After a year and half of this, I knew I needed a change. I started reading up about positive thinking because before my illnesses, I’s always been a positive thinker, but several life traumas after another caused too much stress on me and led me to fibromylagia and then rheumatoid arthritis. I know the constant stress and life tramatic events caused me to become a negative thinker in a deep depression.

After reading about positive thinking, I started practicing it again. One of the first things I did was talk to my RA doctor about getting off y Lyrica, and he agreed. This step alone caused me to start losing weight slowly. Losing weight helped me to start feeling better both physically and emotionally. I felt ready to actually start weaning off one of my three anti-depressants. That process took me 6 months, but I stopped taking it as of October 2010.

Since then, I’ve weaned off my other two anti-depressants. Since August of 2010, I’ve lost a total of 60 pounds, and I feel much better. I still have another 60 pounds to go, but I know I will get there.

How did I start all of this process? It was a commercial for Christus Spohn Cancer Center where the woman with cancer says, “I’m not cancer: I’m a wife and a mother. I’m not cancer: I’m a sister and a best friend. I am not cancer: I’m a fighter…” Although this commercial is about a treatment to help with cancer, I applied it to me and my illnesses of fibromyalgia and RA. I’m not RA or Fibro: I’m a wife and a mother. I’m not RA or fibro: I’m a teacher and a best friend. I am NOT RA or fibro: I am a fighter! I refuse to allow my illnesses to run me. I have a life filled with children, a spouse, friends and family, and I will live it!

I have had Rheumatoid arthritis (severe refractory) for 26 years now. No, I am not that old, I was diagnosed when I was 28. I think treatment and disease management are like climbing up and down a ladder. When there is a lot of pain, you climb up the ladder, take more and stronger medications, and get more rest. When the pain is less, you climb down the ladder, take less medication, and don’t need to rest as often.

I also work out, and because I do I think I am a better noticer of daily joint aches. One day my left knee hurts, the next day my left knee is fine, but my right wrist hurts. Then the next day, my wrist is fine, but then my hip hurts — and the saga continues. I think if you only rest, the aches and pains that travel daily, might go unnoticed.

I also think, as a woman, I get raped daily by this disease. I wanted to have my eyes done because my distance vision is not that great anymore — and I hate glasses. I wear enough armour on the rest of my body (a brace for every joint) I don’t want eye armour also. HOWEVER, I found out that laser surgery is contraindicated for RA. UGH! Are you joking???

However, the good news is, that after such a long period of having the disease, I do have joint damage and my hands look like they’ve been in a war, BUT I still have full range of motion and have avoided surgery to date anyway. The damage slows down quite a bit after the first 5 or so years. Gotta love my rheumatologist.

Everyone needs a hero….Will you be mine?

I hope today is treating you well. Perhaps the sun is shining on your face or you are enjoying a wonderful meal. Whatever it is, I hope something wonderful happened for you today. I am sending the best of thoughts your way RA Guy!