#Rheumatoid Arthritis

[frank-gallaghers-beer]

me when the chronic pain is chronic and painful:

[ayeforscotland]

Holy shit.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have been able to create an ‘inverse vaccine’ that can remove the immune systems memory of specific molecules.

Reading that, sounds like a horrendous bio weapon in the making. But the plan is for it to be used to treat autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

This was already proven to be able to prevent autoimmunity but the new work shows it can be used to treat ongoing autoimmune issues.

Source.

[thescrappyraccoon]

Story of my life 🙄😅

[disabled-bug]

When you have a chronic ailment, you hear all the time “I could never.”

Oh, you cut out dairy/gluten/ect? I could never. Oh, you do self injections? I could never.

I could never deal with that much pain. I couldn’t live with all those doctor appointments. I could never stay in bed all day, I’d just get so bored! I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t live like that, can’t couldn’t wouldn’t…

Please stop implying to people with something chronic that you’d rather die than go through what they’re going through, and take a minute to understand that their treatment isn’t a hobby. It’s survival.

Yes, people with chronic ailments ARE incredibly strong. They ARE doing things you think you couldn’t ever do.

But they’re the same things that they likely thought they couldn’t ever do until they had no other option.

Yes. Often, someone with a chronic issue sees a notable decline in their quality of life.

That doesn’t make it less worth living.

You could do it if you had to.

“I could never” is not the empathetic response you think it is.

[johnnyiscaged]

ily disabled people

ily disabled people who are dependent on aids

ily disabled people who are too scared to use aids

ily disabled people who have been bullied out of using aids

ily disabled people who feel like they don't need many aids or any at all

ily loud disabled people

ily quiet & mute disabled people

ily disabled people who "make being disabled your entire personality"

ily disabled people who are punk, goth, emo, scene, grunge, metal, vkei, decora and any "wierd" fashion style (especially if you decorate your aids to match you're the coolest)

ily creative disabled people

ily disabled activists

ily disabled people who need a helper

ily disabled people who want to be independent but can't be

ily disabled people who love your independent

ily disabled people who wish they could have a helper

ily disabled people who feel like you're not disabled enough to be valid

ily older disabled people who help younger disabled people

ily young disabled people who help older disabled people

ily overweight disabled people

ily underweight disabled people

ily disabled people trying to lose weight for health

ily disabled people trying to gain weight for health

ily disabled people with invisible disabilities

ily stigmatized disabled people

ily disabled people who don't feel like they fit into any of these phrases

ily disabled people !!

[azztiph]

Sometimes u just need to sob and scream and cry and bitch about ur disability

I think a lot of people feel like they need to be at completely at peace with their disability

And you don’t!

Be mad be sad be pissed off!

[chronic-lee-lizard]

“You’re too young to be in pain”

I will end you.

[spookysalem13]

I'm chronically ill. I'm disabled physically and mentally. I live a rough life from day to day. People always tell me how strong I am.

This may be with the best of intentions but in all honesty I'm not strong, I'm very weak from being broken down every single second of my life from my chronic illnesses.

I don't get to live my life, I'm surviving not thriving.

[archaeologicalnews]

3,500-year-old burial of Nubian woman reveals 1 of world's earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis

The 3,500-year-old pockmarked skeleton of an ancient Nubian woman could be one of the earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis in the world, scientists say.

Archaeologists discovered the woman's skeletal remains in 2018 while conducting excavations at a cemetery located along the bank of the Nile near Aswan, in southern Egypt. Analyses revealed that she would have stood around 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall, been around 25 to 30 years old when she died and lived sometime between 1750 and 1550 B.C. The researchers published their case study in the March issue of the International Journal of Paleopathology.

Because the skeleton was so well preserved and contained most of its bones, including its hands and feet, the researchers were able to conduct a thorough osteological analysis of the remains. Read more.

[hellyeahsickaf]

Low Spoons and Hygiene

Sometimes being disabled means struggling with hygiene and that can be embarrassing, even though it's not your fault or a reflection of you as a person. Nobody wants to be stinky or feel dirty, especially when a lot of illnesses and disabilities can entail symptoms like excessive sweating that can make the issue of struggling with hygiene a million times worse.

But smelling bad is the least of your worries, as poor hygiene can lead to things like skin infections. Bacteria and fungi like hanging around in stagnant, often damp areas that collect sweat. And most people have folds- even if just a little, which can be the ideal habitat for dangerous microorganisms. Not changing your underwear/bra or washing your body for an extended period can lead to things like jock itch, intertrigo, yeast infections, athlete's foot, UTIs (anyone can get one and they can spread to the kidneys within days or even hours- and you need those little guys!), all sorts of complications. The existence of foul or sometimes even a slightly "sweet" odor on your body or even in your urine tends to indicate the existence of bacteria (it's why armpits stink) or fungi like candida. Dental hygiene is equally important- an infected tooth or excessive cavities can be bad news. If you experience these things or struggle to regularly care for your body, it's not something to be ashamed of. All of those complications can and do happen to people who do everything right.

