Hello everybody. Hope things are going well.

Charolotte, so glad you checked in! We were hearing about all the bad things that were happening and, of course, when we didn't hear from you, we got worried. I am glad that you and your family are all ok. It seems like one storm after another happening down your way. That would scare me to death.

Chris - Hope your studies are going well. It would take a lot of will power to do what you are doing.

Joanne - Hope you are doing well. I wish you could walk everyday, but every couple is probably ok as well.

Barb - Hope your life has settled down and that things are now running more smoothly. Even after 9 years, I would give ANYTHING to sit down and have a wonderful talk with my mom. I still miss her terribly. My Dad has been gone for almost 32 years - longer than I knew him as I was only 26 when he passed away from cancer.

Fall is here and I am posting a picture of my back yard Well, it is the ravine connected to my backyard (I live in a condo). Glad I don't have to weed this



Also, getting brave and posting a picture of my hubby and me. I had decided last year to let my hair go gray, as that blond color they had me in, made me look "beige". At least I have more color this way. Hubby and I never wear matching anythings, but it seems our hair now matches


I hope you are all having a good day.

Charlotte, So glad you are alright. I really was worried, especially knowing you had just gotten your roof on your house. Any effects from Rita? We were prepared for lots of it, but we didn't get anything but wind.

Anne, I l oved your pictures, both of them. Your hair looks great grey. What a happy picture.


Barbg

Anne, I hope I look as good as you when I'm older. And you do have a very handsome man there too. Also your "backyard" is gorgeous.

Hi all, sorry I've been missing for so long. It's been so hectic anymore between schoolwork and kids, and getting ready for the winter. My sister ad I have been trying to help my mom out at her house on the weekends. We take turns taking care of eachothers kids during the week while still doing our schoolwork. OHHH....and my mom and sister both got baptized last weekend. Now, Kelly and I are going to do it when they hold the next water baptism. I've never been baptized before.
We had our first big snow storm of the year this week. 7 in. of snow is what they said, but it was a very heavy snow. It knocked out power everywhere. I know it is nothing compared to Louisiana but some places were out of power for a few days. It melted fast though.
I'm doing good so far. I do have to call my doctor back. He put me on a prescription anti-inflammatory to help my feet but it doesn't do much good. So I guess it will have to be the dreaded prednisone taper. I really didn't want to do it because I just started a diet program through the hospital and have lost 5 lbs. so far.
well back to being my mommy self. I have kids running all over the place. Time to reign some of them in. I'll leave Tiana and my niece Savanna at peace...they're raking the leaves up.

~chris

This computer is so slow I lose patience and just give up posting. My brother will be here next month. He used to service them for the army. I will get him to look at it. In the meantime I hope youi all are staying well...Joanne

Hi there everyone. I am very excited to join this forum. I am 32 years old, I was diagnosed with RA when I was 28. I am currently takeing .7mls of methotrexate & 5 pills/daily of Sulfasalazene & meloxicam (anit-inflamatory). I use to weight 201 pds, my doctor suggested I loose weight so I did, 2 years I have been fluctuating in between 145 & 155 and struggling to hold here. I jog lots and do weight training every other day. I do cardio for sure everyday, at least 30 minutes. I jog on treadmill or run outside 5 km. Most of the time my feet are o.k., sometimes by the time I finish running the 5km I hurt real bad. I do push myself hard and I am refusing to give in to the disease but I do have my days where I like to feel sorry for myself. After I lost all my earlier weight, I finally got my confidence back and applied to become a police officer and have been training now not only to loose weight but to be in shape in hopes to go to police college in January. College is difficult and I have been struggling with the running because my joints in my feet seem to be swelled and stiff and sore all the time. I currently work in dispatch at the police station and no one here knows I have RA - and I am a little worried that when they find out through my medical they won't accept me. With my recent flare ups, now I am not sure if I should be bothering with this venture - it is frustrating. I am trying to loose 12 pds I seemed to gain bit extra back this last 2 months have been pretty sore lately, I realize from reading all of the below posts about how wet weather seems to contribute and it has been rainy here for about 2 weeks - so I have learned something new. Anyone know if those RA diets I have heard about ring true - what to eat & what not? has anyone tried any herbal remedies?

Hi there newbie! My name is Chris. I'm 34 and have had RA since I was 28 too. What a way to live, huh? Sounds like your doing very good with your treatment. I'm taking 20 mg of methotrexate a week, and relafin. Right now I'm in the middle of doing a short round of prednisone to get my feet feeling better. They are fairly sore too, not swollen or inflammed, just sore.

I too lost some weight and felt better. I started at 223 and am down to 201. I fluctuated a bit and started going back up so now I'm under the care of a weight loss doctor at the local hospital and am losing again. You get all that extra weight of those joints and it sure makes a difference, huh?

Congratulations on your goals! You're doing great. I'm not sure what to tell you about divulging your RA information. Heck, I work for my dad and I didn't tell him for about 3 years. I only told him when I started getting really sick. I was on sulfasalazine too and it caused some liver toxicity. I was down for a while and then I couldn't be on any meds for almost 2 months until my liver counts returned to normal. I could barely moved and everthing was excruciating. A simple trip to the bathroom took over 10 min, and I was sweating through it all. SO around that time, I couldn't hide it from my dad anymore and had to tell him what was happening. I think I scared him half-to-death.

Welcome! welcome, welcome. I'll check back with everyone later. I really have to get some homework done so I'm not rushing through everything.

~chris

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lori and had a diagnosis of OA when I was 35 and just turned 50 in July. This summer my right knee completely went out on me and I was on crutches for a couple of months. I am over 300 pounds and I know I HAVE to get this weight off. I joined LAWL a few weeks ago and have lost 12 pounds. I have so many more pounds to go, but it's a start!

