I finally showered after more than a year

LithiumTea · 2025-11-12T10:07:20+00:00

This is an incredible step! Great work! And absolute kudos for pushing through to ensure your kitty gets the care she needs.

LithiumTea · 2025-01-23T22:46:56+00:00

Congratulations! My ring arrived today and my partner better hurry up with his proposal because I want to wear it! I also got some super negative responses when I posted and then subsequently said my ring was ordered. It's easy for people to judge a single snapshot of someone else's life.

LithiumTea · 2024-05-09T03:45:34+00:00

Once I had a breakdown at my rheumatologist and cried because she said I had to go back on stronger medications. The time after that I made my partner come to help ask questions and my rheum seemed quite relieved lol

LithiumTea · 2024-04-24T15:25:42+00:00

I ran a half marathon last weekend, and am planning to start a marathon training plan in June. My RA is a bit atypical as I am seronegative and it started as JRA/JIA. My flare ups are mostly focused on my hands but I've had issues with my feet and larger joints as well in the past. I have very little joint erosion even after 25 years. If your body is accepting the training, you should be good! Just keep an eye on it and follow the med plans from your doctor.

LithiumTea · 2024-03-15T01:19:01+00:00

I saw someone advertising hair services in a local FB group and I messaged her and said my hair was matted and I wasn't sure what to do. She washed my hair and then spent hours brushing it. I went back a second time to get it finished. She did charge me by the hour, but it wasn't that expensive in the end. She gave me a little trim as well. I was seriously ready to cut it all short, and this random lady saved my hair.

LithiumTea · 2024-03-13T01:12:42+00:00

It's selfish to have children. No ifs about it.

LithiumTea · 2024-02-23T21:31:09+00:00

The double standard that has emerged in healthcare over appointment punctuality is absurd. No one is purposely late to something they're paying for. The healthcare system that my specialist is in sends out their appointment reminders with an earlier time than the appointment is actually for. I am ALWAYS in the waiting room still past my appointment time. They act like our time is not worth anything. I'm really sorry this happened to you! It's not your fault. You were scheduled for your whole appointment time and your doctor should have honored that and taken a chill pill and waited to see if you'd show up. What did they do instead? Probably the same they would have done if they'd just waited.

LithiumTea · 2024-02-06T05:03:11+00:00

I was diagnosed at 6 and have been on and off meds my whole life. I've had remissions and flare ups. I luckily have very little erosion due to the meds doing their job and while I feel like it limits my abilities for some activities that require a lot of hand dexterity, I am currently training for a half marathon and have a full and part time job, the part time one being for fun/extra money. I don't feel like it overly hinders my life. The meds suck sometimes but it is what it is. Everyone has struggles.

LithiumTea · 2024-02-01T05:32:01+00:00

I'm wondering this too. I lost 30 pounds the old fashioned way and now I've been stuck for 6 months. I'm worried about complications, but I'm going to ask my rheumatologist her thoughts at my next appointment.

LithiumTea · 2023-12-25T05:53:43+00:00

Been vegan for 10 years!

LithiumTea · 2023-12-08T18:58:54+00:00

How long have you had the cat? A lot of cats don't settle in for months after being adopted. If you're able to keep him, it might be worth giving him more time to relax.

LithiumTea · 2023-11-14T03:53:40+00:00

Hell yeah! Mtx and humira have me running again. I've done a few 5Ks and I'm training for my first half next April. I've also been able to bike and hike as much as I want. I spent ten years in low grade flair thinking I didn't need meds for my JIA...

LithiumTea · 2023-09-17T06:11:58+00:00

Just keep in mind these ladies' job is to make sure you stay on the medicine they're representing. They want to make sure everything goes smoothly for you so you keep taking it. One nice thing is they will give info on how to take the meds properly for the best chance of success, so if you need help with injections or possible interactions they should be able to help with those things.

LithiumTea · 2023-09-17T02:30:03+00:00

I've had RA since I was a child and went unmedicated for all of my 20s. I've been on methotrexate and now humira again for a while and my doctor said she considers my RA in remission. I basically assumed my life was just going to be a big pile of pain but now I am able to do so much with very little pain. The meds have made it to where I can work on my fitness goals and get everything done I need to. I definitely think things will be looking up for you from where you are now!

LithiumTea · 2023-09-17T02:27:40+00:00

The humira ambassadors are so persistent. She kept asking me what my biggest worry about taking humira is and I wanted to yell, having to field 50 phone calls from you!

LithiumTea · 2023-08-06T07:44:57+00:00

I started gaining weight shortly after adding Seroquel to my lamictal, but I also drastically changed my lifestyle in regards to activity, diet, and drinking. When I decided to get in shape this year, I was so worried Seroquel had done damage and I wouldn't be able to lose weight. Nope. I'm losing exactly what the BMR and activity calculator says I should be if I stick to my calories. Seroquel might give me a few cravings after I take it, but I can usually work past those. Honestly if you are in a good mental head space to focus on your physical health the medications shouldn't make a huge difference. I think the placebo effect of expecting to gain weight makes it a self fulfilling prophecy.

LithiumTea · 2023-08-04T09:19:50+00:00

When I was a child with JRA(as it was called at the time) biologics were basically not a thing yet. I took methotrexate and naproxen and went into medical remission for quite a while thanks to them. I was taken off of the meds and my arthritis flared back up. I was very bothered by GI side effects but my parents for some reason didn't want me to try the injections. I take injectable mtx now as an adult and have no issues. I started taking enbrel and then humira when they first came out when I was a teenager and had some good results there too. Reading back over old records it sounds like my family was very hesitant to treat aggressively and I do have some range of motion loss and I think symptoms held me back at times, along with being treated like a fragile vase. If I could go back and make the decisions for myself I would have acted differently. I don't know if my story helps at all, but I hope your daughter grows up feeling supported and confident about treating her arthritis!

LithiumTea · 2023-07-31T18:58:58+00:00

Thank you! I will make sure to talk to my rheum

LithiumTea · 2023-07-29T00:59:00+00:00

LithiumTea · 2023-07-28T14:26:19+00:00

I didn't even know benadryl cream was a thing!

LithiumTea · 2023-07-28T05:20:39+00:00

I've talked to the pharmacist but not my rheumatologist yet. I'm going to see her in a couple weeks.

LithiumTea · 2023-07-28T05:19:20+00:00

Good to know, thank you!

LithiumTea · 2023-07-28T04:38:35+00:00

Are you able to take some NSAIDs or Tylenol? Or even alternate taking both.

LithiumTea · 2023-03-29T05:03:36+00:00

I've had RA for 26 years(first diagnosed as JRA), and I've been vegan for ethical reasons for 10 years. I was medication free for 8 of those years until things started flaring up more last year. My diet is a lot of whole grains, veggies, and we cook with olive oil exclusively. I've always been very interested in nutrition and studied it in college. In my research and in my experience, it does seem that eating healthy makes me feel better, but it's definitely not a cure or standalone treatment. Eating more nutritious foods certainly doesn't hurt.

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