Note that issues like UTIs or dental infections don't tend to just go away on their own and need to be treated as urgently as possible.

However, I'll share some things that may prevent or remedy issues like infections and odor that's gotten out of hand and hopefully some may find this list helpful in some way. Any products I've listed may be found at other retailers or at different prices, they're just examples. Feel free to add on to it.

The bare minimum is always better than nothing. Brushing with just a dry toothbrush, using disposable body wipes or a washcloth/sponge instead of a shower, dry shampoo (the sprays are actually pretty bad for you, I'd stay away from those if possible), leave in conditioner, also whole body deodorant is a thing. If the most you can do is change your clothes- hell even just change your bra and/or underwear, it can be the one thing between you and an awful infection.

If infections are a concern, like if say you suffer from chronic UTIs or yeast infections it's advisable to wear breathable cotton underwear.

If you can't get up to brush your teeth or struggle to do so, it may be helpful to purchase disposable toothbrushes. These ones have floss picks attached.

Flossing is just as, if not more important than brushing. If you only have the energy to floss on some days, do that. If you need to keep floss picks and a place to dispose of them near your bed, then that's fine (just don't let it pile on without disposing of it and create a biohazard). it can help remove food particles that help create a breeding ground for bacteria. Also gently moving in and out between your teeth with slight movement if needed is ideal, don't roughly saw across your gums, ouch.

If you struggle with wiping say due to mobility issues, there are products for this. Wiping back to front as an alternative risks yeast infections and UTIs. It's a very common cause of these diseases due to bacteria like e-coli. We do not want that.

Crashing and can't wash your sheets? Out of shirts with no energy to do the laundry today? Antimicrobial fabric spray may help with the odor and bacteria that accumulates on fabric as a temporary fix until you can properly wash it. Try not to wear clothing or interact with fabrics like blankets and couches that are still wet from the spray, as that can irritate the skin.

Try to avoid "feminine wash" products if possible, you don't need the fancy Summer's Eve premium strawberry hibiscus blush scented whatever, it can fuck up your PH and kill good bacteria despite claims to do otherwise. Same with PH wipes. It's recommended not to use soap on your genitalia, especially scented and especially if you have a vagina. If you must use some sort of soap, dermatologists typically recommend the most basic, unscented wash. And do not put it in your body by any means.

Rinse free shower sponges have been a life saver for me, especially the ones that also work as shampoo (it's probably not color safe tho). You just add water, lather, and make sure you dry off well. If it helps you determine how much to buy, I normally find myself using maybe 3-5 sponges each time.

OTC jock itch cream can work for some fungal infections on the body not limited to jock itch but if you see no difference or worsening within a few days of using it, consult a dermatologist as you may need something different or stronger.

Unscented pads and tampons are best and should be changed every 4 hours or so ideally. Never leave a tampon in for over 8 hours. Despite common fears, 9 hours won't give you toxic shock syndrome, that normally takes a few days and is quite rare with tampons but that doesn't mean that 13 hours or something is good or safe. I've just heard some say that sex ed scared them away from tampons after being told stories of TSS. I hear that menstrual cups are also a great alternative that many don't consider.

Monistat and similar yeast infection products often come with different options like 3 day treatment, 5 day treatment, 7 day. I know you want to feel better ASAP, but just take into account that 3 day will be highly concentrated and can cause more burning than the 7 day. Longer treatment may also be more effective in some cases. Penile yeast infections exist as well. Just be aware that some products are more potent than others regardless of birth sex. Antifungals in general may cause itching and/or burning, which some are more sensitive to than others or may even find triggering in cases where it must be applied to the genitalia.

Hydrocortisone cream is your best friend if you're experiencing itchiness due to things like skin infections, contact dermatitis, yeast infections, etc. But please don't use it to mask the symptoms of an infection without treating it.

How frequently you need to wash your hair varies by hair type. This can vary between every 2 days for some and every 1-2 weeks for coily and textured hair. Make sure you look into what is ideal for your hair type. And again on days where you cannot wash, disposable sponges and dry shampoo can be a life saver.

If something is discolored, odorous, itchy, inflamed, bumpy, producing moisture, warm to the touch, oozy, weepy, splotchy, sticky, burning/painful, it may likely be an infection or in some cases an allergic reaction. Familiarize yourself with what different skin infections and diseases may look like on your skin tone. Ringworm and other fungal infections for instance may appear red or pink on fair or lighter brown skin, but on darker skin may appear gray or darker brown.

