that RA has come calling on you so early in life - you are bound to feel completely shell-shocked at the diagnosis, and it is absolutely normal to feel anxious about the future. I`m not sure what meds you are on, if any, but waiting for them to kick in is a slow and frustrating business. When I was diagnosed over 6 years ago, my GP said the first 12 - 18 months would be the worst, and he was right, but he kept me sane during that time.

There are lots of drugs out there, and one or more of them will work for you, and things will seem better then.

I`m Kathleen C, aged 61, and I`m married to Nick. We have two grown-up sons and two little grandsons.

Take care,

Kathleen x

Hi Kim,

I'm 24, diagnosed 5 years ago. Things will get better once you find some meds that work for you. What pain relief are you on? Is it worth going back to your GP to get some more/something different?

Take Care,
Scat.