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...
Ten years ago I was diaged w/ RA. I had NO IDEA how much my life was about to change. I lost so many things to RA... hiking, biking, my career, friends, my church (yes, they deserted me) .... the ability to do so many things that I loved. I took so many many things for granted.
I had to actually grieve the life that I lived... like a death... I had to go thru anger, sadness, loneliness, and grief like the death of someone I loved... bc I did love my life. But it was over.
Then after looking at it very closely... there has been MUCH that I have gained in the past ten years.
I have had a career teaching online ... now that I can teach online, things are MUCH easier! It's 1 to 1 and the kids are great. In fact, it's one of the MOST FUN teaching jobs I have EVER EVER had. I love it. I can do it from my home !!! So nice !
I have more FRIENDS than I have ever had before in life. I stopped running w/ coworkers (who would eat you on the first day if your plane went down on a mountain)... These real friends LISTEN, care, call, go with me places, help me, laugh, share... and have time for me. I never really realized that I did NOT really have friends. Coworkers are nice... but they are too busy for YOU. I can't count the friends that I have now.
I have Jassy, my long haired Chi and we go to the dog park each day, where I have a group of friends that meet up. We laugh, enjoy the weather and enjoy our dogs together. I had another terrier Chi mix. We lived in CO together for six months... hubs stayed in another state. It was wonderful and enlightening.
I have started house sitting in places so that I can travel ! It's GREAT.
I can still do yoga ! I never did give THAT activity up. I like to swim / water walk periodically. It's very relaxing. I've started to pray and meditate much much more. And the way I see, feel and experience God is on such a larger scale. I feel closer to God in some ways.
I have friends now of all kinds !!! young, old, gay, lesbian, transgender, .... my world has broadened.
I relate to ppl that do NOT have it "all together"... I don't have to dress up all the time... in fact, very rarely. It's nice to be casual.
I don't work to impress ppl any more. I want to just be me and be free...
I have learned to cook !!! I never did before. I love wholesome food and actually now eating WFPB Whole Food Plant based.... which never in am million years would I thought I would have tried.
I did a 5K even since diaged w/ RA. Who wld have thought?
I learned how to play the ukulele and the Seagull Merlin. ! Before, I had never even picked up a stringed instrument before.
I have become a minimalist and go for simplicity. I have 2 youtube channels now. I am happy. I was before... but I have found it again. Like all ppl, I have rough days.... but I had those BEFORE RA.
So... for those that are struggling and new... life goes on and sometimes it takes us on the untraveled path.
Namaste. Ginger
I've had sever RA for more than 40 years. I birthed and raised 3 kids, worked full time, travelled to Europe, the Middle East, Central America, Hawaii and most recently New Zealnd. I wrote two books and over 200 published articles and sat boards of NCOs,and marched for many social justice causes..
You don't mention a thing about how you are treating your RA?
I do yoga almost daily and see my doctor when I have break thru pain, which is only about 2x a year at the most.
Lovely to hear your story. I remember you from the old DS! Welcome back!
I'm really only here, because I run two private groups. On the old DS, there were 2000 members in the groups, and each post got 100's of comments. Just like the old RA group. But, a few people want me to stay, and I still like this group, too! So, here I am!
Great to see that you have learned to reinvent yourself. Hope you feel better in the New Year!