My 15 favourite links! 

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’m approaching three years into my RA journey, in fact it was around August 2014 that I started feeling ‘not quite right’, just a general unspecific feeling of malaise. The swelling and pain waited until November to join the party!

My way of coping with anything life has thrown at me is to research the hell out of it, as a high level manager for some years I was very used to problem solving, tackling challenges, call it what you will. Strip down your issue to the core, look at its impact, find a workable solution then plan implementation. Logic & reason.

Obviously this approach alone doesn’t work for RA or any other chronic illness, but I still find myself fascinated by researching the medical, psychological & scientific aspects of RA. Part genuine interest, partly to confirm I’m not alone.

This is where I both thank & curse the tool that is Dr Google. It’s fabulous that so much information is at my fingertips. It’s a nightmare that so much information is at my fingertips! We all learn for ourselves that using Google can be a bad thing, you start out with a hangnail and end up with gangrene in three clicks… 😉

So I have gradually whittled out the sites that are useless, badly sourced, unreliable, trying to sell me snake oil or just plain illiterate. Conversely I have found a staple core of websites that I return to again & again, as I know they are trustworthy, reliable and present information in a clear, understandable way.

I’ll state now for the record these are just sites I’ve personally found very useful, I’m not being bribed to mention any particular site, and none of these are alternatives to consulting a medical professional. Phewww! They are also in no particular order.

  1. NRAS are a British charity dedicated to providing information and support for everyone, from patients to medical professionals
  2. Arthritis Research UK are a another British charity who invest in research and providing information for all
  3. NHS the British National Health Service website covers all things health related, from disease to diet, providing clear and reliable advice
  4. WebMD offers credible and in-depth medical news, features, reference material, and online community programs
  5. NIH the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency
  6. EULAR the European League Against Rheumatoid Arthritis is a non profit organ that fosters excellence in education and research in the field of rheumatology
  7. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Net empowers patients and caregivers to take control of RA by providing a platform to learn, educate and connect with peers and healthcare professionals
  8. RA Warrior Kelly first created her site/blog in 2009. She believes you are the superhero you need to fight your disease, and provides a wealth of information that’s easy to understand in her blogs
  9. Mayo Clinic more than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers from Mayo Clinic share their expertise to empower you on their incredibly reliable website
  10. Drugs.com another very reliable site that offers patients clear information about medicines, pros, cons and tips for patients. (My only caveat is don’t use this site or any other over and above your doctors advice – doctors are trained to factor in risks of interactions and side effects, you aren’t)
  11. Creaky Joints is a wonderful online patient community. More than 100,000 people with all forms of arthritis and their families have been touched by CreakyJoints with meaningful support, updates and education, innovative advocacy and global research projects, and the sharing of great patient blogs from around the world
  12. Health Central is a kind of health magazine online! It provides easily searchable information and articles about many health issues, shares blogs and invites questions for its experts
  13. RA – Facebook Groups – I’m not going to provide a link here or name one group because where you find your tribe is personal. I originally searched for and joined a number of groups, and have gradually whittled that down to a few I use all the time. They’ve become family. Some groups will feel right and some won’t, and your right will differ from mine. Join a few, sit back and watch the posts, you’ll soon find where you feel comfortable.
  14. The Seated View blog by Lene Anderson – my personal RA hero!! No exaggeration. If you only ever buy one book on Rheumatoid Arthritis buy hers, “Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis“, it’s my bible. My copy is dog eared and full of notes, and much loved. It even convinced me I was sane on days the world said otherwise. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to get to know Lene as an online friend, she’s brave, witty, clever and frankly amazing, total respect! Plus she likes cats 😊
  15. Giggles Over Tears with RA is a simply wonderful Facebook page. Donna’s sole aim is to use her poems about RA to make people laugh, a must follow!

Playing the RA treatment game.. 

Posted on by SingleRheum

Hi all, I’ve just realised it’s been over a month since I’ve posted, mostly due to the extreme fatigue caused by pneumonia. Oh the joy! Hoping the double dose of antibiotics has done the trick, though I read it can take months to recover 😮

Anyways, I wanted to talk about my RA.. I’ve been pretty lucky the past couple of months, apart from “remaining pain” it had been mostly dormant. But let me step back to February which was my last appointment with my rheumy. When she decided unilaterally to stop treatment. 

