10 Funny Things I Tell Myself about Living with RA
Funny things I tell myself about RA (UPDATED)
Living with RA can make you feel like an alien since you’re the only one around you enduring what you do. Often, I talk to myself while trying to get through the day. I try to be encouraging, but sometimes the funny things I tell myself are just silly.
1. Uh oh. There’s something wrong with my knee. What in the world did I do to my knee?
2. I might end up sitting on the floor in the grocery store saying, “It doesn’t hurt. Really. It’s not that bad.”
3. My imagination is very active. It’s attacking my knees. Oh no, it’s now going after my hips. I have the strongest imagination.
4. I imagine Harrison Ford yelling at people usurping handicapped parking spaces, “Get off my plane! parking space!”
5. Someone tell me how I hurt my shoulder. I can’t seem to remember.
6. Okay, who shot me while I was sleeping?
7. If only I could get into the reality where this doesn’t hurt so bad. Is there a mushroom I can eat? Or a little door I can walk through?
8. I can’t do anything with this right hand, but that’s fine. I have another one.
9. Isn’t it great there’s really nothing at all wrong with my ankle? Nothing at all…
10. I’m okay. See, I’m just fine? See, I’m still standing. See, it’s all good.
The funny things I tell myself are my way of saying, “Keep going; don’t give up.”
And it’s even funnier when the list is repeated all day long with different joints. Sometimes the more ridiculous the RA is, the more sarcastic I try to be.
Do you tell yourself anything funny while coping with with RA?
As I update this post five years later, it’s been a long time since I sat on the floor in the store – because it’s so hard to get up. But I’m just as sarcastic with the funny things I tell myself because of the ridiculous nature of this disease. Did you ever ask yourself the name of the driver that ran over your foot? Or how a train managed to run across your bed during the night? Humor is my favorite medicine with no bad side effects.
Recommended reading
- Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Heartache
- What about Classic Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- Advice on Rheumatoid Arthritis From the Perspective of a Polio Survivor
#9 is my favorite. I try to use the Pollyanna approach when dealing with RA.
Pollyanna is a good friend to those of us w/ RA. I’ve always been a big fan.
Pollyanna has left the room today. Aargh!!
About my hands, I will tell myself it’s really convenient to have baseball mitts in place of hands. Now, … if only they weren’t killing me!
About my face and being on longterm Prednisone: the filled-out cheek look probably helps plump out my wrinkles!
About getting up with pain each day: At least I am still getting up everyday; and am alive and (mentally) kicking!
About my infusion nurses naming me as the patient with the worst veins of all of their patients: I could be known for much worse things, right?!! At least no vampires will be getting any blood from me very easily.
Thank you, Julie. Those are even funnier. 🙂
my knees are “broken” … I tumble and stumble over all the laundry my “broken” arms cannot fold and the kids’ #$@%W#stuff everywhere (which I have no energy to clean up or make anyone else clean up)…….missed sit & be fit today…..no matter my home is an obstacle course…….my version of “physical therapy”
yes! “Broken” is a good word. I used it for a long time with Roo when he was 2-3 so I could describe what was going on so he could understand.
During my first/worst to date flare, I didn’t just talk to myself, I hummed, quite loudly, the theme from ‘Chariots of fire’, to celebrate my heroic effort in getting myself out of bed, to the bathroom and on and off the toilet. (Hope that frankness doesn’t offend people.) 🙂
I’ve forgotten how helpful that silliness was. Thanks for reminding me.
Haha. That is funny. Wow, Cindy. Just yesterday I was singing to myself “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Amazing how that made me smile.
Hi Kelly,
Sounds like you have still another perspective to add in our daily self-talk. I am currently reading Kathleen Turner’s autobiography in which she gives personal accounting of her RA struggles. It made me think my RA is not as severe and therefore more tolerable.
As I pushed my grocery cart yesterday, my right ankle throbbed and was very stiff. S’funny how we can tell ourselves “it’s not so bad. Others have it much worse.” Until it’s our aching joint and at that moment, we can only feel our pain and how it slows us down. I am going to try your alternate response and seeing if I can persuade myself to lighten up.
It did feel good to come home and put my feet up.
Ruthe
I found this soooo funny. I have said very similar things to myself. Especially #6. I have just been recently diagnosed and it just makes me roll my eyes when people say, “Yeah I have some arthritis in my knee from an old running injury and it hurts. Usually Advil and some ice makes it feel better. Yeah, you go with that sister… That’s all I need… advil and some ice.
