What more can happen?
Well, lots of things actually. And when I question why, the usual answer I get is "It can happen with RA." What kind of thing?

• Raynaud's Phenomenon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud's_phenomenon
• There's really nothing you can do for this lovely issue, except to keep yourself warm. When it occurs (I get mine most usually in my fingertips) one can run their hands under lukewarm water, or put your hands in your armpits until it subsides. The first time I got this was on a warm summer day, so you personally do not have to be cold. No wonder it's called a phenomenon. This too, for me, tends to be on the rare side. However, wintertime tends to make you feel colder.

• Sjogren's Syndrome:  http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=27
• This is simply having dryeye. When you truly have Sjogren's you'll need something more than over-the-counter eyedrops, although they still come in handy inbetween. I am on a prescription of Restasis, a drop used twice a day. (NOTE: In 2013 I decreased usage to once a day, which has stopped my eyes for burning all day long.)

• Inflamed chestwall: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248423.php
• I treat this occasional symptom with an aersol inhaler, such as ProAir, an albuterol sulfate. Usually just one or two treatments are sufficient to make it go away, so although this medicine tends to be pricey, mine last a long time.

• Neuropathy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_neuropathy
• I get this in my legs and am on Lyrica for this. Lyrica works very well and in fact, I was able to wean myself from 6 pills down to one, 1x/day at bedtime; a feat I am quite proud of.  

I had finally found a set of great doctors who are more than willing to work with me and allow me some experimentation. If your doctor(s) is a stiff, it's time to find a new one. Your doctors will be important to you through the years, so it it imperative that you work together as a team.

It's a BAD day out there! 93 degrees and 67% humidity. My hands and feet feel like sausages! And I can't wait for tomorrow and cooler weather. I always suffer with this sort of heat. RA does not like it! We're hotter than Las Vegas, for heaven's sake! This has been an insanely hot Memorial Day weekend.

This was the birthday gift I received for my birthday in 2006. I was on Enbrel at the time, a self injected medicine which never worked for me. Would you believe I was chosen as a hand model at one time?

A year later, while on Remicade. That was the first of the so-called "big guys" that I was on. I was on it for 11 months and I really never did do particularly well with it, day-to-day, but after 4 large flares, as they're called, I said no more! This isn't working!!!

I started in August 2006 and by November I had my first flare. Then February 2007, and 2 different flares in July. Well, at least it missed my birthday.


I took this picture on my birthday in 2010 after I had been on Orencia beginning August 2007 to the current day! It's almost my 6-year anniversary! I've never been able to go that long before. Quite a difference, and yet the hands that always wore rings, wear them no longer, as none fit. Sadly, I've had resizing done, but by the time you get them up and over the rheumatoid nodules, they're too big to stay in place. And I'm left-handed, were much of my damage is.

A woman's room of RAnts and RAves about RA!

Do YOU have Rheumatoid Arthritis or think you might have RA? You’ve come to the right place! This site is for women with RA.

 Women who have a common interest with a common goal: staying healthy and active, as well as learning about different medications; successes and failures, good doctors and bad, what to expect or not expect. For instance: there IS NO CURE (but one can always hope.) You can have remission when you find the right combination of drugs to quell your pain. But it’s still there, hiding in the shadows. You better make it your friend, cause it’s not going anywhere. You’re stuck for life. You'll have good days and bad days; terrific days and days you may need to just stay in bed, or at least stay on the downlow.


The creator of this group has been living with RA since 1992, and has been through over six different drugs to control her RA at over five different facilities and doctors. But as the saying goes, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

So come on in. . .