This is a forum for venting, sharing of stories, asking/answering questions, and anything else that pertains to rheumatoid arthritis. Also, try the groups: Arthritis, Teens with JRA, and try www.arthritis.org

Also, there is absolutely NO SOLICITATION!!! allowed here without getting the group leader's expressed permission. Anyone caught trying to sell or promote items without permission will be banned from the group and their advertisements deleted from the forum. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Nobody in this group is a miracle worker. There is no cure for RA. (If there were a cure, this message board wouldn't exist!) We are here to support one another, and often that means giving ideas that might help one another deal with this disease. Nobody in this group is a doctor, and nobody's advice can take the place of a doctor. Please take caution when trying new supplements, OTC drugs, or diet changes, and consult your doctor prior to making any changes in your lifestyle & the way you treat your RA.






RA is a shitty disease. Sorry for the language, but it’s true. Having RA sucks. RA is like the killer in horror movies - once you think you’ve killed it, it comes back for that last scare. Everyday you wake up & you’re stiff & sore, it’s like a slap in the face. Like "really? this AGAIN??" It can be depressing, frustrating, and it will make you angry, sad, and every emotion in between.

But you’ve got to keep at it. You have to be stronger than the disease. Even with all the horrible things that RA does to us, it does do some positive things:

-Everytime you’re in the doctor’s office reading the same copy of the same magazine that you read everytime you’re there, remember that RA is teaching you patience.

-Everytime that you think you’ve been pushed to the point where you can’t take anymore, remember that RA is teaching you to be strong.

-Everytime that you come up with some new way to do things that RA makes difficult, remember that RA is teaching you creativity.

And everytime that you feel like crying, remember that RA is teaching you that you have people to turn to, and that your friends, family, and all of us here in this group are here for you.