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Kim. But it’s great to meet you. Going to check out your site. 🙂
I suspect we all have pet names for the multitude of assaults on the multitude of parts on our persons from within.
Keeping good humor and light hearted is a full time job with this disease. But I believe a very wise approach. It’s not what the world gives us, it’s what we do with it right?
I’ve always believed that RA is a trickster like in myths of old. Tricksters come into your life, scramble it up and leave you with the opportunity to laugh at yourself and your circumstances.
I’m lucky that it’s my mate who injects the most humor. He’s always asking, in a ‘poor boo boo’ voice, Aww, does your (pick a joint … any joint) hurt? When did THAT happen?
Breath deep everyone. Maybe on some levels, our endurance is transforming poisons into potions.
Inspiring!
You know my favorite thing to tell myself when the pain is too much, too random, too different, whatever it is…
Someone’s got a Voodoo doll of me. My immune system has a Voodoo doll of me. I should really make some of these… a new, interactive pain scale to show your doctor. Hmmm.
I love your Voodoo one & I’m so glad you added it here! Thanks Lauren!!
This was cute and you have to laugh to not cry. I have used the Voo Doo analogy for years because that is what it feels like…somebody with that doll sticking pins in every part. I have also had the problem with the hands, wrists and elbows so painful I couldn’t roll over in bed using my hands. I slept on the couch for 2 years because my shoulders, collar bone and shoulder blades were so painful I couldn’t lie on a flat bed. One Sunday at church in the parking lot my legs turned to rubber and I slowly sank to the ground. My hands look like the Dracula in the first silent movie that scared my daughter when it played on TV one time and they showed the hands in a shadow. Someone once told me they hoped they never got witch hands. There is not a part of my body that hasn’t been stuck with that Voo Doo pin. Somehow this has made me more understanding of other people with pain, and I just want to help them because of what I am going through and have for most of my life.
I have Thomas the train livingin my head doing the “I think I can” montra as I walk across the house.
Things I tell myself:
You really didn’t want to do that laundry anyway.
Sleep is so over-rated, all those hours wasted.
Do you really, really need to go potty?
Love it Tanya. You’re always uplifting – which obviously comes from your experience of overcoming trials.
Good morning kelly…I love the sarcasm…Ive said everyline you wrote..lol…take care
Kelly, once again I love it! Ive told myself a few of those and I’d like to add another humorous one too…well a rather corny and humerous one…..much like the alice in wonderland bit….heres one for the Twilight Fans….lol
Wheres a good vampire when I need one? forget the hot men entailed, i just want the perfect health, great (functioning) body and strength 😉
Hi Everyone,
Kelly I LOVe #7. Jennifer I love the vampire thing. Lauren the Voodoo doll thing I’m going to borrow. I too tend to use a Polyanna approach. I also have the Tomas the Train mantra in my head like Tanya, and sometimes Cindy’s Chariots also accompay’s my minor/major triumphs. When my hands act up I say oh well at least I can walk. when my legs act up I say at least I can think and talk. Some time ago I said to someone “I’m in pain from the neck down. If my head had a joint it would hurt too.” Then I wet to my Rheumy and he asked “…does ur jaw hurt?” I answered no while thinking ‘OMG my head has a joint and it doesn’t hurt! gr8!’ Then I though ‘OMG my there’s another joint that could hurt! This can get worse!’ LOL Guess what. Last month my jaw started to hurt right about the time I ran out of painkillers. Murphy’s law right? Y doesn’t somebody shoot Murphy? Anyone with good hands want the contract?
omg I can’t believe I never thought of assassinating Murphy!
Yes! It’s almost educational. To find that you have a new joint you didn’t know existed to start hurting. 🙂
I actually text a friend yesterday and said, “I have no idea what is wrong with me. I hurt all over. What in the world do you think it is? I don’t remember doing anything yesterday.” She then text back and told me I have RA. OOHHHH that’s right! Why in the world does it still come as a surprise to me even after 2 1/2 years? It still surprises me how one disease can just decide whatever it wants to do with you at any given day!!! It is beyond reasonable comprehension. It just doesn’t seem right to hurt and be in pain when you haven’t done anything to cause it. At least if you had worked out it would be thought of as a good hurt because you were doing something healthy and good for yourself. We get the wonderful aches and pains and we didn’t have to do anything! Hate things that don’t make sense!!!
