Just wanted to stop in and wish everybody a Happy New Year. I hope the coming year will bring relief in pain for all.

I don't seem to have much time now, as I have started to work a 7:30am-12:00 noon shift and by the time I get home, have lunch, and do a little bit of housework, I am zonked. I have to stop and have a 1/2 hr. nap, which is something I have NEVER done before.

It would be nice to get this thread back on track with more regular posting, that is for sure.

Yes ,let's do get back on tract. Maybe we can talk more about what we can do to get healthy.Support each other. I am the worst one of all. I ate wrong all day. Tomorrow I will be good.No more snacks or bad food.(really unhealthy food)I am going to church tomorrow and pray for help. I have very little will power. I need to get it back and my motivation. I have to be like this guy!...Joanne

Joanne, I've hardly got any energy either. Definitely hight time to get on track. I am so scared to go to outside diet groups. I've been doing this at home and its hard. I am going to a dietician now though. That is my first step towards admitting I can't do it alone.

I would love to share healthy tips and recipes and all sorts of information. I so need it. Happy New Year!

~chris

Chrilly- I belong to TOPS.. (take off pounds sensibly) It is a support group. It is not expensive. It is a very strong person who can go this battle with weight alone. Tops has a site on line. Find a group and give it a try. You won't be sorry.You can pm me anytime . I will try to help you if I can.We all need someone. Joanne

Hi Doris, welcome to our little thread. I don't know where everybody went, just busy I guess. You sure are welcome to come to our Dieting with Fibromyalgia thread. We have people there who do not have FM, but have arthritis. Pain is pain and we sure all understand it.

Doris...Hi I'm Chris. I had a bad time with the sulfa drugs too. They caused liver toxicity and I got VERY SICK! My liver counts were triple what they were supposed to be. I was taken off all my meds until my count came back to normal. Now I do methotrexate.

I'll try to post here more often. I've just been a busy little person lately. I did join a health club...FINALLY! I'm working out with my sister and I actually feel VERY good.

Just thought I'd say hi to the new member and hi to the rest of you ladies. I have to get going so I can take the kids to my nephew's birthday. TTFN.

~chris

Hi Everyone,

I am posting here because I am looking for ideas on how to support and motivate my husband. (Pic with me in my avitar). He was diagnosed with juevenile RA when he was 5..fast forward to adult hood..still has it..only it is RA and OA now. He is 38 and needs both hips replaced, (bone on bone..little to no cartilage and also spurs), his ankles are beyond repair and he has problems with his knees and back too. He won't really take any meds because he worries what it will do to his organs and he refuses to exercise because he is in so much pain. (He finally consented to get pain relief this year and does take vicodin and drinks sometimes..but is trying not to do this as much anymore). Does anyone have any tips on how I could encourage him? I have applied for a membership assistance for the Y and we could go there where they have a pool, etc. but he says that he doesn't have time right now and that he would rather do the weights, etc. The problems is, he never has "time" and I see his body being destroyed and I am really scared for him--and for our family if something happens to him worse than what he has now, I guess.

Any tips? I don't want to push him too much but I really want to help.

Snoopysgirl- The best thing you can do for your hubby is make him aware that alcohol and vicodin are a DEADLY mix.Incourage him to exercise. In his case water exercise is best. If he hasn't had a good physical that should be done and the Dr. should lay out a plan for him that will help him get better health.He should not be afraid to take the medications for his problems. Yes, some do have side effects but they also have some that will arrest or slow the progress of the symptoms/disease.Exercise really helps to reduce pain.Maybe not at first but if you don't give in to it and keep on going it will.Tell him he can find 30 minutes in a day. I have osteo arthritis. The Dr.'s tell me in most every joint in my body. I find that the exercise helps.I admit I hate exercise. I will walk. I started walking several years ago. I can now walk 3 miles a day. lately I have lost some motivation and am trying to improve. My family thinks I am doing ok. I lost 74 lbs 0ver 4 years ago and kept it off. Before I bore anyone I will say I will be 73 this March...
Hey Everybody Joanne

