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Friday, March 6, 2009

LIVING WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ( R A )

When I look at my MIL it saddens me that an active spirit like her is trapped in a body that is slowly sapping away her strength as well as deforming her. On bad days I try to help out as much as I can without making her feel that she has to be dependent on me. She is strong and a real fighter, she knows that her disease may deform her but it wont break her spirit.

Living here in America has opened my eyes about a lot of diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is one of them. I am living with a person who has RA and I am a witness to her pain, suffering and frustration. By the time my MIL reached 40 she already had progressive RA and it was affecting her life, her work and her lifestyle. Back then they didn't have the medication and treatments that are available today that could really have slowed down the progression of her RA. MIL reads and is a subscriber of Arthritis magazines and she has a good grip and understanding about her condition. She knows that in the long run if she doesn't take the proper medication and drugs her RA could affect some vital organs of her body like her heart and lungs. MIL has made it a point to read and learn as much as she can about her disease and to know what medication works for her. She has taken the following prescription/treatment : Celebrex, Prednisone, D-MARDS, (Plaquenil, Arava)Humira, Enbrel, Orencia, Remicade. Most of those medications really didn't work for her but she constantly tries new drugs and treatment. She is currently on Prednisone medication which is a steroid drug that helps control the inflammation and swelling. Arencia helps control the progression of her RA and as well as for her stiffness and pain. Living with RA has deformed her hard working hands and affected her walking. It makes her depress that she could not do as much as she use to, not able to do the simplest of things like opening a jar of sauce, tying her shoes or even getting out of bed, it really affects her emotionally. Mentally it drains all her thoughts. I asked her what she misses about her life before RA and she replied in a very simple way " I miss being active and the feeling of getting out of bed pain free". If she could create and ad for a prescription RA medication it would be both in a commercial and magazines. Why? Its a win win situation, for those who watch a lot of television they can see the ad while for those who are not fond of sitting around watching television and would rather prefer reading, they could read all about this drug/medication. One day she hopes that there will be a cure and treatment that can really stop the progression for this deforming disease.
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5 comments:

Yeo KeeHui said...

It's never easy to live with a close friend who has RA. I believe we really need to share tender loving care. It must have hurt you so much to see her suffer. Take care.

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Davida said...

I hope there's a cure for your MIL too. I feel bad for those who suffer with illnesses.

BTW, I hope you get pregnant right away too. ;)

Davida

Anonymous said...

Hi Friend.. Interesting post.. Keep up the good work..Do find time to drop by my site and post your views... Take care.. Cheers mate!!!

Jennifer @ Mom Spotted said...

I have full out psoriasis and take many of the same treatments for this disease. Personally I don't think Enbrel works for anyone. I was having hope in Humira but the marks are coming back :(

Michelle said...

My mother was diagnosed with a severe case RA when when she was 29. She's 63 now and struggles with it everyday. She no longer takes medication but instead is very active and exercises a lot. She is a nurse and insists that it put her RA in remission.

 

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