I have said that to my kids several times. I wonder how a friend w/out RA would react. I’m going to try it out. 🙂
Cynde,
I used to think it was just my reaction to a new troubling symptom …”hey what could this be?” without attributing it to still another RA manifestation. I’ve had it for over a decade, but still am mystified how it (RA) plays havoc on a continual basis.
I have a great group of ladies at work that have sort of adopted me since I started there 6 months ago (I’m 22 and they’re all my mom’s age). When I lose the use of my fingers its always “I lost my thumb/finger/fingers somewhere on the way to work this morning, but I’ve got 9/8/7 others”. Or when I’m limping because of my feet they call it my swagger. They can always put a smile on my face 🙂
I am a fairly new follower and because I hate to focus on the negative and do live in a state of denial regarding my RA, I do not often open your emails. (So Sorry!) But after opening today’s and going to your blog… I find it more than just funny that I have said (to myself)just about every comment listed. Literally.
It is not a coincidence this is the what I chose to open… not only did I enjoy the lightness of it, but it hit totally home. I plan on being a devoted follower from now on!
Well Kelly, it’s after 2am and muttering to myself about RA, but mostly have been searching ebay for things I need! Shopping therapy and distraction. Too bad that I just took a look at our acct and saw that my hubster spent $$$$ for hunting in the Fall! Window shopping therapy, instead.
There’s a part in me and prob all of us that talks denial words, coping words, someone else has it worse words, you name it we all do it and it helps us adjust to the ups and downs of disease. I have been calling it the Merry-go-round or Merry-go-down of RA. Yesterday I felt AWFUL, today so much better that I think I’m great and then realize this is not my old great! Whoa, I feel sick everyday, this just occurred to me. I was never told by my doc that I would actually feel sick everyday with this disease. I am diseased, ewha! That is not me, I always saw myself as so healthy, and stronger than my peers. I was supposed to take these medicines and get on with life as usual. I really was not prepared for this, no, I was sure I would be one that went into remission…. there it is, some of my late night mutterings as an RA patient. No, I’m not going to see myself as a patient. I am a woman, mom, grandma, friend, lively excited about life person, and always curious to learn new things….
Cynde and all, you are thinking like me, after less than 2 years, It still comes as an unwelcome surprise to me…
Kelly,
I’m newly diagnosed and still trying to find my way in this prickly painful forest – I don’t think I have gotten here yet. But this kind of self talk sounds like a way better idea than WTF! Why does this hurt now?! Maybe a little less anger and a little more humor is the way to go. Being angry or feeling sorry for yourself or depressed about the unknown future clearly can’t help. I don’t know the tune to Chariots of Fire but I am great at sarcasm. I saw a comedian/educator who talked about being diagnosed with RA on his birthday (as was I) he said he was hoping for a snowboard for his birthday but got a chronic autoimmune disease. Funny! I myself was hoping for a Spa day but – oops! Okay – so from here on out – looking for a bit of humor in this thorny forest! Thanks for the heads up!
Hi Leslie. Humor and sarcasm have always been a big part of my coping and I’m glad you like the idea. I hope you don’t beat yourself up for getting mad sometimes too though. There are times when it’s sure appropriate to feel anger with something as evil as RA – and there’s a reason that before I started making RA t-shirts the only ones I could find were along the same lines as “wtf.”
Once I wrote a post about anger (link here) since it seems like such a normal part of the process that we have to face – and someone got mad about that! The irony makes me laugh out loud even now! Take care of yourself 🙂
Just read your post Kelly on anger – unbelievable…. What I have wondered though can ‘unbearable saddness’ cause RA to rear it’s ugly head? Not long before my first symptoms suddenly appeared over night, I witnessed my son with his face totally smashed up due to a fight involving knives (very lucky he wasn’t killed) and also behind it all was his addiction to drugs….. my heart literally felt like it broke at the moment of seeing him lying in a hospital bed and within two weeks I felt like I needed to be lying in a hospital bed!!!
I have heard that trauma and stress can be a part of the trigger and many tell of that. I did too. Also physical trauma and I had that too. It may be like a ticking time-bomb and something eventually pushes it over the edge to full blown.
No fair I got diagnosed for Christmas 2 years ago, not exactly what I was hoping for…now I have a friend who asks me what I get for just about every holiday. She makes me laugh. I wake up on my bad mornings asking my husband if he shot that great big gorilla that beat me up last night, if he hasn’t I tell him that he’d better get on it, I don’t need to meet with him again. I try what the others have said and say that mine isn’t as bad as so and so down the road and make myself get up and get done what I can. I hate it because I miss my old life of running and being the mom that had fun doing sports, coaching soccer, with my kids and now I have to cheer from the sidelines. But at least I am at the sidelines. Gotta love Pollyanna. Focus on what I have and try to forget what once was.
