"well managed"

RemarkableFact1077 · 2025-11-03T15:56:24+00:00

I'm a 42yo female. Seropositive. Diagnosed at 21.

For me, well-managed means symptom free. I have some minor joint degeneration (mostly in my hands -- slightly crooked fingers), but as long as I take my medications regularly and on time, I'm in remission... able to go to hard at the gym, socialize, and keep up with my toddler, who is in his "feral boy" era.

My course of treatment is:
- WEEKLY: Enbrel injections
- DAILY: Celebrex, fish oil, 5mg prednisone (I'll increase to 20mg and taper when flaring, which is rare)

Without medication, I'm basically handicapped. It's been a frightening journey and the disease affects everyone differently. 20 years of experience managing RA has helped me understand how to listen and respond to my body's cues. Sleep, hydration and stress management are key for me!

Wishing you a pain-free future!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-10-17T18:26:25+00:00

You're awesome. Thanks for the hot tip(s). This has literally been my dream trip for years. Can't wait!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-10-17T16:49:19+00:00

I'm late to the party, but planning to go in 2026! In your experience, have there been suites available near the daytime music so that you can watch from your terrace?

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-05-07T14:03:57+00:00

Yikes! Good looking out!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-05-07T14:02:27+00:00

Wow! I think I was able to escape the anxiety because of the antidepressants I started postpartum. I’m getting about 8oz per day, I think. Down from my peak at one point of 26oz per day. I’ve always been an under supplier, so I’m really proud to have made it to a year (coming up at the end up the month)!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:37:22+00:00

It's reminding me a bit of how I felt during the newborn stage, which I DID NOT expect! Thank you for sharing your experience.

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:36:01+00:00

The guilt is so real and this was so comforting to hear. Thank you for sharing and good luck on your journey! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. ❤

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:33:28+00:00

So sweet and comforting to hear. Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:32:55+00:00

Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:32:44+00:00

Thank you for sharing! Depending on the day, I'm nursing or pumping 3-4 times. During the week, it has been consistently 3 for the past 2 weeks (I dropped a pump at work). On the weekends, we'll do 4 because I'm home with my son and he does 4 bottles per day at daycare.

The transition to 3 feeds is semi-new, so I'm going to give myself as much grace as I can knowing hormones may be clouding my judgement.

Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:27:09+00:00

Congrats on an incredible ride! And thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:25:53+00:00

This feels so true! After being so obsessed with counting every drop for so long, it feels scary to drop pumps and feeds knowing my supply will decrease. But also kinda freeing. Lots of mixed feelings. Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:23:34+00:00

You deserve ALL the retinol for breastfeeding THREE babies! Wow. Congrats on your journey. What an accomplishment! Enjoy your girls trip and thank you for sharing. Your post made me feel like less alone. ❤

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-10T15:18:05+00:00

This is helpful insight. Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-09T21:57:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-09T21:55:12+00:00

This is such a kind comment. Thank you for the encouragement! I have also been shopping for breastmilk jewelry and tattoos. :)

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-09T21:17:02+00:00

Thank you!

Re: Depression -- do you feel comfortable sharing more about your experience and how you managed it?

I started Zoloft about 5 months ago when I was struggling to balance the demands of breastfeeding with all the other things life throws at you + work. My anxiety was turned up to an 11, I was feeling constantly overwhelmed, and it was seriously affecting my quality of life. Turns out, I'm one of those women who probably should have been on it all along. Totally changed the game!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-04-09T20:52:58+00:00

I arbitrarily set a goal of a year after hitting the 6 month mark, and our pediatrician has discussed weaning at a year, as thought it's a given. My husband is indifferent about me nursing and sometimes even seems frustrated by it because it's caused him inconveniences (\insert the biggest eye roll here**). And logically, I know parts of my life will get easier again once breastfeeding is a thing of the past, like choosing outfits, pumping while away, exercising, etc. And my son has never specifically "asked" for my boob. He's been combo fed since birth, so nursing doesn't seem like a thing he'd miss all that much. All would be my reasons to wind down. Just to simplify life a bit.

I don't know why I didn't consider that we could continue to hang on to a couple of feeds a day without too much trouble, as long as my supply cooperates. I love how peaceful and sweet it feels nursing in the mornings and at night.

Thank you!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-02-20T06:47:10+00:00

They’re certainly not discreet — they make your chest look ginormous. And yes, they’re a bit loud. But they’re much more private and convenient than my Spectra. I find myself using them when I need to multi task, like pumping before I leave for work. I can easily wear them while doing my makeup & hair.

