I have been avoiding this post like the plague.
I guess because I have not accepted the reality of my situation.
I saw a rheumatologist yesterday,
I went to the appointment in denial of what I actually already knew and a determination not to take the treatment. I was as afraid of the treatment as I was of the disease I knew I had.
I have RA or rhematoid arthritis. For those of you that do not know anything about this disease your immune sysrem attacks your joints, tendons and ligaments and it can cause sever deformities and cause you to become crippled. I had read about the medicines use to treat this disease and they all have awful side effects. Some are cheno therapy drugs abd since I have already had chemo therapy I did not want to go through it on a weekly basis. Other drugs can cause lymphoma and other types of cancer, I really did not want to give myself cancer again.
But when I was examined by the doctor I found out that I have swelling in almost every joint even though it is not visible. She also said having a positive RA factor this early in the course of the disease usually means that the RA is progressing aggressively. And that she needed to treat my disease aggressively and soon to prevent any further damage.
She explained that the drug that is used in chemo treatments would be a very small dose- 1/100th of what is used in chemo treatments. But it takes several weeks to work so along with it I need to take Prednisone as it acts quickly to rid the inflammation the is attacking my joints.
My husband was with me and he felt I had no choice but to start treatment.
So I did start it yesterday and I think I do feel slightly better.
I am determined not to let this overtake my life.
I was still creating before yesterday and I will continue to do so. Hell hath no fury.....!
While doing family history research I found this picture posted. I was in shock. Jerusha Bumpus is my 4th great grandmother! She was born in 1746. The bottom of this sampler says: yrs 81 made so it would have been stitched in 1827. I do not know if the person that posted this picture actually has the sampler but if they do what a treasure!
