Hi Lottie

Welcome in a nice sense, not welcome to the mad house!

im 40 years old, have a lovely 5 year old. I was diagnosed not long after she was born in 2007.

I haven't told many people, i keep things to myself, the bosses at work know and one or two people.

Just as i was reaching 40 i decided to join nras, sort of coming out or saying to myself you cant suffer in silence!

the members on nras are lovely, warming and welcoming and helpful people.
If you have any questions just ask away - someone will know!

do you have a ra department at your hospital with a helpline number you can leave a message, and they get in touch with you?

I have been off methtrx for nearly two years, still on hydro and sulfaz. trying for another baby.......no sucess, the consultant has asked if im doing the deed properly - confirmed the same mechanics as we had our daughter!!

i go back August to see the lovely consultant - she is keen to get me on methtrx. Given my age, this is last chance saloon for babies (the consultants words, not mine).
nothing will happen at the moment due to having surgery on hammer toes and bunion last week, hence me chilling and have time to read nras posts.

have you got family to help?

welcome again!

Keep in touch.
jane
xx

Hi Jane,

Many thanks for your message!

I haven't told many people about my RA either. My manager at work knows and is very supportive. I'm tending to tell my work friends as the need arises - which is usually when they ask me to help with a task needing fine and precise use of your hands, which is a bit tricky for me at the moment! There are a few things at work which I'm not able to do at the moment, but I'm trying to focus on all the things that I am able to do.

Hammer toes and bunion surgery - ouch!!! - good that it's all done and you are on the mend. Good luck with trying for a baby - hope you are successful.

There's just me and hubby at home (and a small dog and 2 hens) and he's really keen to help me do everything possible to protect my joints and keep well.

Thanks again Jane.
All the best.
Lottie

Hi Mary,

Thank you for your welcoming message.

It's brilliant to have this forum and be able to ask questions and share experiences with people who know what RA feels like.

Many thanks,
Very best wishes,
Lottie

Hi Jane,

I really recommend keeping hens, they are great pets. Ours are Pekins, so small bantam size and very friendly. When we are out at work, they stay in a 2m long run and when we're home we let them out to have the run of the garden. We only have a small garden but it seems to work ok.

How lovely to live by the canal!! - must be very relaxing and attract a lot of wildlife. You must get swans and ducks visiting you.

Our dog is a Jack Russell Terrier. She's 12 years old, though you wouldn't think it as she runs round like a puppy!!

Yes, I think sometimes knowing too much isn't great. I'm trying not to look too closely at all the drug side effects for methotrexate!! I'm just keeping optimistic about starting to feel some benefit from it soon.

Take care,
Best wishes,
Lottie

Hi Lottie from a fellow Salopian (Telford)

Welcome to the forum but sorry you had to be diagnosed with RA to find us. It is very scary when you are first diagnosed, but as you say at least you know what you are up against.

I was diagnosed three and half years ago but think my Consultant thinks I have had RA all my life and it had never been diagnosed correctly. It was a great relief when I was diagnosed as I thought I was going mad and imagining the pains.

You will find lots of support on this forum and brilliant information on all sorts of subjects associated with RA. It is also "good to talk" as they say.

Keep posting and take care

Jackie
x

Hi Lottie - welcome to the forum and I'm sure you'll find it's good to share the ups and downs with a bunch of people who really understand it all. I'm 54 and was diagnosed last month, having been getting progressively worse for about 3 yrs. I have a very supportive hubby, offset by 4 teenage children (currently yuch but generally OK!), a dog, 2 cats and 3 horses (luckily they are kept elsewhere). I'm on hydroxy, MTX, naproxen (pain relief and anti-inflammatory) and a bunch of stuff for high BP, supplements etc. I've just finished a course of steroids which were absolutely fantastic - all symptoms gone for 4 weeks - bliss! Like you I was relieved to have a diagnosis, and although my fears were confirmed, it is very comforting to know that this disease is increasingly well-understood by the medical profession (although clearly it could still be better!) and there's a reasonably consistent approach to treatment.

It all seems pretty confusing at first, and of course people respond slightly differently to each medication and sometimes get side effects that outweigh the benefits so have to try an alternative med. I was started on hydroxy and steroids as soon as diagnosed and then they added in MTX when it was clear that I'd responded well to the hydroxy and before I'd finished the steroids. The new trend is to use multiple drugs as a combination but of course the consultants have subtly different views on how to get to an optimum set! So you may well find that there is a bit of juggling for quite a while and you may feel that you rattle!

In the past I used to hate the idea of taking any drugs and even resisted taking stuff for my high BP, preferring the healthy eating route instead. However RA changes all that, and I've learnt that the right meds can give me back an excellent quality of life. So therefore I have stopped fretting about the possibility of this or that side effect and I focus on the benefits, although I still aim to know as much as possible about my own meds and how they affect me and deal with any warnings promptly.

You sound as though you have a good approach to this challenge, and I hope the MTX settles down quickly. Ginger nuts are good for mild nausea (and they are sooooo tasty) and I'm told that crystallised ginger is good too.

I love hens too!

Best wishes - Sylvia xx

Hello Naomi,

Thank you for your wellcoming message. It's reassuring to know that support and advice from the forum is close at hand.

Very best wishes.
Take care,
Lottie

Good luck Lottie - enjoy the forum and keep posting, especially when you need some advice or support, but don't let it overwhelm you. I got a bit snowed under when I first joined, and now limit myself to a few minutes each morning while I enjoy my breakfast, then I try and forget about it all and get on with my proper life!!!

Best wishes- Sylvia xx

hi Lottie,

welcome aboard.

when first diagnosed there's no getting away from it it's a shock .. i lost over half a stone in the week i was diagnosed with stress.

hope that the Methotrexate works well for you,

i am on Methotrexate then Hydroxy about 6 months later but unfortunately the combination didn't work for me so Humira was added last August .. and doing reasonably well now.

i'm 59 married wth a grown up Daughter,

keep posting you will always find someone here for support.

Suzanne x