Her rationale was that she couldn’t see any active inflammation so therefore my joint pain must be from Fibromyalgia. I’d been on Humira (my fifth RA med)  for six months with no improvement in symptoms, and (I quote) ‘Humira works for 80% of people so it can’t be your RA, and there’s no point keeping you on very strong meds you don’t need’. There are actually so many flaws in this argument it’s ridiculous. 

🔵 Firstly her numbers are incorrect. A quick search of the Internet will tell you that:

“In one study conducted in 544 patients who had failed previous DMARDs, rates of ACR20 response for Humira 40 mg every other week and weekly at 6 months were 46% and 53%, respectively, compared with 19% for placebo” Figures from RheumatoidArthritis.Net 

🔵 Secondly I know my math is rusty but even if the 80% was  actually correct, that still leaves 20% of patients who it does nothing for. Crazy I know but what if I was one of those!! 

🔵 Thirdly I’ve had RA and Fibromyalgia for over two and a half years. I know the difference. RA joint pain is unique, the closest I can come to describing it is to imagine you can see your joint, with the synovial fluid sitting there protecting it nicely. Then imagine someone replacing that synovial fluid with acid. Burning acid. Fibromyalgia doesn’t get anywhere near that specific or that painful. 

🔵 Fourthly (that sounds wrong) RA is a systemic chronic condition. Not everyone has visible swelling. And what about the stuff going on you can’t see? The 50% increase in the risk of heart disease, the ongoing damage to internal organs, tendons, eyes, increased risk of infection, narrowing of blood vessels…. 

“If rheumatoid arthritis is left untreated in the long-term, it’s not an exaggeration to say that your life could be at risk as well. “Persistent inflammation can lead to a shorter lifespan,” Pisetsky says” in a medical article from EverydayHealth 

I digress a little, but I think the risks are kinda important. At my last count there are approximately thirteen different biological medications approved for treatment of RA in the US, though here in the UK we are behind with approving new treatments, which I suspect is down to cost. There are also different types of biologics that act on specific areas of the immune system, so if a TNF inhibitor like Humira  doesn’t work perhaps a T-cell inhibitor like Orencia might. Lots of possibilities there huh?! 

But – having already dismissed one rheumy and knowing there isn’t  an endless supply of them locally I talked it over with my GP and decided to “play the game”. Because that’s exactly what it feels like, that I (the patient) am having to humour my consultant in the short term to stay on her good side so I can get the meds I need long term. So I sat back and waited. As I said my RA had been behaving for the most part and I’m kinda used to the pain so I let it be. 

Week before last my fingers started swelling again (as I’m sure many of you know there is an RA rule that they will never do this on the day of an appointment!), and then last night my Carpals started up. These are the cluster of small bones on the back of your hand just before your wrist. Today I can hardly move my left hand. It sounds insane but this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. 

So today I’ve put in a call to our rheumy advice line which will get me a call back from the nurse within 48 hours. I’m also going to get bloods done ASAP and I’m hoping my CRP and ESR will be raised – compiling evidence! 

So I guess it you could say that in the RA treatment game I’m currently a point behind but focusing on the next match. 

Love & blessings 💙

Simplifying Part Two – Vacations 

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’ve always loved to travel, even the word conjures up a wonderful jumble of images in my mind, from fictional journeys I’ve taken such as old fashioned steamer trunks and the ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe (Little Women*), bustling Caravasarai for travellers along the Old Silk Road through Syria, Persia and onwards (see Physician*), as well as times I’ve spent abroad over the years, the scent of the spice markets of Marrakech, the taste of fresh cherries in southern France, the beautiful work of artisans in Cuba, the timeless flavours of mezze in Cyprus, the Fairytale castles and landscapes of Bavaria, the majestic beauty of mountains in Austria, the cobbled streets and squares of Belgium with the obligatory Moules Frites! 

As you may have gathered for me travel is not about finding a good beach, but wandering local streets, finding tiny coffee houses populated by ancient men who seem part of the furniture, stumbling across cosy restaurants with food you remember years later, churches and mosques and town halls with amazing architecture, bustling souks with women in brightly dressed kaftans and djellaba haggling, always haggling. 

Nowadays all of that sounds quite exhausting! So how on earth do those of us with chronic illness and disability and fatigue even contemplate travelling? For me (yes, here’s the theme) it’s about simplifying. And to simplify you need to plan a little. Yes, this may take away a smidge of the spontaneity of previous journeys, but they were taken in days when I didn’t need to know where the nearest toilet was at all times and whether I could park within 20 feet of my destination! 