Thanks, Melena. I hope your husband can get the gorilla next time it comes!
Hi, I just recently found your blog and I really like it. I have had arthritis for almost 7 years. I was screaming and crying from the pain for the first 2-3 years. For people with RA or similar arthritis you know the feeling.
One of thing I just to tell other people when they asked me how I was doing was: Thank you for asking, you know it is not so bad if I do absolutely nothing. Like that was the most normal thing in the world to do nothing in effort to minimize the pain.
Welcome, Erla. 🙂
That’s my experience too. If I take medicine for pain regularly and do nothing at all, then it’s tolerable pain at about a 6 most of the time. But if I do anything at all, it can quickly go off the chart. That is obviously very frustrating for most of us who are used to juggling busy schedules & accomplishing lots of things at once or want to just go for a run & play tennis… (Of course, there’s always those sharp pains from “nowhere” too – so even doing “nothing” is no guarantee with RA.)
Kelly, this describes me to a “T”. I don’t want to live my life like this but what choice do I really have if I don’t want to be hurting (witch turns me into a frustrated bad attitude mommy/wife) and that’s not who I really am. Wish I had n RA support group close to Kansas City, Mo. right now I talk to my dog he always looks back at me with sympathetic eyes and an occasional tear..I think he knows my pain because he will climb right up on my lap nuzzle my neck and try to cuddle…pain is still there but his love gives me the warm fuzzies I need to get to the next moment in life. Still think I need help coping with this disease(s)…had part of my foot amputated last Fall not sure if it was a blessing or not…like fewer joints to be constantly hurting…if anybody has ideas for me please help
Hey Leslie, if there’s not one on the list of Local support, I’d be glad to do all I can to help you start a support group near you. U can send me an email kelly @ rawarrior.com. I think that unless one gets remission, there are coping issues that come up over and over because of new losses. Hard to get used to that. Being with others is one of the most powerful ways to help cope. Also I know we are here to listen any time.
I bruise so easily (prednisone) that when I wake up in the morning and I have one or multiple bruises I ask my husband if we had a really good time in bed last night because I couldn’t remember from the ambien I took to help bring on sleep. HAR-HAR!
Kelly, there are so many good “murmurs” and “mutterings” mentioned by everyone! Its so helpful to use humor to cope. As you pointed out, some days, it’s just not as easy to have a more lighthearted approach. And that’s normal too, in case anyone, esp someone new, was wondering why they felt not so lighthearted by this life-altering disease.
Within the past 2o years, like Ronda says, RA has made my life an up and down merry -go- round, both emotionally and physically. Periods of anger, denial, fear , humor, disgust, disappointment, and hope. All that is normal to feel. But its great to laugh as much and as often as we can, as this blog so handily pointed out. Thanks to everyone else for their enjoyable comments!
My personal favorite is when some one asks me, “How is your arthritis?” The first response that always comes to mind is, “Oh it’s just fine, as you can see it’s really done a number on my hands here which point in all different directions, and on my knees, both of which have been replaced. How’s that colitis of yours?”
Thanks, Kelly. I needed that. My favorite is, “oh darn, pulled a muscle.”
I’m blessed with a hilarious husband. We have conversations like:
Me: Today’s bad.
Him: Think it’s a tumah?
Me: No, probably ebola.
Him: *rubs the top of my head* I think I feel something moving in there, probably an alien.
Me and Him: OH NO, NO PROBES!
My grandmother had a subscription to Reader’s Digest, and I read it from the time I was probably 5 years old, especially the Laughter is the Best Medicine part. I still believe that it is. 🙂
LOL – it’s so wonderful to have a spouse that you can laugh with!
Wow, went to read your post on anger – anger causes RA? What?! It’s amazing what some people will call research. I’m angry that vacuming my floors wears me out and that my hands no longer can hold my stupid coffee cup! I’m angry that this dumb disease is making every day so dang hard! I was really pretty happy before this ugly thing snuck up behind me and started gnawing on all my joints. Am I repressing my anger now? Yessss. Depak probably thinks negative thinking causes cancer.
