The Rheuma Room
Thousands flock to The Rheuma Mill each month so I’ve created this space, this rheumatoid arthritis forum for you! This is YOUR room!
Journaling my experiences with RA has been THE most therapeutic thing for me. I don’t really have anyone to talk to about his disease and chat rooms are limiting but writing is limitless. This rheumatoid arthritis forum is open and waiting for you to pour out all your thoughts and feelings.
If you are looking for a support group, you can join the Rheumatoid Arthritis Community on Facebook.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Forum
Chelsea
I too, am a young person recently diagnosed with RA. Starting at about age 15, I had widespread pain in my joints and muscles. My PCP said it was parvovirus(people get it too, not just dogs!) and would go away in a few weeks. It never did and I ended up being referred to rheumatology. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia because I fit the definition of basically having something but nothing identifiable. I’ve been treated for that ever since.
I’ve seen all kinds of doctors over the past 15 years (I’m 30 now). OBGYN, neurologist, neurosurgeon, rheumatology, and switched PCPs. Everyone ran more and more tests and added more medicines. The only thing that ever helped was anti anxiety and pain meds on a regular basis. Then, a few months ago, my rheumatologist retired.
The first day I saw the new one, he diagnosed me with seronegative RA. My mom has RA so even though it wasn’t a total surprise, it was quite frustrating to have been with the right type of physician the entire time and being misdiagnosed. My new dr said it was RA the whole time and I should’ve been being treated and the progression could have been avoided. It’s now all in my neck and hands and it wasn’t to start with . I started Plaquenil and have had some fun side effects like vomiting and severe night sweats and hot flashes. I am hoping that with time, I will see some improvements but none yet. Anyone else have similar experiences?
If you prefer to journal your experience in an actual journal, you can purchase one from The Rheuma Mall.
Marci
Good to know I am not the only one and that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. I am going on almost a two year diagnosis. It all started with my finger blowing up, then I had a disc herniation at C5/C6 in my cervical spine. Ended up having surgery and they were hoping that was the culprit of many of my symptoms….nope. Took away my excruciating nerve pain and spinal cord compression, but I was left with a host of other issues. The fatigue is crazy, joints ache all of the time, major soft tissue swelling. There are days I can barely walk.
No one understand it unless you live it. Just had a MRI and it shows arthritis. Talking to the rheumatologist this week. All signs point to RA, but bloodwork comes back good. Ugh. Just want relief. Glad I found your post and joined your email.
Hello, I was diagnosed with RA almost two years ago now and have not communicated with anyone other than family and school about my issues. I am currently 22, will be 23 by the end of the year, and a current university student planning to graduate by the end of the year with a BA in education. I have found myself increasingly growing worried and doubtful of my future with RA moving into a career because of my lack of knowledge and lack of communication. I have not found a regimen of medication yet to help with my RA and am continuing to reach a point with my RA where I can live comfortable enough to go on about my day more efficiently but that seems a bit hard at times. With the help of my family I am attempting to seek more information and communication with others within the community so I may better understand and cope with this.
The medications I am on currently are Humira, Methotrexate, and Plaquenil and my side effects have driven me insane at times and even driven me back to the hospital due to the severity it had gotten. I was put on medical leave and have suffered anxiety and depression my whole life which has really just spiraled out of control up to this point. I would love to talk with someone on their experiences as well.
Hi Nikki! Thank you so much for your contribution to The Rheuma Mill. There are quite a few resources and articles on here that will help you. I understand that it can be a lonely condition and the only people who will truly understand your struggles are other RA Warriors. You are not alone! It’s great to see that you have also joined our Facebook community. Feel free to ask any questions on that forum and I’m sure you’ll get lots of varied experiences. We will all help you navigate this. I am also a teacher so I fully understand the challenges that you will face with your RA once you enter the field. In terms of your treatment, communicate with your rheumy often particularly regarding the side-effects. It can be a slow and frustrating journey to find the right combination of drugs that will work for you. You got this!
After looking into a few of the articles on your web page, I really appreciate all you’ve done by way of this blog.
I bookmarked it and will be checking back soon.
Way cool!
Norfmally I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this site has been very valuable to me. Thanks
My brother suggested this blog. He was totally right. You won’t believe how much time I had spent going through all your information! Thanks!
You need to take part in a contest for one of the best websites on the internet. I most certainly will highly recommend this website!
Thank you for the good writeups.
Very well written articles. It will be valuable to anyone who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work – i will definitely read more posts.
I would like to say thnx for the efforts you have put in setting up this site.
Appreciating the time and energy you put into your blog and the detailed information you provide. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while with useful material. Wonderful reads! I’ve saved your site.
Thank you and good luck to everyone
What a great idea!
Grateful to the owner of this site
This site is awesome
Some truly good posts on this site, appreciate it.
Some truly nice stuff on this site, I love it.
This is a really good tip especially to those new. Many thanks for sharing this one.
I’ve learn some excellent stuff here. Certainly bookmarking for revisit. Magnificent informative web site.
Neat page!
This is very valuable thanks
I like this post, enjoyed this one thanks for putting up.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and
I am waiting for your next write ups thanks once again.
Hi Ali! Thanks so much for the feedback and for supporting The Rheuma Mill!