Succeeding with a chronic illness involves more than just following doctor’s orders. If you’re willing to work at it, these five habits will ensure you live successfully with arthritis:
1. Learn all you can.
Knowledge is power. Read everything you can, and locate trusted sources of news and information (online or offline); find out where exercise classes are being held in your community; and ask lots of questions – of your doctor, your physical therapist and other health-care providers.
2. Pay attention to your emotions.
Living with a chronic condition such as arthritis ups your chance of developing depression. Warning signs include constant tiredness, lack of appetite, trouble making decisions, disrupted sleep and feeling worthless. To head off depression, develop a network of family and friends who raise your spirits and can help you keep active.
3. Make your doctor your partner in care.
You’re more likely to find success if you and your physician make informed decisions together. Make sure your doctor spends time with you discussing treatment options and answering all your questions. Talk about ways to improve your functioning, such as losing weight, becoming more active or reducing stress. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your physician about anything, including admitting when you haven’t followed her advice. Agree to disagree when the two of you have different opinions – and keep talking about it.
4. Take action.
It’s natural to be unsettled and upset after being diagnosed with arthritis or a related condition. But those who live successfully with chronic illness accept that their diagnosis is here to stay and they quickly start thinking about how to adapt their lives. Look at what you can do and what you may need to change (whether it’s activities, diet, exercise or stress level). Make a plan (with your doctor) and write it down. Talk to family and friends about the changes you’ll need to make. Letting others know about your plan can help you stick with it.
5. Invest in yourself.
You don’t have to give up the life you had before you were diagnosed, but you may have to put that plan you made into action. It’s not surprising to hear that the most successful patients are the ones who made changes, such as exercising more, losing weight and eating more nutritious meals. Recognize your responsibility – and ability – to take good care of yourself in order to live healthfully. Make sure your goals are realistic, even if they involve only small steps right now. Enlist family and friends to help you make healthy changes, and monitor your own behavior frequently.
Curled up, twisted up lying in a bed and could not move it scared me to death!!!!!!
Years later I woke one morning and my shoulders was hurting so bad and I could not lift myself up to get out of bed I felt like I had cement blocks were were lying on my shoulders. After struggling for a while I finally pulled myself up and out of the bed. Once I was up and moving around my shoulders got better but at night when I got still it started back. After a few days other joints started hurting I got to point at age 22 I acting like a old lady! My mother was watching she said Judy you need to go to a doctor because you are to young to be acting like that. So I made an appt to see a doctor. The Doc ask me to describe my symptoms I told him I hurt when I'm still but when I up and moving it got much better. The doc said you have just described RA the first thing in my head was that lil curled up lady I saw years ago!!!!! Back then there were no RA doctors I had to see a internest and he did know a lot about how to treat me so started me on gold shots. I know God flashed that lady to for a reason because man I took off running says I'm going to fight this and I'm still fighting!!
Thank goodness there was finally a RA doc in Greenville and he started me on meds I have taken every med and infusions that I'm on now!! My doc and I have been to gather for about 30 years now. I see him every 2 months. I take methotrexate and Rituxan now. I have done very well but I'm much older now and have had to fuse both wrist, both elbows, both knees and I'm still running from RA that picture of that lady is still in my head God showed me what it could do to you!!!! And I will never stop running till I'm in Heaven! You have to stay strong and positive ! I have been told by people that I have inspired them by never giving up! For a long time nobody new I had RA I covered up so well . I pray that what I have written will help someone! Be strong and don't give up! God never gives you more than you can handle!!!! And he gave it to you for a reason!!! Amen
I AM 35 YRS OF AGE AND I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH RA. TILL NOW I FEEL DEPRESSED AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE UP..BUT WHAT ABOUT MY TWO GIRLS THEY NEED ME,SO I WANT TO BE STRONG AND FIGHT FOR THIS RA.BUT FOR NOW I TAKE MEDICINES PRESCRIBED WITH MY DOCTOR,AND GO FOR DIET ,EAT HEALTHY FOOD LIKE VEGIE, FISH, AND FRUITS AND IT HELPS A LOT..AND PRAY TO HIM IS THE BEST REMEDY.
PS. I WANT TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS PLS WRITE ME OR EMAIL ME. THANKS
BrendashiHis
I'm 34 years old and about 3 weeks ago, I woke up with unexplained, severe swelling and extreme pain in my finger and toe around the joints. I went in last week and the doctor did some labs. This morning they called me to tell me that my lab results were elevated for arthritis. I am waiting to see another doc next week to really get a handle on a diagnosis. My question is, what were some of the symptoms that any of you experienced with RA. I have read the articles, but wanted to hear from real women. I am preparing myself for the possiblity of RA.
Thank you for your time.
I was diagnosed with RA August 2, 2011. I have done a lot of research and this is what I take daily to help with the symptoms of the RA.