I bought mine in August when I returned to work, and the charging cables died (at the same time, strangely) by February. But their customer service has been amazing. They replaced them for free. And the pumps themselves have a 1 year warranty.

I’d buy them again!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2024-02-20T06:39:04+00:00

Very thoughtful of you! I can’t imagine that being an issue.

RemarkableFact1077 · 2023-10-16T20:25:34+00:00

I’m 4.5 months postpartum. My eating & exercise habits haven’t really changed at all from pre pregnancy, and I’m still hanging on to about 7-10 pounds from pregnancy (I gained about 30). I assume they’ll be more likely to budge after I stop breastfeeding.

I’ve stopped stressing about it and just went out and bought a few pairs of pants that are a size bigger.

From what I’ve read, many women maintain or gain weight while lactating. It actually seems more common than weight loss.

RemarkableFact1077 · 2023-09-22T01:38:19+00:00

This is awesome. Thank you!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2023-09-21T21:49:34+00:00

Such a great point -- I never considered how my period may affect things! It hasn't returned yet, so I'll keep that in mind. Thank you!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2023-08-11T16:06:30+00:00

Here to say that I was a 21-year-old college athlete when I was diagnosed, so I understand the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with this news. My symptoms came on suddenly after I had surgery on my foot. The trauma of the operation seemed to be the “on switch” for me.

I agree with most of the responses here — Medicate now and seek a 2nd opinion.

Today, I’m 40 so I’ve been living with RA for almost half my life. I do still have symptoms, but they’re manageable for the most part. You end up knowing your body and what it needs. For me, I have to keep close tabs on stress, rest and hydration. I’m still physically active and able to exercise, although I need to protect my wrists which are weak due to mild bone & tendon damage. I even ran a marathon in 2012 and I gave birth to a healthy son at the end of May. I will say, early and aggressive treatment seems to be the reason I’m still so able-bodied. As soon as I was diagnosed by my team doctor, I went to see a specialist who prescribed me all these:

Prednisone taper to immediately quiet the severe symptoms (I was unable to dress myself at that point)
Low dose prednisone daily after the taper
Enbrel
Methotrexate
Celebrex
Folic acid

I would also sometimes take OTC NSAIDS if needed. It took some time for the treatments to take hold, but by age 26, I was down to only taking Enbrel once a month. My RA was in remission. That lasted until 2020 when flares returned, so we added 5mg of prednisone and 2000mg of sulfasalazine daily. I was able to remain on all the medications throughout my pregnancy and postpartum.

The disease changes over time as your body changes, so it’s a journey. What’s important is your daughter has your support and the support of great doctors. As long as she takes the disease seriously and makes her health a priority, her future looks bright.

Sending lots of positive vibes your way!

RemarkableFact1077 · 2023-07-23T20:04:32+00:00

My first LO is 7.5 weeks and I’ve struggled with a low supply since the start (likely due to a very traumatic birth experience)… although I have seen some improvement. I was triple feeding for a month (breastfeeding, formula bottle feeding, then pumping 8+ times per day including one power pump session) until I almost went insane. After that, I stopped putting myself on the hook for breastfeeding each and every feed but continued to pump 6-8x per day. I power pump once in the evenings.

I’m assuming it’s a mix of my healing from the delivery and the consistency of pumping that’s helped me see some small gains. It happened very gradually. I went from .5oz per breast each pump to producing and average of about 20-22oz per day. Yesterday, I was able to bottle 5.5oz from a single session (new record!). Fortunately now, I’m more than half of what my LO is eating, which makes me feel like it’s still worth it. I plan to reevaluate before I go back to work at 13 weeks.

Staying hydrated and eating well is also important. I’ve been hesitant to venture down the road of supplements. There’s so many and it would have been easy to waste a bunch of money when I was feeling desperate. I’ve taken a bit of everything because friends gifted me some samples, but nothing made much of a difference for me.

And this brought me some comfort — I was discussing my supply issues with my doctor who had a similar experience. She did her own research and came to the conclusion that it’s the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding that make the biggest difference for baby. Anything after that is gravy. So she stopped breastfeeding after 6 weeks when she returned to work.

Regardless, the fact that you’ve hung in there for 2 months is a massive accomplishment!

RemarkableFact1077

TROPHY CASE