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...
I'm back, at least for a while. Curious to see what's changed in the last 3 months. I see that the font size is larger and I see a button for posting photos. Haven't looked to see if we cn post photos on our own pages, yet. I hope everyone is doing well. I finished my 9th year of Rituxan earlier this month, had an eye socket surgery and new prosthetic eye made, and things are mostly good. Lots of snow in the mountains, and had a chance to go for a snow shoe hike a few weeks ago. I never did get all my Fall chores done, but I'm hoping that winter hides the evidence.
From a hike on Mt Shasta, 11/01
The photograph is absolutely astounding. Wow.
I wish I could say that great strides have been made on the website. I seriously doubt you'll find any other changes than those you mentioned. I and others have been criticized for not cheering on the development team. Frankly, when the "Send" button is dead for two weeks at a time, then fixed, then dead again, then fixed, then dead again.....well, it gets kind of old. I keep trying to find a decent functioning RA forum but have yet to find one that I feel at home in. Truthfully? I'm pretty pessimistic about the outcome of this website. So many people have left.
Nice to have you back.
Lynn
depot
I promised, as I exited stage eft, 3 months ago, that there would be a series of fixes, problems from the fixes, ad nauseum. I'm sorry to hear it's been that. I worked in IT (design, analysis, programming, and... QA) for many years, and this organization fails in all of those.
I'm mostly sorry about people leaving. It's always nice to see new people arrive, for their contributions and new perspective, though not their diagnosis. But, when you lose the old folks, you lose perspective, including what they've gone through with drugs, doctors and life skills.
I'll work on the frenzy, depot, and thanks about the phot, lynn. I inadvertantly, cropped the top, trying to figure out how to execute the "poof, there it is" stage, but, I'm blown away at how magnificently it was presented. That's bette that old DS, but if we can't do that on our own pages, screw 'em. In any event, that was where I was, busting ass on snow shoes, wildly excited (heart rate high, mind expanded), and ever so grateful that I was there. That was mid-point between my last 2 Rituxan infusions. Alasi, between travels and raking f'ng leaves, and other pointless endeavors, I've been a gym dropout and beeling the flab. Comprende?
Everybody, get your old friends to sign in and make it a go or a game. This seems WAY to quiet, and I'm like depot. We need a frenzy.
If there's anyone here who's easily offended, tell me so I can poke you and get you involved.
Love,
BC
I heard earlier, from a very dear friend, that the RA group had devolved into discussions between 3 old women, and little more. I thought it was time to see what she was talking about . If I last long enough, I'll find out if you're one of those, but thank you so much for your resonses. I gave up on this place 3 months ago, for all the reasons that you folks have suffered through, and I have no reason to hope for better, at this point, but I will stay long enough to see what's happened since I left, and to express my opinions on what "might" happen, should open-minded people concur.
I don't know how to get lost folks back and contributing, but maybe we can all make an effort.
Welcome to all the new people, whi have yet to meet. Please feel free to comment, and identify yourself. It's not as easy as before to learn about new folks, but don't despair.
bc
Pink
Peggy
Wonderful pic! And definitely something you could not do before on the old DS. Now, if only that SEND button would work for everyone! And all the other things we complain about daily in DSCM. LOL
I'm glad to hear Rituxan is still working and you are keeping active, on the mountain at least. The coastal mountains have so much snow this year. We are 4 hours interior, and not so much snow, and warm for Canada. But I am not riding my bike outside. I fell and hurt my pelvis, and I can't ride right now. I'm sadly going to take up swimming. Not my thing, but I need to move.
I have added mthx back, not a full dose (10mg). That was 8 weeks ago. The last few weeks have been greatly improved, but not today, for some reason. Probably I overdid it yesterday. My goal is to get to a point where overdoing it is not an option. I just do and live. I wonder if that is ever going to happen again?
So, I deeply resemble one of those 3 old woman someone mentioned. LOL. I thought I had a new member, but turns out she had fibromyalgia, not RA. I kind of figured as there was no visible joint swelling and it started in her back. Not sure how to even find new people. It would be nice, but really, with the new format, you would not even be able to see who was posting, and if it is the same people, more or less.
Well, I hope you stick around for a while. We have some private conspiracy theories going about the new format! LOL. I thought you might like that!
Hello buddhacat. I'm quite new here, but like Pinkcat68, thought it looked like the people here knew a lot more than me about ra.
Seems you know a lot more about IT too....how did you post that pic??
Oh-oh! It occurred to me that when I wrote "reason to hang on" in an earlier post that I might have sounded suicidal. What I was referring to was hanging around this website.
OK, you can all stop laughing. :-)
Ah, yes......"three old ladies" keeping the group going. Yep, I would be one of them. But whoever told you that BuddhaCat needs to know that THIS old lady still sails, runs a consulting business, and is otherwise very involved. I do not like being thrown into the stereotype of some little old lady living with her cats. That's how I took it. Not that there's anything wrong with that........awwww, I should just shut up while I'm ahead.
I wish more people would post, I think Marlene and Warrior and I would appreciate some new voices chiming in......as well as some old friends.
I'm with Pink--I seriously appreciate this site. Please don't all disappear.
Not sure if I'm in with the 'old ladies' on here or not. ^_~ but I hang with any crowd and get along with everyone so it's all good.
So thankful for everyone on here!
What's up with the freaking 'send' button not working? */*
About the send button.......oh, don't get me started. Over the past two months the send button dies when I use the laptop. It got so bad I had to create a second alias and use it for a while. I think it was CaliforniaDrea. It took the developers over two weeks to fix it after so many people nagged them. Not just me.....a number of us. Ironically, it doesn't happen when using the phone. Problem is, I hate texting and writing emails or posts on my phone. I tend to get wordy and after plucking a sentence on the phone, I'm soooo done. Anyway, it keeps happening on and off. Can't explain why. And it is often a few days until it's fixed.
I feel like I've aged 10yrs in 3yrs from all this healthy junk. I'm hoping I can at least control it.
Whatever happens I gotta stay positive.
Buddhacat--> Love that name :-)