Do any of you ladies have any suggestions on exercises I can do to strengthen my knees? My ortho guy said I have absolutely no cartilage left - well that's no surprise, my poor knees carting this body around for so long!

He just says walk, but I'm so afraid of twisting that knee and getting back to where I was over the summer - it was excruciating pain -

I've been married to Bob for 28 years and we have 5 kids, four of whom are adopted. Mike is 19 and our bio miracle, Abbi and Chelsi are twins from India and they are 9 and AJ and Chris are sibs from Calif. and they are 8 and 7.

Looking forward to getting to know you!

Welcome Kelleen and Lori. Hope you like our thread and stay around.

Kelleen - you are pretty young to have all this happening, but then I guess chronic pain isn't picky about age. I hope you are able to finish your college classes and move on with your life. I don't think a company is allowed to ask WHAT illness you have, only if you have limitations - so it would be up to you. However, is the type of profession you are planning on entering, you will need physical strength. I can't see doing that job with tons of pain, and in an emergency situation, your body COULD fail you. Just some thoughts. Perhaps there would be something less strenuous for you to become involved in.

Lori - I have OA also, along with FM. Had it for years, but it really flared up about 10 years ago. I had back surgery 22 years ago, and this is the result of it. As for walking, could you get a knee brace and try it? At least you would have some stability as you walked. I don't blame you for being scared to try it. I get that way myself at times. I wish you luck with your weightloss. Is that the LA diet you are on, or, if not, what is it?

Chris - hope your classes are going well and that you are not finding yourself short on energy. Hope the Prednisone helps your feet.

This is me these days, I am afraid. I have to find some willpower somewhere, or is that WON'T power????

Happy Canuk: Thanks for the welcome! Can I use your Chirp Chirp bird? He is SO CUTE!! I've never tried knee braces before, believe it or not. I just thought I'd never find any big enough for my knees. But I saw an ad in the Reader's Digest that you actually measure your knee and they make it for your measurement. They haven't come yet, but they cashed my check so it should be any day now. Yes, it's LA Weight Loss. I really like it so far - I have such a long road, but am trying to do one day at a time!

Lori, feel free to use any graphics I post. Glad you are getting the knee brace. It will give you the stability you need. I think I need to look into that LA weight loss. One will be coming here soon. As you say, one day at a time!

Hey Everybody and Welcome new people...I haven't been here in awhile because by the time I read the posts I lose patience and give it up. My computer has been so slow..
We are watching Wilma this weekend. I had planned to go to N/Fl. but have to put that off till the storm goes by. We are meeting my brother and going with our daughter to a RV camp in Sop Choppy. It is in the panhandle. Real rural.
I am still maintaining my weight loss. It is so hard. It was easier to lose than this..
Hello everybody...Joanne

Thanks everyone for the nice welcome. It is very nice to meet you. One thing that does keep me going is to never give up, even on the painful days and I think this forum is really going to help keep my positivity going. Happy Canuck, you made a very good point that I have been & am in denial about regarding the needing physical strength and my body possibly failing me while on duty. I know right now I would be fine and I am in pretty good shape other than having to loose a small chunk of weight, however, being this disease is progressive I am not sure what the years ahead hold for me and my work would be paying for my college so, that wouldn't be fair either.

Good luck Lori with the walking just maybe start short distances at a time and stop before your knee starts to get sore and gradually work up to 3,4,5,6,7,8 blocks per walk that might help to strengthin it. My Auntie blew her knee out and would practice just bending and straightening it while sitting in a chair, she gradually worked up to adding soup cans on a string for extra weight - that might be something to talk with your docotor with or even go see a Physiotherapist - they would be able to give you some really good & safe excersises.

Joanne, I totally understand the whole maintaining thing feeling more difficult than actually looseing the weight. You feel good, look good so is harder to keep the willpower up so you don't get back into bad habits. Sometimes what I do, I will go to the gym and then go to the mall and try on some neat clothes in my new size and sometimes I buy sometimes I don't but when I see myself in the clothes or see a clothing item that I can picture myself in (actually visualize yourself in it and looking incredible) it gives me back my motivation to want to stay where I am and keep loosing. Good Luck

Chrily, how long were you on sulfasalazene before you developed the liver toxins?

Hi Ladies!

My knee braces came today!

WOW! What a difference! They are very heavy-duty, fit well, and I sure can feel the difference! I am really happy with them. I weighed in at LAWL today and lost nearly 3 more pounds for a total of 15 pounds in 30 days! Can't complain about that at all! I'm a happy camper today - AND.......it's only 67 degrees. We had mid-80's for a few days and it was way too hot for this time of year and I was super crabby - I don't do the heat well, but this far into the fall it's just wrong!

KELLEEN: THanks for the suggestions that your aunt did - it seems that 15 years ago when I was diagnosed, the ortho guy told me to hook a purse over the end of my foot and lift that - wish I had listened to him then - maybe my knees would have been stronger over the years -

JOANNE: Good luck with Wilma - I don't know how you gulf people do it - my cousin has a condo on Pensacola Beach which we use every year and it got hit from Ivan and Dennis, I believe - it seems like there have been so many and so intense ones! Here in the midwest we have our share of tornadoes, but they are hit and miss - not as much wide-spread devastation as the hurricanes -

ANN: Thanks for the chickie! I am attaching her on my emails! I loved the pic of you and hubby - you are such a nice looking couple! And your view! That is gorgeous!!

Hi to everyone else and have a GREAT Friday!

(walking with my new knee braces!)