Thanks for taking the time to share your story, Joy. It always helps to hear from others who have gone through this....
http://www.alzstore.com/alzheimers-dementia-wandering-s/1828.htm There are a number of different solutions on that page. The "Confounding Door Lock" might be a good fit for your situation. Good luck....
Also, in case anyone else reads this, the website is alzconnected.org rather than .com....
There's an interesting article about the different definitions of remission in RA here: http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-remission/...
Thanks again, Michael....
Thanks, Michael. I am pretty new to this and haven't found all of the resources yet....
Thanks for the reply and the support. I'm sorry you've had such a hard time with your dad. This disease sucks. DH is a vet - how do you go about contacting the VA regarding funding?...
I've spent some time on the RA board and it's my first post over here. My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a couple of years ago and I'm taking the steps to place him in a memory care facility....
I'm so sorry for your loss, BadDay. The only bad part about having furry family members is that they don't stay with us for as long as we want. gentle ((hugs))...
Hi BadDay - I get the "lost words" thing too. I've been blaming it on the MTX because it seems worse on the weekends when I take it. I just tell people that my meds have stolen my vocabulary; I've...
Hi Joy - I tried to reply last night and apparently the internet ate my message! I haven't taken Arava, but I'm thinking about you today. I hope all goes well. Carole...
I'm sorry you're hurting. RA can cause lots of different types of pain. It can be referred or radiated which generally means the cause of the pain is in one location of your body, but the pain is...
Hi @weary - I'm so glad the doctor is finally a believer! It's tough to fight for what we need when we hurt so much. @Vickiek, welcome. I'm sorry you're having to deal with Hep B - that's awful. I...
Sorry about your troubles, BadDay and Don. I hope next year brings many happy things to you both. (And to everyone else here as well!)...
I'm sorry you're going through this, BadDay. Please take care and let us know how things go....
Thanks for the update, Don. I've been thinking about trying acupuncture and it sounds promising! I hope you continue to improve....
Gentle ((hugs)) Do your doctors have a "patient portal"? Several of mine do; it's where I can log onto their website and see upcoming appointments, meds, etc. There's also a messaging system, so I...
Try taking some pictures of your foot when it's not swollen. One of my coworkers was recently diagnosed with Grave's disease (ocular) and the doctor looked at pictures in the coworker's phone to see...
I'm so sorry that you and your daughter are going through this. I don't have any answers, but I can offer some ((hugs)) for the both of you....
I'm glad you posted; I've been considering acupuncture. I recently read two books by individuals with RA, one by Lene Andersen and the other by Daniel Malito. Both have been dealing with RA for many...
I agree with couchtater, wait for the next visit. Also remember (and remind you doctor) that very few of the patients who take opiods become addicted. The media plays up the addiction angle and...
Can you ask your primary for a referral to a pain specialist? A friend of mine has been having a lot of back pain and the specialist was able to help her a lot more than the other docs....
It's possible to test negative for RA and still have the disease (I do). It's called sero-negative and IIRC, about 20% of people with RA are sero-negative. I wish I could be more help. I'll keep my...
Oh, I so understand this. My parents dismissed all of my symptoms until a friend of theirs was diagnosed (after being treated for Lyme disease for 3 months!) Once he started telling them how...
I haven't taken MTX by injection, but my understanding is that since you're putting it directly into your bloodstream, it doesn't have the gastric side effects. I remember reading about someone...
Sounds awful. If the MTX has been working, have you thought about trying the MTX shots? I know you're not thrilled about shots (from the thread about Humira) but compare giving yourself a shot and...
More information is always better, IMO. An acquaintance was diagnosed with Sjogren's after complaining to her dentist about dry mouth and her eye doctor about dry eyes. Her GP finally put the puzzle...
This is the perfect place to vent! We understand. I hope the Plaquenil works for you. If I remember correctly, that's one where you should have frequent eye exams. Other than that, for most of the...
Hi Jasflower - I'm sorry you're in the RA boat with us, but I'm glad you found this board. The folks here have helped me more than they could imagine. I recommend the book "So Young, A Life Lived...
The shot wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated. I asked for the autoinjector and you can't even see the needle. You can search for autoinjector on Google Images and you'll see what it looks like....
I started Humira a few months ago and have no side effects! Is it your first biologic? I was on Enbrel for five months and was pretty anxious before the first dose. I called my mom before I gave...
It sounds like it could be an ear infection that has spread. I'd call the rheumy and see if they want you to stop the MTX until you get your ears cleared up. I hope you feel better soon....
I'm glad you're going to a doctor. Just remember that doing nothing is the worst thing you can do. Dr. Google makes the meds sound scary, but serious side effects are very rare. Check in and let us...
My rheumy gave me a shot between to first two knuckles of my left hand a few weeks ago. It made a huge difference - swelling is down and I can make a fist again. I hope you find some relief. eta: I...
I'm sorry you're having such a rough day. As the mother of a 23-YO, I can tell you that your girls won't remember days like this as you "phoning it in". They'll remember it as "that fun day when I...
I'm sorry. That really sucks. I hate it when the insurance company thinks they know more than the doctors....
I had problems with my insurance and the Humira card too. My insurance wanted me to go through their mail order pharmacy to save them $, but the mail order pharm wouldn't take the card. It took some...
I'm glad you got the referral. Let us know how it goes. Oh, and if the office you're referred to has a huge waiting list, try telling them that you can get there on short notice if they have a...
It hurts a little when injected, but I ice the area for a few minutes and that helps. I figure pain for 1 minute or so is better than the pain from RA! :smilewinkgrin:...
Humira is an injection. I asked for the autoinjector - it's an opaque plastic tube so you don't see the needle. I don't know about taking it if you have liver problems, but my rheumy has been...
Call your doctor. I'm sorry you're hurting....
I had a similar problem and my rheumy added meds. Apparently mtx works well with other drugs. First we tried sulfasalazine and tthen Enbrel. Now I'm taking mtx and Humira. So far it seems to be...
Got mine crossed too!...
I'm so sorry, Chartreux. I know how draining it is to fight with the insurance company. Have you called your doctor and let him/her know what's going on? A friend of mine has MS and has to fight...
First of all, I'm sorry you're going through all this. It sucks. My rheumy always wants me to stay on a new med for three months; she says it can take that long for the med to start working on your...
o_O They gave you grief for folic acid? Wow. I wouldn't wish RA on anyone, but it's tempting to wish something on the fools who think $ are the bottom line. I wanted to share my experience in case...
I was on Enbrel for four months and didn't had any issues with numbness. (Also on prednisone off and on for the last sixteen months.) Have you called the prescribing doctor? He/She will have more...
Thanks for the commiseration. The good news is that Humira seems to be working! I'm still on 5 mg/day of prednisone, but this morning I had very little pain/inflammation. I'm going to contact my...
If I remember correctly, around 20% of people with RA (including me) are sero-negative as Chartreux mentioned. If this doctor won't do more tests, try another. I got very lucky and found a good...
Rheumy has decided that Enbrel is not working (hasn't been since May!) so she prescribed Humira. She gave me a sample pack and I started it 2 weeks ago. Now I'm down to 5mg/day of prednisone (from...