Probably does. :O
I am pretty lucky to have the support group at work that I do, so when they ask me how I am doing, my common answer is “lot’s of forward momentum. As long as I don’t stop, I’ll be ok”. Now, that said, I will also respond with “it is time for an oil change but can’t find the drain plug”. And of course, being in a tornado prone area, as I train new people coming in, we discuss emergency procedures. I always tell them, if we ever do actually have a tornado, it will probably be gone by the time I make it to the floor and under a desk, at which point, they would have to call in a crane to get me back up :). I also try to stay off the 2nd floor because my feeling on that is I really don’t want to be responsible for 250 work comp injuries caused by people tripping over me to get down the stairs in an emergency lol.
These are great, Kelly – and so are all of the comments! We use humor as a coping mechanism a lot in our household, and it helps a ton. Some things I say out loud and some I just say to myself…here’s a few of my favorites:
– I always say it’s like there’s a civil war raging inside my body, so I talk to my cells (or yell at them) and tell them to stop fighting…can’t we all just get along?!
– My brother uses this mantra whenever he’s going through something rough: at least I’m not on fire. I think that’s a good one…and also came up with my own version after visiting a friend’s dairy farm: at least I’m not a pregnant cow (most miserable looking creatures I’ve ever seen!).
– Whenever I can’t walk properly, I tell myself I’d be an excellent candidate for the Ministry of Silly Walks (Monty Python)
– My husband and I often recite lines from Happy Gilmore (“my fingers hurt…”)
– My husband also told me that my Enbrel was like Neo in the Matrix and he needed to go in and kill off all of the Agent Smith’s in my body!
THaNKs! Dana! 🙂
I sometimes yell at my joints when they are freaking out, “Quit it you stupid finger!” the kids jump outta their skins, then laugh!, and say, “awwww, mom!” But I love your points about, Oh, I have another one, at least its not so bad! I say that all the time, well, at least my left hand isn’t so swollen! Or, at least I don’t have a parking placard. Or, at least I’m working. All good things, but let me tell you, there ARE days I wish I wasn’t working or had a parking placard. I just move slower, but AT LEAST I’m moving. And when I put on my arm splints, I walk around like the 1940’s bride of frankenstein and moan at the kids, “arrrrr, arrrrr.” and chase them slowly around. Arrrrrr!
I always wonder how my hands look so young and still feel like those of a 90 year old womans? It gets really confusing at times! I look down thinking I am going to see my great grandmother’s hands and I see mine, painful and with no strength. Pain in the bottom, but what are you going to do? Get some one else to open the jar. Makes you feel like royalty not having to carry the laundry!
When people ask me why I am limping, I say, “because I’m gangasta!” It is an unexpected response coming from a girl in pearls. If you have the nads to ask me that, I am going to give you a ridiculous response!
LOL! Good for you. Humor, sarcasm, and shock-value all in one. :O
Thank you that’s a good one, I’m going to use that one!
The pain has my complete attention. What is the suicide rate for ra patients. I thought I had a high pain tolerance,and indurance.
I found your website a couple of weeks ago while waiting for the RA diagnosis (got it – I am the person who could buy 99 of 100 raffle tickets and still not win – go figure). My boss thinks it’s funny that I describe RA like the Whac-A-Mole game at the arcade. Never know which joint is going to pop up and when. Or how annoying the little critter is going to be.
My most common one is, “could someone please remove the knife from my shoulder (knee, hip . . . you get the idea.)
I do that too. Did I leave that off the list?! Thanks!
I do the same thing! I move and I’ll say to myself, “How did I hurt my knee/shoulder/etc.?” It’s funny how we always jump to injury first and still don’t recognize symptoms of RA.
“Knife in the back – check. Ice pick in the butt – check. Still standing, so I can fish today”.
Add “my shoulder hurts – the coach shouldn’t have let me pitch that last inning” or “I don’t remember Annie Wilkes hitting my ankles with that sledgehammer.” (the Misery movie scene)
When people ask “how” I got RA I sometimes respond with “I was required to wear high heels at my place of work” or “Remember that year everyone got the flu? – well, mine turned into RA.” : ) Three cheers for Sarcasm on Board!
I agree. If I have to suffer anyway, I can at least try to laugh.
Carly I use that same one about Annie hitting my ankles with the sledgehammer – reading through all these posts is bringing a big smile to my face – something the RA can’t take away 🙂
On days I don’t feel good, I ask myself, “what’s wrong with you, why do you feel like this”? Then, I answer myself and say, “cause you have RA”. I tell my family and friends this and I make them laugh by laughing myself.
I say to my body – “What we have here is a failure to communicate”
good one!
