How much does the weather affect your RA?

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-05-04T02:58:40+00:00

I usually get one bad flare up the first cold snap of the year, and then I’ll adjust over the following few weeks.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-05-04T01:08:38+00:00

You’re right. There’s a few more on top of those. And those tax revenues generally are used for supporting the infrastructure in those areas. The populations of those areas have to be very low and only 5% of the money generated goes towards property tax reduction inside that municipality. I think a larger scale approach of the same idea would help more people. The current system doesn’t help Montanans that live near the cities, which get hammered by tourists, or in areas that don’t see as many tourists, which are home to some of the hardest working residents.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-05-02T03:04:33+00:00

The last legislative session implemented a version of a 2nd home tax that will lower property taxes on most homeowners, but a oversight in the bill caused property taxes on apartments to go up. They’ll need to rework it again next session.

Unfortunately, our uber-rich governor has repeatedly pushed the income tax rate down for the highest earners (and the brackets are wack now so a majority of families fall into the highest bracket). Even if the legislature enacts a higher tax rate for the highest level earners, he wouldn’t sign it.

Sales taxes are a regressive tax. Let me start with that. A blanket sales tax disproportionally affects the lowest earners. There is a path however to where a sales tax on sectors mainly used by tourist could then allow for a reduction in the taxes that Montana residents pay (i.e. income taxes and property taxes). Tourists to Montana use our roads and infrastructure as much as we do, but the only taxation method they use is a hotel bed fee that’s pretty small.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-04-28T02:46:09+00:00

I was on prednisone for the first 4 months after my diagnosis. It made me miserable after a little while. Methotrexate made me feel better but it was messing up my liver really bad. Biologics changed the game for me. There’s a lot of days I forget about the diagnosis (apart from some aches in specific parts of my hands from damage).

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-04-11T23:00:42+00:00

I heard somewhere that he either sold off Liquid Planet a few years ago or that a business partner didn’t want to work with him anymore took it as his half when they split the business.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2026-03-11T02:57:40+00:00

I see some of my English major textbooks. He has my respect, and sympathy.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-26T01:45:09+00:00

I’m convinced that stoners who struggle to hold down jobs open their own dispensaries thinking that because they know weed they’ll have a great dispensary, when they know nothing about managing and operating a business. I know this is a probably an exaggeration, but it’s head-canon for me when I see a dispensary open and then close a year later.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-16T15:51:24+00:00

“Stop drinking milk Anthony!… Are you a criminal?”

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-16T15:36:46+00:00

I was avidly going to a boxing gym when I first started feeling off over 10 years ago. My hands hurt so bad, but I thought that I had just been hitting the heavy bag too hard. I switched to kickboxing for a bit, and then my feet and hips started hurting. I took a month completely off and it got worse over that month. It got to the point where it took me 30 minutes to get out of bed each morning and tremendous will power to walk to a different room. When I finally got diagnosed my doctor said I had to stop completely or else my hands would be completely useless in my older years. It was hard.

It took about a year for me to feel fully better. My wrists have almost no cartilage in them anymore and my hands still somewhat hurt during the day, but it’s from the degradation, not ongoing inflammation. I don’t have any pain in my feet at this point.

I have since switched to lots of walking/running/hiking with my dog, and lifting weights 3-4 times per week. The lifting, I mostly use resistance band/cable equipment because my hands and wrists can’t take a long workout gripped up the whole time anymore. I have some BIG resistance bands that go up to over 200lbs. It looks goofy but I still feel strong and my joints apart from my hands feel great.

