Oh, that makes sense with what you posted. I interpreted it wrong. It can be so hard trying to get yourself taken care of. After all this, I changed to a new primary care doctor; Dr. House! He seems a little stiff but I hope he works out. My last primary care doctor told me: (1) The knee doesn't get RA, and (2) That she wanted to drain the ganglion cyst I had at the base of my wrist.

 

from Maine....just catching up Patty!

Glad to hear that things are going well for you post-op

 

Patty,

It's a small world. Today at lunch we (Bea & I) happened to run into one of our neighbors at a restaurant in a small town about 15 miles from here. In talking to her, she remarked that she had just recovered from hand surgery, so she showed us her scars. They were exactly like yours! She says she has RA, and was unable to until after the surgery, but now she's fine. I'm guessing she's about your age, as well (I dare not ask!) I just thought the similarities were worth mentioning.

She was having lunch with her lawyer, who just sold his S. (He sold it to his son, so he said he gets visitation privileges.) To top it off, I was wearing a Swizzle Inn t-shirt that I bought in Bermuda, and he remarked that he had been there as well.

Glad you healed so well, and hope that the rest of the "invalids" get better soon!

 

^Interesting, Gene. My hand surgeon told me the tendon rupture was not uncommon but I'd never heard about it before. I'd like to talk to her to compare notes. I'll PM you.

 

UPDATE
I just searched for this thread to get my history for a friend. A woman I knew when I lived in Acton, just started Enbrel shots and is scared to death because of the possible side-effects. I'm glad I had this to refer to.

I gathered from this thread that I was a snivleing, whining and whimpering girl on June 4, 2008.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on June 19, 2008, and was still in pain on Plaquenil.

I started Enbrel shots on March 11, 2009 (8 months later!) and my life finally improved immensely.


Too bad it took so long to get on Enbrel. I ended up having tendon transfer surgery on my wrist in May 2009, because the RA was eating away in my wrist joint for months. It didn't help that a stupid doctor told me it was a ganglion cyst. I imagine if I started on Enbrel sooner the RA wouldn't have kept eating that joint.


Bottom line is I feel great now and have for about 2 years.

Yay Enbrel! I hope I don't get a tumor or the other possible side-effects but it's been working great for me.

 

sorry to hear but i got the remedy. WEED!

 

Nope, I don't think weed will do it. Auto-immune diseases need something a little bit stronger than that.

 

Patty, I'm really glad you have responded so well and are feeling so great. At the Tomcatt I had wondered how you were but didn't want to ask. Great news, thanks for telling us.

 

My friend just gave herself her third shot of Enbrel. She's really in pain and her family doesn't understand why she won't do things with them. I hope she gets the relief I did.

 

Something like RA affects the entire family, especially when the family member is unable to participate in the activities, do daily tasks. Her family needs to be educated on what she is going through.

The family members who are not in pain sometimes don't realize just how bad someone can hurt.