I always say” I don’t remember getting hit by a Mack truck”
I tell myself most of the things you mentioned every day. My theme lately song seems to be Staying Alive.
stayin alive! that’s awesome! love the BeeGee’s!
my favorite saying.. They shoot horses for less than this..
I love that 1. Reminds me of a joke my dad told when I was a kid.
Are you sure those are my x-rays? You say my knees are fine and yet people sitting next to me can hear them pop and crunch like rice krispies when I bend them….
yesterday, for the first time, I barely made it through the grocery store. When I limped out to the car (trying to shepherd my crazed 6 yr old along the way) I felt so guilty because I’d managed to get a parking spot that was even closer to the store than the handicapped parking – hello, you are handicapped!!! But I don’t have a handicapped tag because everyone around me thinks that means I am “giving up”, and that it really isn’t that bad. But man I needed that close spot yesterday. Had to sleep the rest of the afternoon to recover and then was up half the night because my feet and ankles were so swollen and sore.
One of mine is straight from Terminator…
Move it Keeble… On your feet soldier!
I do get some funny looks sometimes when I say it in public! LOL
When I get up from a chair after sitting a while, I just go into a John Wayne impression, “partner”. Or Red Fox, Elizabeth, I’m coming!
btw, i celebrated my 1st handcapped placard – it has helped me so much! this disease travels so fast that in the am, i am taking one step at a time painfully and slowly and moving furniture by dinner time. then by bed time i am in the hot tub with swollen feet. whatever! the image i have is a “healer” hitting me on the forehead saying Jesus heal this woman and i jump up, throw away the cane and run off of the stage!i am sure that many of those “healed” persons have been RA patients!
I have two ‘alerts’ if you will, that I am doing to much and not paying attention. The one I hate most is that ohhhh so tired, can’t take one more step/thing that results in whinning. 😛 The second and amusing one is catching myself saying, in my head repetatively ” The pain in the brain drives you slowly insane” LOL, when I realize I’ve been doing this it’s my signal to take a break.
Ok I’m the wierdo who powerlifts. I love heavy weights though I only do bench pressing. So I can barely walk to the bench press bench but when I get there I can bench over 200 lbs. I use a handicapped placard, have to use a scooter at the store but I can lift heavy weights. My husband says I am contrary. My husband also says to me a lot would you please act sick so I know how much pain your really in.
Today I was stirring my oatmeal. I am trying to learn some joint protection stuff, so I was stirring it that way – the witch’s cauldron stir. And I said to myself “Bubble, bubble, toil-and-trouble.” I think I will make up a spell for each move now. 😀
I had to laugh last night in bed, my husband by the way did not see the humor. I sat on the side of the bed and did an awkward roll ont my side of the bed. Yesterday was one of those days when the hands barely worked and the elbows feel like they’ve been filled with fast hardening epoxy, so painful that even light touching is horrible. If you’ve never tried rolling over in bed without the help of hands and arms, you may not get it. Anyway i sort of fell into bed using my hips and feet to get positioned, now at my age guess what all this tossing and laughing did, yep now I had to get up to go to the bathroom again. I apologized to my husband, got up and slept in the recliner. Another sleepless night.I hate RA!
All I want to know is am I the only one that can’t remember any things!!!!! Sometimes all I can do is laugh at myself 🙂
looks like you are in good company!
I’ve had RA for 43 years. My crying times are for the most part over.
1. Believe there is life after RA There is!!!
2. Dream of a new life in your bluest hours. You’ll need it.
3. Find your passion/talent and obsess about doing it. The BIBLE says we all have one.
4. Take your medicine on time, with food. If you don’t tell your DOC. Be HONEST ABOUT EVERYTHING!
5. REST, be selfish about rest.
6. Find LOVE truelove and hugs, and never let go.
EXERCISE, EXERCISE, BELIEVE the Researchers are coming up with new and better meds while we sleep8-10 a night. sweet dream! PRAY! Be careful what you pray for. Commit to LIFE!
On laughter, It’s Essential. Once I hobbled into the hospital Chemotherapy dept. to get my REMICADE Infusion, I hurt so bad, I looked up at my Nurse and said—“YOU SHOULD SEE THE OTHER GUY!!.”
My mom asked me one day how I was feeling I told her I felt like I was 80 little did I know my 8 year old nephew had overheard me..he quickly replied “auntie at least you don’t look 80!” So that had become my motto lol
aww. thanks for sharing Dawnique. The little guy was trying to be encouraging – so cute.