So, how to simplify travelling? By reducing both physical exertion and stress. I’m going to talk about holiday type travel here, but I’m sure some of these tips could apply to other journeys too. 

  • Simplify the airport. My number one tip is book assistance at the airport. It’s free and it’s the best thing ever, especially if like me you travel alone. Once you get yourself to the meeting point in the airport you can almost stop thinking. You get comfy in a wheelchair and often sail past queues at passport control and check in. I can already hear some of you saying hang on, a wheelchair?! Yes. Gatwick airport – 1.2 miles to North terminal from check in. JFK 0.7 miles. Zurich 1.27 miles. I can’t walk that far, and you really do not want to arrive at your destination in an exhausted and painful heap. Use the wheelchair. Of course if you have your own wheelchair or even mobility scooter the airline will carry these free of charge, just make sure you let them know in advance. 
  • Simplify your meds – yes, it’s a fact of chronic life that like me you’ll probably need a bag just for your meds. If you pack it carefully you’ll have no problem at security. Don’t decant into pill sorters, take them empty and do it when you arrive. Ensure every med has its box or bottle with pharmacy labels, and carry copies of prescriptions or a print out of your repeats list as back up. I’ve had my meds emptied out at security more than once, but I’ve never had them queried. If you’re carrying sharps let the airline know in advance, you may need a letter from your GP. NB – always carry on, never put meds in the hold, we’ve all heard tales of missing luggage…. 
  • Simplify your packing. It’s taken me a while to master this, but actually taking as little as possible is so freeing! Because of my fibro I tend to stick to soft jersey or linen, and I swear to you three pairs of trousers, five tops, a jacket or cardi and a scarf or two and I’m done. One of those tops will be one I can dress up a little if I do end up having an evening out (I’m usually on the bed watching TV by evening these days!). I spent years lugging clothes abroad that came back unworn, and I know I’m not alone. 
  • Simplify your accommodation! How? Check access to your room, and access to what makes your holiday enjoyable before you book. Once you know your booking is for a ground floor room, within 40 metres of the town square/beach and there are four good restaurants/bars nearby you can relax about your arrival & enjoy your stay. 
  • Simplify your decision! What are you really travelling for? Forget everyone else for a minute, what do YOU want out of this holiday? Whether it’s time to meditate daily, swim, lay on the beach every day or learn to paint make that the focus of your booking. If you have children book a holiday with a kids club or crèche facilities, if they spend half a day there while you swim/read in peace it means you have the downtime you need to save spoons for time with them in the afternoon, or vice versa. Remember this is your holiday too. 
  • Simplify your expectations. Probably the hardest lesson I’ve learned but the most important. Be kind to yourself. It’s OK not to see every tourist attraction in the area. It’s OK to have a siesta in the afternoon. It’s OK to have early nights. It’s OK to just sit and have a glass of wine while you watch the sunset. It’s OK to spend a whole morning drinking coffee and reading a good book. It’s even OK to spend a day in bed. (What!! But I’m on holiday, stuff to do, places to see! A day in bed when I’ve paid to be here?!!) Yes, it’s absolutely OK. Think about it. You’re on holiday, a vacation, a rest. If you can’t give yourself permission for a day in bed if you need it when can you? Doing this while I’ve been away in the past couple of years has been essential, I couldn’t have had the up days I enjoyed without listening to my body and taking a day or two to rest. 

I would love to hear any tips you have for simplifying your travel plans. 

The two books mentioned are both ones I’d recommend. A relaxing holiday read maybe?  

*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

*Physician by Noah Gordon 

Simplifying Part One – Living Space 

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’ve not done this before, but I’ve just come up with an idea for a few linked posts around the theme of Simplifying. It’s a term we hear a lot, especially in chronic life, of course simplifying makes things easier! Sounds obvious but is it? 

So what exactly do we mean by simplify – common synonyms include to make easy, make plainer, remove the complexity from, or make more accessible. Whilst the latter here would appear at first glance to apply to ‘us’, because accessibility is often at the forefront of our minds, the rest are certainly appealing to me too, who doesn’t want things easier or less complex?! 

So we agree simplifying stuff is good. Where do we start? The first one I’m writing about here is in the home, our living space. Whether it’s a palace, a bedsit or my own little bungalow there are definitely things we can do to make our daily lives easier.

