All posts tagged: postaday

RA, a Progressive Disease

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I have seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. That means I have more issues with inflammation and less joint damage that a person with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. My rheumatologist sometimes thinks they must be two different diseases. Once diagnosed both are given the same treatment. I was on methotrexate for seven years. It helped about fifty percent. Biologics helped anywhere from twenty to fifty percent. The combination made life bearable. Methotrexate had been a difficult drug with the side effects of nausea and diarrhea. They passed. With the injectable version of methotrexate, the side effects disappeared. I have a history of breast cancer that required surgery and radiation. It left my breast tissue with poor circulation. I developed methotrexate black box complication number thirteen, soft tissue necrosis. It took ten months to heal and included surgery. Absolutely no more methotrexate, or it would happen again. So I lost my fifty percent relief. I was lucky to get twenty percent relief with the biologics. I have been through most of them. The TNF inhibitors can cause cancer and the …

New Book and cannabis report

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I finally finished my book. I published it as a Kindle book. An adventure. A romance. Science fiction.  Matilda Finnegan meets up with an old acquaintance . A handsome six foot white hair, sexy  blue-green eyes charming man. Romance blooms. Adventure beckons. The story is about outcasts from a nearby planet finding refuge on Earth. Their obstacles and their romances.  Book website, Matilda and her Alien and place to buy,  Amazon Book site I have known about my rheumatoid arthritis for about eleven and a half years. A little more. Despite Kevzara, steroids and cannabis, I still have a week long severe flare at least once a month. The flares are bad. Most of the moveable joints in my body are affected. All but my knees. Strange ads that seems. However, flares  are still better than what they were. The inflammation  is reduced. My RA seems to simmer the rest of the time. Not good but better than it was. I am on the last biologic left to me. I either have tried them or …

Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis

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Once a person has at least one joint that is painful and inflamed, a rheumatologist can use a ten point check to help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The assessment covers four areas: joint involvement, serology, acute phase reactants plus duration of symptoms. There is a total of ten points. A score of six confirms a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Here is how it breaks down. Choose one from each group and total.. A. Joint involvementOne large joint 0 points2-10 large joints 1 point1-3 small joints 2 points4-10 small joints 3 pointsGreater than 10 joints including at least one small joint 5 points B. Serology (blood tests)Negative RF and negative ACPA 0Low positive RF or low positive ACPA 2High positive RF or high positive ACPA 3 C. Acute phase reactants(inflammation blood tests)Normal CRP and normal ESR 0Abnormal CRP or abnormal ERS 1 D. Duration of symptoms< 6 weeks 0 6 weeks 1 My choices are a total of 7. Note I am seronegative, and it took a lot of joint involvement to get a positive diagnosis. …

The Cruel side effect of Flares

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A side effect of having flares is their random quality. One day a person with RA may be out dancing with the girls. The next week she may not able to join them because she is not well. Repeat. And then repeat. Is she neurotic? Her friends may be thinking. They stop asking her to go with them. Another young mother with RA  may ask her husband or her mother to help more with the children when she is having a flare that puts her flat. She was able to explain the severe and random nature of rheumatoid arthritis flares. Her husband and her mother had come to understand the severe and random nature of RA and were happy to help her more when she needed it. So, this is what a person with RA has to deal with.  You may be spending a large share of your time in severe pain. You may have serious doubts about your future. People will still look at you and say you look healthy to them.  And although …

August Journal

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I watched the last night of the Democratic convention. Vice-President Harris is a surprise.  For the last three years she has been the quiet figure standing near President Biden when he speaks. No more. She is a breath of fresh air. She is strong. There is no doubt what her agenda will be. This is my summer of learning about baseball. They do have a lot of little rules and it is about the numbers. We are Phillies fans. Through thick and thin. My favorites are Straum, a toe tapping relief pitcher, Castellanos, right fielder and dependable hitter, and Stubbs, relief catcher, energized team player. I like them because they all are characters and all are solid team players. My rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is about the same. The medical establishment offers me little at this point. I am still on Kevzara which helps up to twenty percent. I am on a low dose steroid, Medrol. My pain levels range from four to seven on a scale of one to ten. I supplement my medical treatment with …

Happy Spring

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Albuquerque is heating up as tulips bloom. Despite Phillies’ losses, loyal fans remain hopeful. The writer finds relief from pain and inflammation using a cannabis blend of THC, CBD, and CBN, reducing their need for Tramadol. They emphasize the effectiveness of THC and CBD combinations and share Easter wishes across religions originating in the Middle East.