Good luck!

11 mile bike ride - 18 mile bike ride - are you sure you have RA?

I can't even imagine doing a fraction of that with RA. How is this even possible, especially since you are only now starting on Enbrel? From my understanding, one's inflammation level needs to be pretty high for an RA doc to start you on Enbrel (i.e., very difficult to move). Just curious. Do you just ignore the pain? What does your doc say about doing such extreme things with a Dx of RA?

good luck nomorera!

there's no crying in RA....)

present reality: you would have to seat me on a hospital grade recumbent bike and duct tape my feet with ankle splints to the pedals and put an orthopedic memory foam pillow under my butt and hips, attach wrist splints to my hands and arms but give me arms rests that are NOT elevated or hope that if I cradle my arms in my lap, I will not fall off - or have someone drag the stationary bike over and put it slam up against the entire wall so I can lean over if I want kind of with my shoulder into the wall and not fall off, and put my neck brace on so the back of my head could be supported.

Nice jazz music needs to be on also. so would serious narcotics and mega muscle relaxers. or how about the NSAIDS the liver doctor keeps telling me not to take?

under these conditions i could last about...11 minutes.

Depot

Good luck to you but 18 miles? I do my incline here in the house but not near that far and that's exhausting yet exhilarating at the same time, just remember to listen to your body, that has been the biggest thing for me but I am getting better at it. Just don't push yourself to hard.

You'll do great! I hope the Enbrel kicks in fast so you can kick butt!
My milestone this weekend - I drove 6 hours Friday, stayed up late having a couple of glasses of wine, then drove 6n hours home Saturday! Really BIG deal! My hands aren't cramping and I was actually okay sitting.
These successes matter very much to us!

Oh boyfriend-can you put a motor on her bike just incase :)

thanks everyone. Yes I have moderate to severe RA. (I still want another type of test for lyme disease though).
My pain level is very tolerable and very low at this time. I did notice my knees are pretty sore after the 11 mile ride yesterday so I am not riding today. Ice and rest.

18 miles may be too much but I tend to push myself, sometimes too far. My boyfriend is a great reality checker. He causes me to pause before I take a headlong assault into any crazy activities.

So the truth is I am taking it a day at a time. I want to do this to prove that I can, and that RA doesn't have the upper hand.
Unfortunately my first Enbrel injection is Friday and I don't know what my body's response is going to be.
It's a wait and see.
Again, thank you all for the smiles and support.

I really do think you are pushing it too hard, I've always been on the athletic side myself and it kills me not being able to do what I want to do, it doesn't mean RA has the upper hand, it will always be there but I feel it can be managed yet at the same time I do have plenty of respect for the disease, I've learned to pace myself, and that is about all you can do, I'm not out to beat it nor am I lying down after all I will be living with this for the rest of my life and I want to stay grounded as long as possible and with all the new drugs out there slowing the progression of the disease I feel I've partly won, good luck to you and sending hugs.

thanks thanks and thanks, truly. As good as I felt 2 days ago I got knocked down with what I think is a UTI and also pain in both knees - probably from riding to far. I'm not sure what I think I need to prove but it's exhausting.
Oh well so much for the roller coaster. Back to being just me.

Enbrel just may get you back in the saddle! Keep in mind how well humira did, but at the same time, don't expect it but be hopeful!

Just want to say congrats on your decision to do this, @nomorera, and I'm 100% on board with you trying the bike ride.

I can relate because I've done a few "crazy" things myself over the last several months - a 5K run in December, cross-country skiing in January and nearly a month of travel in June where I was on my feet for several hours at a time. Now, I can't tell you that I ran that 5K like I did before RA - or middle age, even! - and I needed professional assistance to cross-country ski, but I'm so glad I didn't back down because of what I thought my limitations would be. These experiences were thrilling and affirming for me.

I am diagnosed with severe RA and have been on biologics/prednisone/pain medication for many years. What I find is that when I work out (mostly hiking) or push the limits with a more aggressive activity like running or skiing, my recovery time can be up to one week total (meaning that for one week afterwards, I'm sore, need more rest, use heat/ice/massage treatment frequently and use extra pain meds). After that, I'm back to the usual aches and pains. For me, it's worth a bit of extra discomfort because these physical challenges remind me of who I was *before* I had RA, and that feels good.

FYI, there are experiences for "us" out there and you may find a race designed for the physically challenged. The folks who helped me with cross-country skiing are the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (http://www.disabledsportseasternsierra.org) and they were patient and fabulous with me - encouraging every step of the way. In checking out their home page, I see that they're hosting a bike ride where physically challenged folks are encouraged to participate - these guys totally rock! Maybe there's something in your part of the country that's similar where you can explore the possibilities of what you can achieve.

I'm looking forward to hearing all about the race, and good luck!

Have any of you done more damage to your joints or do you know? That is why I would be a little leery of doing anything so physical. I did a 3k/5k walk/run our local hospital was sponsoring and I paid for it afterwards with my feet and legs, haven't done it since then, not worth it in the least, I believe damage comes from all the pressure you put on those joints rather you are flared or not, so be careful out there all you RA'ers, remember it does have limitations, you can stay active but on a lighter note. Wishing you all well!

Just because you have RA does not mean you cannot be active. if you have been exercising, including spinning and weight training, 18 miles is a very doable ride. If it's an organized ride, they likely have rest stops along the way. Stop, have a snack and some water, stretch, and get back on the bike.

I road bike and mountain bike, though mostly mountain bike. Over Memorial Day I hiked 5 miles on a Friday, mountain-biked 19 on Saturday, hiked another 10 on Sunday, and about 13 on Monday.

Yes, I was whipped by Monday, but I DID IT. And like you, I showed RA that it does not have the upper hand.

This weekend we'll be mountain biking two days and hiking one day. I have issues with my right thumb/wrist -- one of the few remaining places I have with constant pain. But you know what, I have that pain whether I am hammering it out on a trail on a bike or whether I'm sitting on the back porch with my feet put up. In fact, sometimes I think my hand/wrist feels better after I have been riding.

I know people who have RA and run marathons. Yes, they don't always feel 100% (or some days, even 30%). Keep up the good work, and don't let RA win! (or listen to people who tell you you are pushing yourself too hard!) Listen to your body. Do what makes you feel good. Half the challenge with chronic illness is maintaining "normalcy" and in a good mental place. Exercise is the best way to do that.

Nomorera, go to a bike shop and have your bike adjusted optimally for your body. Biking should not cause knee pain -- it is one of the best activities for being easy on the knees. If it is causing knee issues you need to likely look at seat position.

Remember everyone, even a "normal" person has aches and pains if they sit on the couch all winter and then go out and walk 3-5 miles the first sunny day. You have to learn to discern between "normal" aches and pains, and RA aches & pains. It's difficult... I'm still learning.