Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Wow!!!!! An other blow to RA. Did anyone else see the Doctors program this morning? My sister just called me to watch it and I was truly mad about it. Especially since my sister has absolutely no clue about how debilitating RA is.
The Drs program just had an "Expert Rheumatologist" talking about the difference between osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis on the show today. Granted, she only had less than 2 minutes to explain it but I believe that to the general population Osteoarthritis looks sooooooo much worse than RA. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She said that people with Osteo have so much more pain going up and down stairs then RA patients and that we actually feel "much better" with activity where OA patients feel worse. She said it was an exciting time for RA patients because of new meds the will *prevent* yes, prevent damage. Wow sign me up!!!!! My Rhemuy has told me the meds will only "slow down" the damage. She didn't mention anything about the fatigue, being chronic, being systemic etc. etc.
Anyway, maybe I am just feeling a little too sensitive right now but ......I was not happy about what I heard. I guess I should have known by how she kept looking to her side to read the prompter. Sorry about that little episode :) Now to face my "Buck up cowgirl, see I told you so. Its not that big of a deal. You just have to ignore your little pains and you will be okay!"
Hmmmmm. Just wondering how you all felt about it? I hope I was wrong in how I viewed it. Lisa
The Drs program just had an "Expert Rheumatologist" talking about the difference between osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis on the show today. Granted, she only had less than 2 minutes to explain it but I believe that to the general population Osteoarthritis looks sooooooo much worse than RA. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She said that people with Osteo have so much more pain going up and down stairs then RA patients and that we actually feel "much better" with activity where OA patients feel worse. She said it was an exciting time for RA patients because of new meds the will *prevent* yes, prevent damage. Wow sign me up!!!!! My Rhemuy has told me the meds will only "slow down" the damage. She didn't mention anything about the fatigue, being chronic, being systemic etc. etc.
Anyway, maybe I am just feeling a little too sensitive right now but ......I was not happy about what I heard. I guess I should have known by how she kept looking to her side to read the prompter. Sorry about that little episode :) Now to face my "Buck up cowgirl, see I told you so. Its not that big of a deal. You just have to ignore your little pains and you will be okay!"
Hmmmmm. Just wondering how you all felt about it? I hope I was wrong in how I viewed it. Lisa
http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/contact_doctor_form/4
BTW Ren, I cannot wait to pull the Dr (DCLS, really, but doctor nonetheless) card! Hopefully before I am 40.
I just went in to write but you need a face book acct which i do not have. I will have to get my daughter to help
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While I have watched your show in the past, I have not had the oppurtunity to see any of the recent episodes. It has been brought to my attention, however, that you did a very recent (and very small segment) on RA versus Osteo. I have tried to pull up this episode to watch myself, and find that the episode in not available to watch via the internet. The episode was brought to my attention through a Rheumatiod support sight that I dearly love, and while I have not had the oppurtunity to see the episode myself, they have. It would seem that very little justice was done to this invisible disease that destroys so many lives.
In no way shape or form am I trying to be-little Osteo. I do not suffer from it, and have no way of stating which one may or may not be worse. What I can tell you is this, the two most assuredly can NOT be compared one to the other. As a physician, I do not have to inform you that they are two very different things.
Those of us with RA have struggled over the years with the ignorance in regards to the disease. It's in unbelievable when on realizes just how little is know about this autoimmune dissorder that steals our lives and destroys our bodys in the eye's of the public. We pray regulary that one day, RA will make it to the headlines of shows similiar to yours. Yet, it never seems to. You can imagine our surprise to find that when it does, it is not in a way that brings awareness. Instead, it brings yet more ignorance.
Those of us that share our lives with this beast spend our days in pain, fatigue and often, depression. We live with the knowledge that it is incurable, and eventually, we will no longer be able to fight. We have to resort to medications like Biologics (for myself, I take the Cimzia injections). While our immune system rages a war within our bodies that alter our lives on uncomprehensible levels, we sturggle with the fact that on the outside, all seems well. On the inside, we're screaming. A damaged package wrapped in pretty paper. It's one of the many difficult facets of this beast.
You look well, there for you must be.
I implore you to take all this into consideration. I'm not going to tsk and shame you for a show I did not see for myself. But I am going to ask that the next time a need arises to bring RA to the front lines, you do so in a way that helps others understand what it's like to live with something to debilitating. Sadly, even our own family's struggle to understand what it is that is destroying their loved ones.
Simply put, there is very little information available in regards to RA, and entirely to much ignorance. If anyone can help to change that, it is you. Whether you acknowledge it or not, some damage was done with your previouse episode. More confusion has been placed among the public, ignorance spreading even further. You can fix that.
We want a voice! We NEED a voice!
sincerely,
Tanya Nave
First of all doctor don't always agree & second they should not be comparing RA to any other form of Arthritis.
To my knowledge its in a class of its own & as far as the meds your damned if you do & damned if you don't, excuse my language but I'm a wee bit upset.
People are truly ignorant, they think because these hot shot doctors on TV give an opinion its !00% fact. I wonder what all the RA's would think about that one?
Oh we are so lucky to have all these meds now, which some side effects can be as bad & dangerous as the RA.
There is no proof that every patient with RA will benefit from these meds. Heck even the literature sent home with me from my RA states "may" help. Even then it can stop at any time & new treatments will begin with again no promises.
A good point how often does Osteo occur with RA? Dumb just dumb & they should not comment at all unless they have the facts.
Last I heard OA was not an Auto immune risk. To be little such a serious disease is a injustice to all.
Education is the key & they just sent the wrong message.
I'll sign or write or whatever it takes.
I hate when these doctors get on TV & make statements that are not accurate.
To top it off pain is pain, no matter the cause. To compare one to another is wrong, just wrong. If you want to compare have the facts. Now how many people will think RA is controlled in this day & age. How many will suffer the consequences of the numbers that show reaches?
Doctor OZ has been challenged by others I'd like to see the same on this show. I'm going to bet they will not like to be challenged on this. As they would have to admit they misinformed how many people?
Venting away here, going to have to look into that episode.
I'm thinking writing the station may be as important as writing the show. After all they must have no problem with the public being misled, they are the ones that air the show.
Thanks for letting us know.
Sammy