1. Glucosamine 1500 mg / Chondroitin 1200 mg
2. Super B Complex
3. Vitamin E 400 I.U.
4. Iron 18 mg or higher
5. Vitamin D-3 1000 I.U.
6. Fish Oil 1000 mg
I have cut back on red meats, eatting more fish, fruits and veggies. Stay away from processed meats for it contains a lot of sodium. I find if I forget to take the vitamins and other items I have listed above I hurt more than if I take them. Try using ice packs or cool baths to relieve pain and swelling. Drink lots of water, especially your 8 to 10 8 oz that one should drink every day. Stay away from caffine (even sodas) Google what foods are best to eat when you suffer from RA. I know that RA hurts, I have had it for awhile but didn't know it.Here I thought it was just my job (working in the medical profession) and being on my feet for a 12 hour shift was the problem, never would of thought it was RA. But one needs to stay active. If modern medicine is helping but not enough try alternative medicine. You'd be surprised as to what is in natural items that can help with a lot of different things. The Good Lord gave us things right here on earth to help us we just need to look for it. ALSO: Stress plays a big factor, try to make your life morte stress free. Blessings be to all who have any arthritis or any other health problems, The Lord walks with you and will relieve your pain if you ask for his help.
God Bless
And to Lisa, You need someone to talk to write to me, I am a good listener and might just become a friend. Please don't give up, there are people who care out there, you just need to reach out.
I am so sorry about your grand daughter, but want to offer her ( and you) some hope. Go to website karenhurd.com to read of her nutrition advice which has been successful ( semi-miraculous ) for several people I know personally. I also have RA and have been symptom free for 5 months while following this plan. Good for all "auto-immune" conditions and is so simple that you will wonder why everyone doesn't know about it yet. You may want to buy the book and have a phone consultation with her, but that would all be under
$ 100 and the rest you can do on your own. Just real foods, nothing special to buy. Good luck and God bless ! I will also be praying for your grand daughter to have great relief !
I've been reading your stories and it really saddens me. I was diagnosed with RA in December of 2010. It's been rough but not impossible to deal with. In addition to prescription medications and pain pills I've tried things like; cinnamon and Manuka honey with has helped me a lot with pain and inflammation. Also I have altered my diet by eating more fruits and veggies which seems to have helped. I am definitely overweight and I am just starting to get serious about losing the weight because the extra pressure on my joints is definitely a bad thing.
My advice is to you all is to keep praying, and keep trying new things to help relieve the pain and inflammation. Good luck to you all and always remember you are not alone. Also remember; it does get better. I promise.
Debi
Thankyou.
I live alone with two cats whose favorite past time is to lay in the walk path in my home. I think they want to see if I really will step on their tails or jump over the way I used to do. They have come to recognize they are going to get trounced. Although they aren't a support group, they are adjusting to the changes needing to be made. They have now chosen to curl up under a chair so they can watch me walk but don't seek attention with the old method of a swishing tail and rolling over on their backs.
Anyway, back to the subject of isolation. It really helps me when I volunteer, on days when the pain is not too bad. Coming out of the spin cycle of dwelling on the pain and letting it dominate my thoughts helps with coping with all the different health problems. It still hurts like h___, but not talking it to death keeps it in the "small" place of my mind. It's just a thing that is a part of my world, like laundry and dishes; I don't like it but it will be here until the end of time and a part of everything I do.
As to the bed recommendation requested: I had to invest in a supportive mattress and chose the sleep number bed. I live (and sleep) alone so I could get a single chamber queen. It inflates and deflates but I don't have a special number, the control just does what the button toggle tells it to do until you release it. I have found that during the course of the night I need to start out with it being very supple but adjust the firmness up and down depending on the degree of pain. I like that quality. The bed has to form to me, not me to the bed. The discomfort tends to flucuate because I have this in ALL my joints, not just major ones. (The little bones in my feet get stress fractures from trying to turn around and the joint connecting the bones won't go.) The sleep number bed adjusts to body weight, not location so if you need a little extra "give", and can manage it, you can push your hip or knee or shoulder down and the other areas will stay where you left them and support those body parts.
I understand the overwhelming nature of being in pain and knowing that there isn't a "fix" and it will progress as time passes. The best method I have for adapting to that is to just remember there will be times when it lessens and those will be almost euphoric. It just helps to put this in it's place, you have arthritis, it does not have you.
there isn't enough money to make me give it up.
try ginger and turmeric with food. i take ginger root from the vitamin shoppe and it helps with swelling and pain--it's a natural anti-inflammatory.
I am 45 and have one, count it ONE, person who I can talk to every day about these issues and that is my husband. My mother cares deeply but she has her own life and is often not in the same country, I cannot 'enlist' her at every turn. My father cares too but is very busy making sure his business of which my husband is employed keeps rolling along. My parents are 70 & 71 and it's time they get a break.
Now on to friends....they abandoned me when I got sick. Some did it gradually by reducing encounters with me to the point of zero unless it was work related, others told me straight up "I don't want to know about your RA", some were polite but treated me as if I had a horrible contagious disease, and one woman, who I stood by in her many times of need, couldn't be bothered and just up and found healthy people to be with, it hurt me deeply.
What this article does not address is the fact that many of us with severe disease course have lost the friends we thought we had and lets face it, 'developing' new ones isn't easy when we're sick almost every day. Where I live their are no athritis groups. My rheumatologist can't help because of privacy laws. If it wasn't for my husband there wouldn't be much point in anything anymore.
I'm open for suggestions, but when they involve 'talking to, developing, and enlisting' a circle of family and friends that I don't have it's not very useful advice.
Could you get real editors? I know I'm not the only one that has felt the double hit of not just a chronic disease but the following abandonment by people I thought were close.
Could you write an article about that with some REALISTIC ways to cope? There are many of us that could use that.
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