And immediately one of the biggest challenges for a lot of people raises it’s head – where to start! When you have a houseful of things that you may have had for one year, five years or even thirty years, it’s very difficult to at least partially detach emotion from belongings so you can make sensible decluttering decisions with a clear head. But it’s really important that you do. Stuff is just that, stuff. Good memories live on in our minds and our hearts. 

Often this is where you can enlist help from a practical friend or family member, they may help you keep a clearer head. Keeping a pearl ring because it was grandma’s is a lovely momento. Keeping an odd sock she knitted in 1963, or a chair she sat in once, not so much. 

I’ll admit I find this easy, as I’ve never been very attached to things, I believe it was because my lovely mum was a…. collector 😊 so I’ve just gone the opposite way. I always remember the mild but tangible panic in our house the day before family visited, piles of stuff (from magazines to ironing) that had mysteriously grown were hidden upstairs or squeezed into cupboards before actual cleaning could commence. Don’t get me wrong, it was never dirty, it was just always cosy and cluttered.

I’ve spent a number of my adult years married, so it’s only really in the last five years I’ve truly discovered my own decorating style, and whilst not stark it is a little minimal. I’ve had friends comment how tidy I am. I’m truly not, I just don’t like clutter so I put things away. They have a place, and that generally means I can find them!

But yes, even I had a challenge downsizing from a three bed bungalow to a small one bed bungalow eighteen months ago.  And I’ve cleared out again since, because I still brought too much with me. With every room I’ve had a rule, if it’s not truly beautiful (to me) or useful it goes! Using a combination of local selling sites have netted me money for a lot of bits and pieces, and charity shops have benefitted too. I just sold a mirror today for £20 😊

So how do you simplify YOUR living space? My top tips

  • Pick a room. Never attempt more than one room at a time, you’ll get disheartened and give up. Once you’ve chosen a room split it mentally into sections. So if you’re doing the bedroom for example, break that down into the chest of drawers, the bedside cabinets,  the dressing table and the wardrobes. This way when you start running low on spoons you’re never in the middle of a big clear out, so it’s manageable to finish one task at a time. 
  • Wherever you’re cleaning grab three bags, crates, boxes, whatever is suitable. Then label these (mentally is fine!) Sell, Donate, Trash. Anything you’re keeping simply stays in the drawers/wardrobe etc – easier to sort it when you’ve got more space. One rule here – items can swap boxes but they can’t come back out, be strict with yourself! 
  • Stay organised. If you get help to stash boxes in, say the garage, until you’re finished make sure the donate/sell piles are separate, and the trash goes directly in the trash bin. 
  • Be as unemotional as possible, and as ruthless as you can stand. If you’re finding it hard, think of the money you could raise, the good you’ll be donating, and how lovely it will be to have your nicer things accessible, clean and tidy!

If you’re still feeling up to it, once you’ve cleared a room and before you start the next give a once over with a critical eye. Does the layout work easily for you? Can you move or lose a cabinet or table now you’ve cleared it to give you more space? Will that chair be nicer by the window? Trust me, this is addictive, I promise once you’ve done one room you’ll be itching to start the next!

Just remember, small manageable chunks, spread out your spoons. Keep reminding yourself you are simplifying, making things easier for YOU! 

So how am I doing? Good so far, slowly but surely, I even raised enough from selling last year to buy a new (second hand) sofa! I have just three spaces left to tackle. First is my bedroom, it’s almost finished, just the wardrobes to do now, which I keep putting off. I never said I was perfect! Next is my cloakroom cupboard. I know I have coats, shoes, boots etc I’ve not worn in over a year and they need to go. Last will be my ‘office’ cupboard in the hall which will be the easiest by far. Some of this simplication will definitely bring me a little money. Now I just need to dig up the energy!

Friendship & Chronic Life 

Posted on by SingleRheum

Previously published through Creaky Joints 

I was mentally restored by spending a few hours with two close friends last night. I’d had a stressful few days health wise which was exacerbated by an “unhelpful” medical appointment, leaving me spinning. I was off kilter, out of sorts, upset, angry, anxious, emotional and irrational. Yes, all in a couple of days! 

By the time I came home from a glass of wine, a lovely meal and most importantly the company of S&S I was feeling calm, centred, strong, rational and buzzing with ideas to resolve my problem. I feel this is the most beautiful thing good friends provide, they love you and fill you with energy. 

To me friendships are the most important and honest relationships we ever have. Family is wonderful when it works, but we all know that you can’t choose your relations! For want of a better word ‘mates’ or companions are fabulous and great for an afternoon of chat but not necessarily for baring your soul. Marriage has its own complications!

