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...
How scared are you? What "precautions" are you taking?
Most of us are on immune supressant drugs that make us more susceptible to infections. Are we sitting ducks?
Your approach sounds EXTREMLY sensible!! Good on you!
As of now, I am still planning to fly to Sarasota at the end of the month and will do likewise. Hoping I can get disinfecting wipes and not have to pack my household round container of it!
OH...and my *** EYES!! **** I have Sjogrens which means DRY EYE so I rub the a LOT!! It is a very bad habit I need to work on stopping! But like most bad habits easier said than done.
Reading Terminal was everything I needed it to be yesterday. I ate far too much, and brought home far too much food, and I don't regret a bit of it.
A highlight, for me, was an incident I'll relate here only because we all need to remember that more people are good than not: my lunch choice was at a Greek stand, with red stools at the formica counter. I was luck enough to snag a place to sit, as the crowd was shoulder to shoulder. The young woman who was working the front was incredible. Non stop motion clearing empty cups and wiping the counter and taking multiple order without writing a thing down, taking care of requests for extra napkins and all the usual things. One woman, standing in the long queue, suddenly got really, really loud and abusive, screaming about the long wait, about how terrible immigrants are, and the 'slow' service, etc. Now, it was anything but slow, but there were certainly a lot of people. I mean, it was the city, it was 12:30 pm, and it was the week of the Flower Show.
One by one, the ten people at the counter stools each tool a five dollar bill from their pockets and set them on the counter as a tip for the young server. Other people in the line told the rude woman to just go somewhere else, and happily, she did. And then, in addition to the tips, we all started writing funny and supportive notes on napkins to leave for the young woman. We were all strangers. It was a good, affirming moment.
At least once a year, two friends from middle school and I have a girls outing. Two or three years ago we went to the craft show there in the conf. center and then to Reading Market. It's a MAD HOUSE!! But such fun and great food variety.
I asked specifically about the coronavirus. I said that i'm keeping up with news from reliable sources and certainly not panicking, but I wondered what additional information I, as a person with an autoimmune disease, needed to have. My doctor said that first of all the deaths thus far have been patients with underlying conditions other than just having an autoimmune; they've also had heart of lung issues. So the existence of the autoimmune disease in and of itself is not a serious risk factor (at this time. It's important to note that information is changing as more is learned about this challenge.)
According to my doctor, we're at no more risk for actually contracting the disease than anyone else is. Should I get it - and some estimates are that a large percentage of adults in the US will eventually be exposed to it and may have mild symptoms or even be asymptomatic, - then she has recommended that I stop the methotrexate and contact their office. But she said that for patients who develop a mild case, they're going to recommend suspending the mtx for a time period and treating symptoms. Please, of course, consult with your own doctor if you have concerns - I'm just relaying this as general information.
It makes sense. If, as is currently thought, 2% of people who get this have serious symptoms, then there are 49 people out there for every severe case that's made the news, with symptoms so mild that they're not even aware they have it. We're already starting to hear about people who seem to be carrying it with no symptoms at all, in cases where contacts of a patient are pre-emptively tested. But so few people in the general population have been tested, it's very likely that there's a lot of people walking around with it, technically, but their bodies are just fighting it off. That might sound scary at first read, but it's actually encouraging.
In my case at least, my immune system has been OVERactive, which is how I've ended up with the inflammation symptoms etc that I've experienced. The immunosuppressants have subdued that overactive system. If I were to stop the mtx, it would rev back up again. Those of us on immunosuppressants, in a weird way, have a backup plan already in place: stop those meds, and our own crazy immune systems should kick in. Stopping those meds is not generally a good idea, but it's good to know that it's an option that could be helpful in an extreme situation.
Obviously everyone's situation is different, and I can speak only to my own ten minutes' discussion with my doctor this morning.
Another challenge . . . I tried walking up a flight of stairs today without holding on to the bannister. Weighing the difference between touchinbg somehting thta might have virus germs on it versus risking falling... ??? I tried compromising by running my elbow along the hand rail. ???
Frikissales - you are being reported. Your posts violate the rules of this forum.
I would be curious what everyone else finds out.
Closer to home. And I didn't like that my current Rheumy was too quick to throw anti-epressants at me when I complained about excessive tiredness.
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Mar 4, 08:32 PST
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My 90 year old mother was supposed to go into assisted living, coming out of hospital from a pelvis break. My sister doesn't want her to. My son-in-law who is a doctor just south of her, says she has a greater chance of falling again and dying, than getting COVID-19. Plus, she is completely healthy, no lung or heart issues.
Me, on the other hand....
I'm going to dig out my extra Plaquenil I have and take it if we get any cases around where I live. Who knows, maybe the third time on it will help control my RA! LOL
I hope you can get your sister to listen to your S-i-l. . Is your sister planning on caring for your mom at home?
Hospitals and nursing homes have always been notorious for disease. C-dif, mers, sars....
Two confirmed COVID-19 cases in my county - neighboring town.
My town Sr. Ctr. cancelled all actiities. My ESL turtoring is cancelled.
Grtting lots of spring cleaning done. Limiting all crowded events and grocery shopping at night when stores are less crowded.
The upside is I have plenty of toilet paper and bleach. Maybe I can trade for hand sanitizer and Lysol.
1. This country is abysmally underprepared to deal with a coronavirus outbreak. It's pathetic. If you feel symptomatic and you're old, call a hospital before you go, because chances are, they won't have test kits. If you're not old, just stay home. If you're inclined to pray, please pray for the hundreds of thousands of people who may die or be devastated by events.
2. Wash your freaking hands. Soap apparently destroys the virus encapsulation. Masks are best used to stop the spread of disease. Avoid people with masks: they either have some kind of disease or they're stupid.
3. If you have any doubts, stay away from other people.
4. If you don't think the public response to this crisis is politically motivated, and you have half a brain, please understand that the administration and its sycophants don't want you to "worry." About what? About how lousy a job they're doing. If you do understand what's going on, vote to get rid of these idiots.
But, don't worry!
Thus the suggestions in the following aticle apply to situations other than COVID-19, and for us it applies to the uncertainties of RA!
5 Steps to Living with Uncertainty During Coronavirus
A guide for responding to anxiety and lack of control.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/biofeedback-and-mindfulness-in-everyday-life/202003/5-steps-living-uncertainty-during