Fungal infections are also super fucking contagious. To other parts of your body, other people, even to pets. Wash your hands well with antibacterial soap, especially before and after applying any topical treatment or touching the area in any way. After a shower, PAT the infected area dry and do not reuse that towel or use on other parts of the body.

Invest in a shower chair if you feel it may help you, it's one of the best things I've ever bought. I didn't want to get one at first because it felt like I was "giving in" to my disability more and more but that's the internalized ableism talking. Get the shower chair.

A bar to help you stand from the toilet/tub/shower chair may also be helpful.

Again, feel free to add to the list if you want!

[dinkbear]

anyone else struggle to answer when the doctor asks you your pain on a scale of 1-10? because it’s like yea i’m in a lot of pain but i could definitely imagine worse, more painful scenarios that would hurt way more so maybe i’m actually fine! (im in so much pain)

[anexperimentallife]

"You said you had THIS thing, but now you're saying you have this OTHER thing?"

Buddy, have I got some news for you about something called "comorbidity." ;-)

[brain-n-body-in-disarray]

It's the little things that hurts.

The way people don't get you can't do the things they do, at least without costing you so much.

The way the doors of shops or buildings used to fly open at the slightest touch and now they seems to weight a hundred tons.

The way my mother in law asked me if I wanted orange juice and when I said yes she put two oranges and a old manual juicer. I was too ashamed to admit how much it would cost me to do it this way. So I did it, fighting the tears and then couldn't use my arm for a week.

The way I can't get out of my apartment sometimes because even if there is a lift, there's also stairs between my apartment door and the lift and between the lift and the building door. Why make a lift at all if it's not even accessible because of the stairs? (I can't move out. I have neither the money nor the spoons.)

The way the new building the local bookshop moved into makes things so much harder for me than the old one. There was so much unused stairs that I could sit and rest for as long as I needed. Now in the new building the stairs are so narrow you can't think of sitting on them, you'll just block the way. And there's no chair or bench anywhere in this 4 stories building. You just can't sit and rest there.

The way the city is getting rid of public benches and putting in their stead blocks of concrete with metal spikes on them to dissuade homeless people to sleep on them, which is wrong on its own, but also impacts disabled people. There's less and less places where to sit and rest during a walk through the city.

It's people laughing when I can't open a bottle of soda.

It's people gossiping behind my back, saying "oh they are a junky" because I takes so many meds, including the ones for the pain, but not only for that.

It's me being too ashamed to be disabled at a relatively young age and having an invisible disability. It's me being too ashamed to ask for accommodations. It's me being too ashamed to ask for a seat in the bus when all of them are already taken. It's the society making me ashamed of myself.

It's life itself, mocking me, and the world joining in the good laugh at my expense.

[cripplemetal]

things about my arthritis that i experience daily. making this post partly for enlightening, partly for seeing more people with this b#tch (arthritis) relating so i'd feel less alone

i'm in pain all the time, but when one specific joint decides to go ouch? yeah i hate it

i unlearned limping within years of having it

"can we sit down and rest? thank you. oh no i think i need more than a minute. okay fine let's go walking further. *five minutes later* can we sit down?"

holding onto armrests while sitting down/getting up. that includes clinging to walls when i try to sit on the toilet or stand up from there

joints cracks

"i walked a lot yesterday so i can't get off the bed in the morning. help me"

fatigue. all the time

you know it when people throw a leg over another leg to sit like that? i grab and hold the leg i'm throwing over another one. not always, but. it hurts less this way

jumping? running? haha no. can't afford it

i had to quit basketball and figure skating. i loved it :( but crying in pain was... too much to handle

when planning a meeting with friends i always need to make sure there are places to sit down

can't fall asleep, too much pain

pain killers? you mean my fashion collection of pretty pills? :3

[johnnyiscaged]

when you just layed down in a position that makes the pain more bearable but have to use the toilet and now you have to decide what to do. fatigue and chronic pain are just so damn exhausting i wish i could just take a shit

[azztiph]

Self destructive behavior pertaining to disability isn’t talking about enough

Forcing yourself to do activities that you know will hurt your body is bad!

Making yourself not use your mobility aid when you know you need it is bad!

Not taking your medicine because you want to get worse or just don’t care anymore is bad!!!!!

I think that mental illness can definitely manifest differently for disabled people. It’s not rlly talked about because this all stuff that ableds see as inspiring or us pushing through. It is just harmful behavior.

Since every single disabled person is or has been mentally ill this stuff is just seen as normal.