Yet making friends is quite a random process really, we meet someone, perhaps initially think they are interesting or kind or share a common ground, and from that somehow evolve into this incredibly trusting symbiosis. 

We aren’t consciously aware of doing so, but we must make a lot of tiny judgements about people who become our friends in the early days of knowing them. The dictionary defines a friend as ‘a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection’ but I feel the word symbiosis comes closer – ‘a mutually beneficial relationship between different people’.

Initially that sounds a little formal, but add in the ‘mutual affection’ of friends and you have a beautiful symbiotic relationship. Yes, it’s about give and take, but of the intangible kind. You don’t look at a stranger and think they’ll be supportive at 3am when the dog is sick, or decide they’d be a great hospital visitor. You can’t tell at first that this person will be the one to make you laugh until you cry when you miss the train or forgot your in laws are coming for dinner. 

Keeping friendships going when you have a chronic condition can be tough, and making new friends can be harder, especially for those of us with a chronic illness but in my book it’s well worth the investment of spoons.
I’m blessed and I know it. I have a few close girlfriends who I adore. I’ve collected them over the years from various places, and they all have one thing in common. 

They didn’t run. They didn’t decide I was too sick or too needy or too boring or unreliable once I became ill. They don’t complain when I cancel last minute, they just reschedule. They post chocolates through my door at random times. They answer messages at night when I haven’t got the energy to chat but need to sense check my thinking about how ill I’m feeling or if I’m a little low. They’ve even cancelled work to sit with me on bad days.  They arrange a lunch with me for their birthday because they know I won’t make it out at night for drinks. 

They are also incredibly honest, and will happily tell me I’m being a muppet if needed! But most of all they lift me. They help me be the best version of who I can be. Their faith in me reflects my faith in them. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without these beautiful strong, intelligent women in my life, and I’m blessed that I don’t need to find out. 

I sadly all to often see people, chronically ill people, those with RA and Fibromyalgia and ME and MS saying just how lonely and  isolated they’ve become, particularly for those who’ve had to give up working. They’ve almost lost contact with the outside world, friends have drifted away following repeat cancellations, people stop asking them out because they can’t guarantee being there. 

Or they’ve fallen out with friends over well meaning but ill-thought advice. It’s difficult to remember people are only being kind, especially when you’re in a lot of pain and then you don’t feel friends understand so sadly all too often it creates a space between them that neither knows how to fill. 

So what have I done differently? I’m not sure I have a magic solution. I’ve perhaps just been lucky enough to make friends with some amazing ladies. I’ve always been open and honest with them, especially about my illness and how I feel. I think in some ways my blog has helped, they can read what I’m going through without it needing to be the topic of every conversation. 

I also think it’s important to remember that friendship, just like any other relationship takes work. I realised in January I hadn’t seen two friends in far too long, so I messaged them both and said OK, lunch when? Saw one last week, will see the other next week. Make that call, keep in touch. 

I don’t mean it should feel unnatural or be an effort, but that it’s important we put in as much love and energy as we get out. It would be horrid to think after recharging me last night that my friends went home drained, but it’s a reciprocal process, we chat, we laugh, we vent, we eat and we somehow make sure we each share what we need. It’s exactly the same with my other friends. You have to really be there and you have to actively listen (call it mindful friendship time!) to nsure they know they are special and they are loved. 

The payback is priceless, you feel special and loved too 💙

Medical Roller-coaster!

Posted on by SingleRheum

Where to start….! 

It’s been a bit of a medical and emotional  roller coaster the last few weeks, with lots of different issues and when your medical needs aren’t simple something most people take for granted like <GP = Answers = Meds> becomes a dim and distant nostalgia. 

To be honest this is probably more of an update post than anything, but it hopefully explains why I’ve been a bit quiet with regards to blogging and my Facebook page, my focus out of necessity had to turn inward. And of course the stress has affected my RA and Fibromyalgia, as well as the ME/CFS so there’s been a lot of Fatigue which just shuts me down. 

Now the worry has lessened I’m feeling a little more alert, which is always welcome. So hopefully this will be fairly lucid. Essentially three key things have been going on, a rheumatologist appointment has led to some initially surprising decisions, there have been serious concerns about my lungs and I’ve had a plethora of ongoing joint problems that I’m just kinda fed up with. 