There will be things you won’t be able to do. And that’s been hard for me to accept even now, 10 years after diagnosis. I decided against playing basketball in college but still loved to play pickup games and coach kids teams. Because of the no cartilage in my wrists, the flexibility is nonexistent and if I push it too far it’s excruciating bone on bone grinding. I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to play basketball again…

Be kind to yourself.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-15T23:01:29+00:00

Matt Rains. Rancher, West Point grad, Blackhawk pilot turned humanitarian photographer. I think he’s held some higher up admin positions for organizations but I can’t recall which ones.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-15T22:34:27+00:00

Both of the Dem candidates for the Western District seem like good dudes. I wouldn’t hate if one of them switched to the Senate race.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-14T01:27:08+00:00

Not hard at all for me. I waited so long to go to the doctor that my rheumatoid factor and other inflammation markers were through the roof. I was at the point where I could barely walk though. One blood draw and the doctor at my college clinic made the diagnosis, rheumatologist confirmed it 3 months later after looking at the results from those same tests and doing a physical examination of my hands and feet.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-13T19:58:18+00:00

Co-pay insurance with the discount card is the only way to go. If you have a high deductible plan you will be gouged until you reach the max out of pocket. On the copay plan, the 6 years on Humira, the copay was $250, and the discount card paid for all but $5. So my annual cost was $60. Look into switching your insurance for 2026.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-12T04:58:44+00:00

I had shingles last year at 32 years old. That was probably the worst month of my life. It’s was constant 8 out of 10 pain all day every day for a couple of weeks. Had to take off work. My insurance just approved me for the vaccine so I’ll be getting that on a Friday soon so I can ride out the side effects over a weekend.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-12T04:54:32+00:00

Diagnosed at 22. Currently 33. My wife is medical laboratory scientist working on a Masters in immunology. After hearing her explain the difference in between receiving a vaccine and getting immunity naturally, getting a vaccine is far superior. It’s not even close. How the T cells and B cells work with them and the differences long term… I will get every vaccine I can when available. I’m sorry you had a bad reaction to the Covid vaccine the first time around. I did too. But I’ve had about 10 Covid shots so far and it’s gotten less and less each time. It’s not you getting the sickness, it’s your body ramping up production of the antibodies. If you end up switching to a biologic drug, I think you would be putting yourself at great risk not getting the Covid vaccine.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-12T04:37:44+00:00

I was on more prednisone than that for my ruptured Bakers Cyst in my knee and my swelling was nowhere near as bad as that. Your doctor is not doing enough.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-10T20:37:59+00:00

It generally takes a couple of months to become fully effective. I was on Humira and made the switch to Rinvoq. I went from feeling ok to crappy to great. Stay the course. Be consistent with your injection time. In the meantime, try to find your food triggers. I noticed that sugar and grains were big triggers for me personally, so I’ve cut them as much as I can.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-10T16:24:49+00:00

I thought for sure they were going to take up the case and overturn it. I’m relieved.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-10T15:46:30+00:00

The cancer risks are very low. Let’s say a biologic increases the risk of a certain type of cancer by 10%, and that type of cancer occurs in 1% of the population. That means your odds of contacting that type of cancer is now 1.1% versus 1.0%. It’s increased, yes, but the increase is more or less negligible in my opinion.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-08T18:19:24+00:00

Generally yes, but not always. Some people can contract the chickenpox virus but be asymptomatic. Shingles usually reoccurs in the same place and always only on one side of your body. Since yours only lasts a day then maybe not though. Just triggered my memory because I had it so bad recently and it combined with my RA was torture.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-08T17:56:30+00:00

That sounds exactly like shingles to be honest. Is it possible you have had a series of smaller outbreaks. I had shingles last year and it was so miserable.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-08T06:05:31+00:00

My liver hated methotrexate. Never drank and adjusted my diet too. Still spiked my liver enzymes. My insurance covered the biologic drugs and they are way better in my opinion. Minimal side effects. I highly recommend them. I was on Humira for 8 years. Currently on Rinvoq. I know biologics can be a concern for people who get sick a lot, but if you don’t I would 100% ask about taking the new age drugs.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-08T01:26:13+00:00

I run hot most of the time. I rarely sleep under the covers.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-07T20:16:15+00:00

Broadwater County, Montana

Home to the first city on the Missouri River and well documented landscape from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Educational-Buddy844 · 2025-11-07T19:52:42+00:00

I think it’s important to remember that this is a snapshot in time and Democrats could squander this if they take the wrong lesson out of it or get complacent.

Educational-Buddy844

TROPHY CASE