My heart goes out to you.
I admire your determination to go after the career you want & not let this disease stop you.

Perhaps jealous is not the word I'd use but I do envy those who can jump up & just go.
The thing is those who can don't realize how blessed they are. We take health for granted.
Simple things like doing our hair or wearing a nice pair of shoes.

As hard as it can be on those hard days we have to keep in mind at one time or another most will battle their "beast of burden" whether we can visibly see it or not.
I hope the Remacide works for you. You may not realize this but for the younger ones that come here for support you & others following their dreams are an inspiration. You'll make a wonderful nurse who knows what battles & compassion are all about.
Sammy

I think ranting and venting is very important to keep us sane! And a community like this is the perfect place to do it because we've ALL been there. In your life you'll run across lots of people who have never had a chronic illness and who won't understand what you're going through, especially on the days when you "look" normal. So, especially as you start the challenge of a new career, remember to surround yourself with people who make you feel loved and accepted.

I have some very practical advice in terms of your career. Prior to my diagnosis of RA, I worked for about 10 years in horticulture. The jobs were very physically demanding, but I loved it. After I developed RA, I had to quit my job and haven't been able to go back to it. Recently, I've been investigating getting an MBA so I can open a business that deals with horticulture. My hope is that with this, I can enjoy the aspects I've always loved, have some flexibility for the days that are bad, and hire others to do the most physically demanding work. It's taken me a while to get to this state of mind, but I believe I can adapt to what life has thrown at me and still do the things I love.

My recommendation to you is this: don't let RA rule your life, but remember that it's a factor in your decisions. Try to work for someone who allows some flexibility in scheduling, and who gives paid sick time. Make sure you you look into healthcare plans before accepting employment offers so that you have coverage for the Dr. visits and medications you need. Discuss with your doctor the best ways to manage your pain level with short-term medications for when you're having flares. This may be prednisone or NSAIDs, or something stronger as necessary. There's nothing wrong with managing pain!!! And it's a very important aspect of long-term health, because the more pain we have, the more stress we have on our bodies, and the harder it is to recover from changes in our lives or illnesses.

Put yourself in a position where you are developing multiple skills. If an employer sponsors classes or educational events, take them! If there is conference that offers continuing education, go! Develop ancillary skills such as familiarity with a variety of computer programs that they use in healthcare or with ways of keeping medical records. Continue to study new treatments and medicines on your own time, and stay current with nursing techniques. All of these things can help you in several ways, I believe: 1. Your enthusiasm will be seen by your employer and it can help them value you as an employee. This can translate into leniency in case you are having trouble with your RA. 2. You will be highly marketable--positions will be open to you, that wouldn't be to other people. This puts you in a position to negotiate if you need to--for example, if you like your place of employement, but they don't have any flexibility in their hours, apply to other jobs. When you have an offer that gives you the flexibility you want, go to your current employer and see if you can leverage that into the working hours you want. And if you can't, you can still go to that other job. 3. I sincerely hope that you will experience remission, but in case you don't or in case the RA comes back, you may need to make changes at some point in the future. With a broad spectrum of skills, you could work part-time while you get the RA under control, or you could move into a management position that would still allow you to help many people, but would be less physically demanding.

It will be important for you to consider things like distance from home to work when you are looking for employment. An hour drive after a 10 hour working day could be very difficult for someone with RA. Also, look for things that will help you with the physical parts of a job. For example, if you had to lift something/someone heavy, could you use a brace or strap so it is not so difficult? You will need to set yourself up for success by anticipating difficulties and finding a way around them. You will have to pay special attention to getting sufficient rest and keeping a good diet to keep your overall health good and combat the effects of the RA.

And two very important things in a life with RA: forgiveness and hope!! If you have a bad day, forgive yourself, and always hope for a better day tomorrow! I wish you the best of luck in the world!

Rant and vent all you want. We all need to get that frustration out of your system. I've never asked "Why did God do this to me?", but I have asked "Why doesn't God give me better tools to deal with all this?"

Good luck with finishing your nursing certification. My sister is a nurse.

I'm 70. You'll get there. Do what you need to do to keep yourself going.