#Rheumatoid Arthritis

[ineffectualdemon]

I wondered if there was a study about the long term effects of chronic pain and found this and now I'm crying

The fact that I can't take appropriate pain medication is actively making me worse

I've had chronic pain to some degree since I was 12

I probably developed fibromyalgia when I was about 14

I was diagnosed at like 21 or 22 and the first time I saw the pain clinic they told me they wouldn't help me

I have fought for every ounce of pain relief but the main thing that actually helps rn is anti-inflammatories which I can't take due to blood thinners

But I opiods don't really work for me

No one in the medical community believes me but I get all of the negative side effects and meanwhile even when I have had morphine post surgery I haven't been pain free or high. Just dizzy and nauseous and my pain dimmed

So opioids arent a useful option even if the doctors would be willing to give it to me

And I'm just feeling so defeated rn

I was wondering why my health is getting worse even though my arthritis is fairly stabilised and my fibromyalgia is "non degenerative"

And I realise that even though it's "not degenerative" meaning it doesn't continuously make me increasingly ill directly....being in constant pain is a huge stress on the body

Especially as I can't take painkillers that actually relieve my daily pain

I live at a 7 on the pain chart

A good day, one where the painkillers I can take actually work and I have hydrotherapy, I only drop to a 5.

I cannot remember the last time I was pain free

Of course my health gets run down over time because my body is under constant stress from constant unending pain

So I have decided to be a little kinder to myself

[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.

[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)

[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.

[thelibrarybat]

"average person's bones hurt every day" factoid actualy just statistical error. average person's bones hurt only occasionally. Joint Pains Georg, whose immune system repeatedly attacks itself for no reason, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[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

[wheelie-sick]

So you just got diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis....

A guide to coping with inflammatory arthritis written by someone who has been living with it for years

1. Warmth helps with pain and stiffness

Take a hot bath or shower

Use a rice bag to heat your most stiff and painful joints - How to make a warm rice bag (no sew) How to make a warm rice bag (sew) Adorable heated stuffed animals

Heating pads can also be good for heating specific joints (I don't like either of the ones I've had so I'm not dropping a recommendation)

2. Compression helps with stiffness

Compression gloves work really well in particular - Really cool compression gloves

Compression for other joints works well too

3. NSAIDs help reduce inflammation in your joints

Topical diclofenac is my personal favorite, it works wonders

Meloxicam is only available by prescription but has fewer negative side effects than over the counter NSAIDs do

Ibuprofen and Aleve/Naproxen are both OTC NSAIDs

Here's a full list of NSAIDs

4. Steroids reduce inflammation but are usually only used for flares. If OTC remedies are not working for your arthritis it may be worth asking about steroids to manage flares

5. Use adaptive devices

Note that I haven't tried all of these!

In the kitchen - Jar opener, pull tab opener, arthritis friendly silverware, ergonomic knife, another ergonomic knife

In the bathroom - My favorite shower chair, long handle bath sponge, shower grab bar

Dressing - Many button and zipper aids, magnetic jewelry clasps, sock aid

Standing assists - Bed rail, couch stand assist, cane with stand assist

Office - Pencil grips, book stand, vertical mouse

Other - Arthritis friendly gardening tools, so many grips adapters and holders

.... and many many more

6. Use mobility aids - I'd strongly recommend talking to a doctor before deciding to use mobility aids. mobility aids cause damage to your body so it's important to weigh the pros and cons of using them. Anyways my personal recommendations:

Canes - NOVA T cane, Carex ergonomic offset cane

Crutches - Millennial In-Motion Forearm crutches

Other people with inflammatory arthritis are welcome to add on!

[nagichi-boop]

Stairs my beloathed.