You may recall I started Humira, my fifth RA med and my first biologic back in September. Unfortunately it did absolutely nothing for me, and in fact my DAS score increased between November and February. My rheumy has decided to stop treating my RA for six months, so a review is planned at that point though obviously if anything horrid occurs in the meantime we can reassess. My initial response was “What?!!” but having discussed this in depth with my locum GP I’m now feeling much easier about her approach. Of course I have RA, there’s no question about that, I’m RF+ and AntiCCP+ and inflammation has shown up along with raised CRP and ESR levels. However recently although I definitely still have RA pain, particularly in my hands and feet my bloods are low and there’s very little sign of synovitis (swelling). 

So my rheumy wants to try a different approach, rather than just adding another biologic which are very strong meds she wants to focus on treating my Fibromyalgia to see if that helps narrow down what’s actually causing the majority of my pain. Whilst I am concerned about being off RA meds for this period I understand her rationale, and my GP and I will be paying close attention to my symptoms during this period. So I’ve started a Fibromyalgia med, Lyrica (Pregablin) which will take a few weeks to kick in, and we’re back to to the very familiar wait and see. 

My lungs have turned into an “interesting mystery” (quoting the doc), I’ll try and keep a very long story as short as possible, beginning of October I started a dry cough. When this hadn’t gone by December my GP blasted me with antibiotics just in case and gave me a steroid inhaler. This stopped the cough, but when I tried to stop using it twice daily in January the cough was immediately back. A lung xray taken in December showed some chronic scarring, which hadn’t been there last September. This caused me to thinking I had some very serious problems, especially as since Christmas I have been steadily getting more breathless. 

An attempt at a Spirometry Test was a bit of a failure as I couldn’t breathe well enough to register results. My Locum GP has been absolutely amazing, I had about 45 minutes with her on Thursday last week, then over an hour on Friday! She, my rheumy and my GP who is working from home (back operation) have all checked the xrays and they don’t feel there is any cause for concern which is a huge relief. However my breathlessness is ridiculous, getting up and making a cup of coffee leaves me struggling. So we’ve upped the steroid inhaler dose, and I have a ventolin inhaler to use if needed. 

Next week I have oxygen sats test booked as they looked borderline low last week, and the week after I have a repeat spirometry and an ECG – we are basically working to rule things in or out by process of elimination. It’s a slow process but I’m feeling totally reassured, heard, and supported which as anyone who deals with chronic illness knows makes a massive difference to our sense of well-being. 

So that’s where I am to date, less worried than I was and still putting one foot in front of the other, albeit very slowly! The joint issues may or may not be RA, my left shoulder is probably OA as no inflammation shows under ultrasound, my left hip likely bursitis, my knees which have been dreadful seem to be tendon problems, my feet are waiting a podiatrist appointment, I’ve had one through for orthotics. I’m getting a new referral to physio, and I’m chasing an appointment with my pain clinic consultant regarding next steps for my back. Oh and we’re booking an xray of my cervical spine as I’m in pain and losing movement. 

And what do I say if people ask? Yeah, I’m fine thanks! If I started listing this lot they’d be asleep. What have I learnt in the past few weeks? A couple of important things:

  • One is not to panic until someone really qualified tells you to
  • Two is not to assume every ache and pain that arises is RA – it’s actually important to discuss any new symptoms with your GP
  • Three is to remember that we are at higher risk of heart and lung disease as RA patients and it’s really important we look after ourselves as best we can

I’ve completely changed my diet the past few weeks, incorporating much healthier foods and ditching nearly all processed sugar, and both my Diverticulitis and my scales have appreciated the change 🙂 

Namaste my lovelies, stay as well as you can 🕉️ 💙

The Unspoken Death 

Posted on by SingleRheum

Heads up, this post covers suicide and may cause some distress. There are contact details for support agencies at the bottom of this page. Latest figures I could find suggest more than one in ten suicides are related to chronic illness, so this is something we really need to talk more openly about.

Suicide has sadly touched me closely as I lost my beautiful sister Mary to it nearly ten years ago. I miss her every day. But for the first time on my blog the words below are not mine.

An online RA friend posted these words in our private support group this evening, and they are powerful and moving. I have her permission to share, and she has my promise to remain anonymous.

“Today I had to do something that I never dreamed I would. I had to go to a friend’s wake. My friend had other health issues which she was dealing really well with but was diagnosed with RA a couple years ago.

Her RA was progressively getting worse, I had talked to recently and I thought I had convinced her to join our group for support. However she tragically took her own life this week.

