Sorry if this post is boring to someone but I need to vent or see if anyone can relate.

I am having issues dealing with RA...from the pain, to the stiffness, to the moodiness, to the fatigue, to the pills, and then to the uncertainty. I am a person who loves to plan and with RA it seems difficult (or at least right in the begining of the disease since that is were I am at with it). I hate that one day I can feel tired with some aches and then the next I am in excurating pain. Then that pain can subside, get worse, or move to more spots in my body or a whole different part of my body. I just hate how unpredictable. It is like for two days I feel like "Ok the medicine is working" and then the next morning I wake up at 2 am in pain.

I am a single mom trying to keep up with a new job and it is hard. I feel like I snap at my child some days and that I am not a good mom since I am not able to play and be active with him like I used to. Like today I have been in pain all day and very tired so all I could do was lay on the couch (even that hurts). I try to hide the pain from him and he does help me out with opening things but I feel so guilty.

I also have not told many people about me being diagnosed with RA. Don't ask me why becuase I don't know why I haven't. Only my boss, my parents, and two close family friends know. I haven't told any of my friends or any relatives like my brothers. I don't know if I am not telling them so I can live in denial of my diganoses or what. (I was diagnosed with RA on July 21, 2004).

I hate the pain I am in. I hate the way it limits my life. I go in to get blood work and liver work next Friday to see how things are going. I am just impatient I guess and I want my life back.

Thanks for reading and anyone who can relate or has advice....that would be great. :(

While I don't have RA I do have OA and some other medical issues which cause me to be in great pain on a daily basis so I can surely empathize with you.

Part of your problem could be that you are in denial and what happens is when you have a good day you over do things which has a trickle down effect because the next day or so you have flareups.

A few things I would suggest is you might want to look into pain management counseling. While you might not feel depressed it is likely to happen with those in chronic pain. More importantly you can learn skills to cope with the pain emotionally.
I also suggest, if possible talk to your doctor, that you might want to look into pain management classes. They are very helpful in that you are with other people in the same situation as you and they understand. You can learn some techniques such as meditation or focusing for example. You will also learn the pain cycle which is as described before, feel good, do too much, feel bad, day in and day out. It's difficult to break that cycle but it is important. Sometimes that means giving up things we love, other times it means that the dishes just might not get done that day, no big deal.

Learning how to cope with your disease and the pain is the key ingredient to survival.
Are you currently on any pain medications in addition to RA medications? If so you have to remember that you need to take them before the pain is severe because if you wait they will not work.

If you live in the US call the Arthritis association as well, there is generally a chapter in every major city and some in smaller ones. Sometimes they offer classes and support in dealing with the condition, you might find that benificial as well.

Medication alone is never the answer for any chronic illness and most doctors will agree. It often takes a combination of pschological services, therapy or massage, exercising (aquatic exercise helps a lot) and of course medications. Hopefully at some point you will get better understand your pain and know how to deal with it as well as how to prevent it.

Best of luck to you and don't give up, tomorrow is a new day!

Barbie

I can relate to what you are saying I was diagnosed with RA in Dec 03. I think from Sept until offically knowing that I had Ra I was always in a lot of pain. I could hardly walk early in the morning and after walking a few blocks I would have to lean against a building to get a little relief. I started taking meth and the stiffness in the morning has been greatly reduced. I have good days and bad days and try to move ahead through it all. Like you haven't told that many people. I don't know why for I could use the support. I hope that you get the better of this thing.

:) Hi, you need some (((hugs))). I know some people who have been able to reverse their RA naturally with diet and skilled relataion techniques. Diet plays a major part in healing the body especially with any auto-immune disease. I am a newbie on the board, so I'm not sure how much to share. Still learning. Hang in there, there is hope for RA.

:) Hi, you need some (((hugs))). I know some people who have been able to reverse their RA naturally with diet and skilled relataion techniques. Diet plays a major part in healing the body especially with any auto-immune disease. I am a newbie on the board, so I'm not sure how much to share. Still learning. Hang in there, there is hope for RA.

Thanks for all the replies. It helps. I think pain management classes might be a good thing to try. I guess I never knew they were out there. Or that there were pain management doctors either. Calling the arthritis foundation is a good idea to for phone numbers.

I have been doing Reiki and like it. As far as diet goes, I was eating all the things all the books tell you to eat when I got RA. I have not eaten meat for 6 years and eat a lot of fish, fruit, veggies. And I was in the best physical shape of my life too! I just miss my active life!!

I do think that you have a good point in that being in less pain one day sorta helps keep me in denial that I have RA. And I do need to learn that if I don't get something done today....it isn't the end of the world. Like I am supposed to mow the lawn today---doubt that will happen.

I miss my happiness and energy.

I am on Darveset but try to keep it just for night time (I have a sensitive stomach) but even that starts to wear off halfway through the night. Does anyone dread going to bed? Just the thought of not knowing how much pain I will be in, in the morning. And now I wake up in excureating pain from 2 am on. But I am so tired that I know I need sleep.

Thanks for all the responses. Letting me know I am not alone on this. THanks for the hugs too.