Snoopysgirl-Hi..have to get my two cents in too. I don't know how you'd convince him but by fighting to stay off meds, he may be doing his body more harm than good. Even with pain meds, the damage from RA is still being done, the pain meds just mask what is actually going on. I've had RA for almost 7 yrs now (I'll be 35 in April). I've been up all night numerous times, cradling my arm and crying from the pain...wishing for an end to it all. I've had times where my body hurt so bad, it took me 10 min. to walk to the bathroom that is right next to our bedroom. I had to plop down on the toilet (not meaning to be rude..sorry) and then sweating and rocking and finally getting the courage to stand up when I was done. I'd have to stand there holding the wall for a bit until the pain would subside enough to allow me to trek back to bed, which was more of a shuffle. I'd walk down our 5 stairs to the next level...which was a giant effort and be sweating and shaky by the time I hit the bottom. I've been taking methotrexate for 3 yrs now. I feel so much better. Also, exercise works wonders too. It keeps your joints more flexible and the exercise keeps stress and depression down. Please show him our replies. I went through the same with my mom earlier too. She was hurting so bad and having a very hard time with the pain. I just kept begging her to go to the doctor. In June, she finally relented. I got her in with my rheumatologist and they ran their tests and sure enough...my mom has RA too. She also has sarcoidosis (another auto-immune disease). I would not wish this disease on anyone. It has totally changed my life. Its a hard one and it looks like he got a double whammy. My prayers are with you and your husband.

Thanks for your replies. I will continue to encourage him. It is hard to see someone you love in so much pain. I have told hm that the vicodin/alcohol is a bad mix (I do lots of research) but he blows me off and says..well, I am still here, aren't I? I retort..yeah..but I wonder what your liver looks like. I am working on boosting his immune system but cutting out sugars and promoting more whole foods and baking his bread from freshly ground wheat, etc. I know that there is no magic pill for RA and I will let him know what you have all said about your experience with the meds.

Jenni-The medication I'm on isn't really very expensive either. I hope he chooses to get on some medication. Let us know how you both are.

~chris

Hello everyone,

Good to read all of the posts. I've missed all of you. Welcome to our new posters. Wish I had words of encouragement. All I could say, has already been said. We have to take it one day at a time. One thing I might advise Snoopygirl....you've shown love and patience....please keep that going. The fatigue can be terrible. I have so many people to say, "but, you don't LOOK sick." That's my point, I try not to. I have RA, OA, Lupus, & Fibromyalgia. I do a lot of "pretending" in public, because I don't want pity. But, it also causes people to not understand my illness. Only my husband sees how bad I am at home. Just as you see your husband. Of course, the drinking needs to stop. You and your husband are in my prayers.

Well....our Christmas wasn't that great this year. The evening of our get-together with our kids & grands, DH was in a terrible accident. A woman pulled out in front on him. He drives a Ford E350 1ton boxtruck....so he couldn't stop suddenly. It was terrible. The rescue workers took 2 hrs getting the woman out of her car. She almost died. All of DH's tools slid to the front of the truck & hit him in the back, breaking a lot of them. She doesn't have insurance, so we take another big loss. His back is hurting him a lot.

Sooooo....I've ate myself into oblivian!!!!!!! I had lost 10 lbs before Christmas, but gained it back. We finally found him a truck & going after it Saturday....just as the lease is up on the van he's driving. (his was totalled)

Gotta go............everyone take care.
Charlotte

Hi everybody.

Angel - so nice to see you here. I am so glad your hubby wasn't hurt worse. I am also so happy the other woman didn't die. Too bad she didn't have insurance. How is she able to drive and have her car registered? Here, in Alberta, you can't register your vehicle, UNLESS you can prove you have insurance. Also, here, she would be charged for driving without insurance and that fine is HUGE.

No wonder you ate yourself into oblivian.

Snoopygirl - as with any disease, people have to be willing to help themselves. You can give support, but you can't make him feel better or get well. He needs to do that. You know the saying " You can lead a horse to water, but you can't MAKE him drink". I don't know if he has tried acupuncture or massage therapy but if not, he should. It won't help the worn out joints, as they will probably need repacing. He is just far to young to be going through this. I had back surgery when I was 37 and later that came back to bite me, as I now have arthritis in the area of the surgery. However, with the help of an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, I am feeling so much better than I was 9 years ago. I started working part time - 4.5 hrs. per day, and loving it. It is something I wasn't willing to give up. I am now 59 with OA and FM and a few other problems.

Chis - I hope that your studies are going well. I am sure you are more than busy looking after your family and trying to study.

Well, enough of this book I wrote.

Hi Everyone,

Angel, wow.. I am glad that your dh is okay. People without car insurance make me livid.

Canuck, I agree with what you wrote. I pray that he comes around. He is willing to try dietary things but I think that maybe he is just really depressed about his condition as well as worried about what the meds could do to make him worse. (I think).

Chris, the cost of the meds isn't an issue because of our insurance; however, he just won't do it at this time. Last time, the RA really let him have it verbally but it doesn't really help the situation. I keep praying for a total healing but I don't know if that will happen in this lifetime.

I did tell him that I posted here and I want to support him in his efforts. He is trying to cut out the alcohol; he threw out the remaining 3 beers in his 6 pack. I love him so much and I just hope that we can find the right fix for him.