She left a note and the main gist was that RA had turned her into a person that she didn’t like anymore. She felt like she was more of a hindrance. She did not want to go into a wheelchair. She did not want to put any pressure on anyone in her family because she felt RA was her problem to deal with. She was ashamed of the condition that her body was in. She was ashamed of the fact that she was always so tired and that she had to cancel family things because she just did not have the energy.

Attending her wake hit me hard. I think of all of us that have RA know about all of the different feelings and emotions that we go through. Everything she mentioned in that letter I have felt at some time. The reason why I brought this to our group is to show that RA is not only a physical disorder, it also affects us mentally.

RA turns your life upside-down, inside-out, and sideways. But for me this is no reason to take your life over this disease. To me that means the disease won.

I’m putting this out to the group so when you get depressed or you’re having a bad day or even having these thoughts please please reach out. Tell someone that you need help because you are in a bad spot emotionally. There will be many people that will help. I was always told when you have a problem and you share it with another person your problem is cut in half.

This is a subject that we all need to talk about. The suicide rate among chronically ill people like us is very high. Let’s not allow that statistic to continue. I can tell you from seeing it right up in my face and also seeing the grief of her children and her husband the damage done by my friend taking her life is worse than having Rheumatoid Disease.

So this has opened my eyes and I’m encouraging us all to reach out and asking people who say they are having a bad day what’s going on, and how you can help. I have been part of this group I think 3 or 4 years now. I have developed friendships with a bunch of you and I truly do care. You guys have become my family.

For those of you that are new or that sit in the background and read the posts, please introduce yourself, talk to us, let us get to know you.

Most importantly if you are having thoughts of committing self-harm or suicide please put it out there. There is always someone always online. I do not want to lose another friend because he or she thought they were all alone and the only way out was to commit suicide.”

Contact details for confidential support:

UK – The Samaritans

US – National Suicide Prevention Line

Canada – The Lifeline provides a list of contact details for individual states, a national helpline is planned for later this year

Australia – Lifeline Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention

RA – My Story… 

Posted on by SingleRheum

​Talk Health, the patient voice online asked for responses to a questionnaire recently, which I duly sent in. As today is Rheumatoid Awareness Day I figured it was a good time to share my story here too.  

1. Personal details – I’m keeping those ☺️
2. Tell us about you and your condition? I’m 47, happily single and two years ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Disease. Three months later I had to sign off sick from work due to daily pain and fatigue, and although I’d love to return to employment at present I consider myself medically retired. Shortly after diagnosis I started sharing my story through my blog, Singlerheum,  and have been delighted to have had over 9000 views. The online spoonie community is an amazing support network that I’m proud to be a part of. I’ve since been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, DDD and Sjorgens, all  of which are commonly linked with RD. 

3. What treatment or therapy do you use? I’m on biologic medication for my RD, plus a number of other medications daily including anti depressants, pain relief, and meds for hypertension, Factor V Leiden and IBS.

Alongside these I have found more holistic practices helpful including conscious breathing, meditation and chanting as well as an electric under blanket, heating pads,  voltarol gel and compression gloves. 

4. What impact has it made on your life?  This could be a book! In more or less the right chronological order I’ve had to face up to daily

  • constant pain
  • fatigue that knocks you off your feet
  • losing my job
  • losing my house 
  • being officially homeless for three months
  • having major anxiety attacks
  • worsening of my depression. 

Becoming physically disabled, needing crutches to walk and a mobility scooter,  a raised toilet seat, a shower chair, a bed  rail,  a raised sofa and grab rails outside my front door.  

Not being able to wash or dress myself some days, sleeping binges of up to 18 hours and conversely insomnia. Loss of an evening social life, it’s normally pyjamas by 6pm. Loss of a friend who felt I was ‘sick & needy’.  Missing friends weddings and cancelling my own birthday due to fatigue and RD flares. 

5. Is adherence (sticking to your treatment regime) a challenge? Not at all, it’s a pain, but a manageable one most days. Alarm for morning tablets,  eye drops and mouth spray. Fybogel powder drink an hour later.  Alarm for evening tablets,  night eye gel, Lax powder drink.  Alarm every two weeks for biologic injection.  

Then self managing pain meds as needed,  using Paracetamol, Tramadol, and Hydrocodone for breakthrough pain. It would be a real struggle to  manage around working or a family, but living alone means my life can be very simple, it’s become a necessity. 

