10 Things Not to Say to Someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Most people think of arthritis as one disease, but there are really two types of the disease, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The two conditions are quite different.

The majority of arthritis sufferers have the Osteo type. Osteoarthritis is pain and stiffness in a joint from years of wear and tear. Osteoarthritis develops with age.

The other type of arthritis is (RA) Rheumatoid Arthritis, a serious chronic painful auto-immune disease that can occur at any age and may shorten one's life. RA leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues, and eventually disability.

RA can also affect other organs in the body such as the heart, lungs, skin, mouth, eyes and blood vessels. It can destroy the spine. The disease cannot be cured but can be managed by a trained specialist called a rheumatologist. Many sufferers become totally disabled in ten years.

The drugs used to treat RA are not always successful and can be toxic with many side effects. They are expensive and time consuming, as some are given by an infusion similar to a blood transfusion. Monthly blood labs are also necessary to monitor the disease.

I have been battling RA for nearly three years. I woke up one morning with a swollen sore knee and by the end of the day it was swollen the size of a grapefruit. I became sick with a fever and vomiting.

By the end of the week most of my joints were swollen and painful. I wound up in the hospital, where I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been dealing with RA ever since.

Since being diagnosed with RA, my life has changed drastically. I have a difficult time just managing my everyday activities. Some days I am in so much pain I can hardly move. Other days, I do OK.

I am never sure when I wake in the morning, how I will feel. There is always a chance of a "flare-up". I had to quit a job I loved, as a new-born baby nanny, because my hands are often swollen and painful, and I can barely walk.

I try to remain positive and carry on pretty well, hoping for the day doctors will discover the magic potion that will put me in remission. I take prednisone, a steroid, and methotrexate, a cancer therapy drug weekly. Both are common treatments for RA.

However, recently I have been becoming annoyed and frustrated with some folks. When I say I can't do something because of my RA, they tend to dismiss my problems as not really serious. Trivializing my RA is hurtful when they discount my daily struggles.

I am sure they don't understand RA and mean well, but I have had enough .There are several comments I hear much too often.

So to be helpful, I have made a list of 10 things not to say to someone with RA.

-My grandmother has it.

-You don't look sick.

- Have you tried a vegan diet?

- Have you tried glucosamine?

- I have it too....My elbow kills me sometimes.

-You need to exercise more.

-You take too many pills.

- Maybe you need an antidepressant.

- Aren't you better yet?

- It's all in your head.

Hopefully the population will become more aware of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Better yet, a cure will be found.

Sources:

Personal experience
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