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...

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Compromised Immune System

Lifeis2short
Lifeis2short
Hi gang! Well, with the holidays here I'm going to be around family a lot more and there are little ones which means THEY'RE SICK more often than not! My sister is coming from out of state and was going to bring her 4 year old stepson who came down with chicken pox....I hate to feel this way but thank God that it happened before they left on Tuesday. Am I the only one who feels this way? I am paranoid about getting sick because I'll have to miss my Remicade infustion. It's already happened once and I know I can't live in a bubble but I'm concerned when I get around someone who's really sick. I love my niece and nephew to pieces...they are 4 and 2 but I can't go visit them when they get sick. They live about 2-1/2 hours away so it's not like I can just drop by anytime I want. So what do you do when someone your around is sick? Thanks!
ncgranny62
ncgranny62
Wendy55 beat me to it. The most germ-laden place you will visit is your doctor's waiting room. The surfaces you touch in there and the air you breathe in there is not too good for the immune-suppressed.

I guess you just have to be as diligent as possible knowing that you cannot avoid it all--else you will stay at home and never come into contact with those you love and that would mean I would not have much of a life.
Caren28
Caren28
I guess I'm in the minority on this one- I just don't worry much about getting sick. The only time I really get freaked out about germs is traveling on planes or on my local city buses- something about breathing in a sealed tin can full of coughing and sneezing people gets to me! But otherwise, I live my normal life and try to wash my hands frequently. I worked in a pediatric primary care clinic until very recently- probably the germiest place in town. Most of the time, I was on a biologic and methotrexate. In three years, I had one round of pneumonia and one staph infection in my throat, plus an assortment of colds. That really wan't much more than I had in usual winters before RA.
lynnedavidson3
lynnedavidson3
All you can do is wash your hands all the time! I work in a public place, and in contact with lots of people. So far, so good. I do think a mask on a plane is a good idea!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Your not alone..I carry germ x with me at all times..if they do not have the little cloths in the stores i carry a washcloth that I put in a plastic bag to use with the germ ..I never touch magazines or newspapers in the doctors office..If someone is coughing or sneezing I get up and move..I also wipe the arms of the chairs before i touch them..Just a quick wipe, but I feel safer that way...I open doors with the sleeve of my jacket or use the handicap button to open them..I had pneumonia last year and spent 4 days in the hospital..2 months later I had severe bronchitis...so I am very careful..My family knows that if they have anything wrong they are not to come to my home and they respect that..and I ask before I go there.. You have to look out for yourself.. hope you have a healthier year .

Cassie