6. What side effects (if any) do you have to manage? Headaches, dry skin, dry eyes and mouth,  bowel pain and issues, GERD. 

7. Are you getting enough information about the meds that you take? Yes, but mainly because I self educate. 

8. Are you looking for an improved treatment? I’m looking for a cure!  But in the meantime an effective treatment would be great, I’m on my fifth RD med with no experienced improvement so far. 

9. Do you think that the pharma industry listens to you? Honestly? I don’t think they care. I’d love to be proved wrong. Simple lack of thought given to containers and packaging alone causes millions of patients hardship just to open their meds. Certainly as both an active patient and Advocate with RD I’ve never been asked a question by the pharma industry. 

However I have recently signed up for a new med packaging trial this year, so we’ll see! 

10. How would you like to see communication with drug manufacturers improved? I don’t think there is any. Certainly here in the UK you are prescribed a med and you take it. You have no say in brand, manufacturer, packaging etc. 

I would love to see more patient friendly packaging and plain English information  leaflets. I’d love to see customer service advice lines on packaging. I’d love to see drug manufacturers with patient friendly Facebook pages to encourage open and unsolicited communication. 

11. Do you remain hopeful? Yes. Despite worsening mobility and physical health, and thanks in no small part to a fabulous GP and some great private therapy I’m working on gratitude for the good in my life and achieving peace. Acceptance of my multiple diagnosis’ has certainly gone a long way towards that. So yes, I am in pain daily, fatigued daily, limited  to what I can do by how I feel daily, but I have the support and love of friends and family as well as the online RD community and that keeps me moving forwards each day!  

Postural Hypotension

Posted on by SingleRheum

Well there’s rarely a dull day here at the moment, after lunch Tuesday with my lovely Dad I had nothing else on all week which is so welcome, my spoons were vanishing, need sleep!  Tuesday I also saw a locum GP, who was great, she listened, checked me over and we think we have a diagnosis – yes another one! 

I’d had odd very wobbly moments before, but last week they started happening every evening, sometimes twice, and I was getting quite worried. Felt like the inside of my head was spinning, usually lasting about two minutes or so. My biggest concern immediately was please don’t stop me driving, I’d be so stuck 😕

I, fortunately in a way, had one episode  Saturday evening while out with my friends, and they all said I immediately went white, not something I’d notice at home on my own. 

The doc is pretty sure it’s Postural Hypotension. Which basically means when I go from lying or sitting to standing my BP doesn’t catch up quickly enough, hence the dizziness. 

She’s asked me to take BP readings for a week am and pm, because my BP looked high in the surgery. This is a little worrying as I’m already on BP meds for Hypertension, ie high blood pressure and it looks like they may have stopped working? At least I’m being looked after. 

In the meantime I just need to take my time when getting up. Talk about feeling 90! 

Get Well Soon Doc! 

Posted on by SingleRheum

I know I’ve mentioned in blogs before that I’m extremely fortunate to have a wonderful GP, she knows me well, is incredibly supportive and I’d be lost without her. 

I had a phone call yesterday afternoon to let me know she’s gone off on long term sick with a back problem. Anyone who is chronically ill will know the immediate panic and anxiety this caused. 

Most people probably see their GP a couple of times a year if that. I probably see mine every six to eight weeks, with intervening phone calls and occasional texts if something new crops up. My medical history for the last few years is stupidly long and complex, and this is where the problems start with seeing another GP, however wonderful they are. She knows my story. 

I have RA, Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Disc Disease, IBS, hypertension, post Phlebetic Syndrome, Sjorgens Syndrome, ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression & Anxiety, intermittent insomnia, a Hiatus Hernia, Gastro Esophageal Reflux and am currently being treated with a steroid inhaler for a chronic cough, as well as ongoing painful bowel issues. 

My GP knows (despite all the above) that I’m not a hypochondriac and I never bother her unnecessarily. I am educated about my health and my meds, and usually know if something is wrong what it’s likely to be related to. When I go in to see her I always have a little list on my phone, we zip through it and she’s happy if I go over the set appointment time. 

The GP I’m waiting for a call back from today (possible onset of vertigo?) knows none of this. Without looking at a list they know nothing of the 18 repeat prescriptions I currently have either. 

The thought of trying to get them to focus on my immediate concern and ignore the other stuff is a  bit mind boggling, but I know this weird dizziness is not related. Then I have a ‘catch up’ appointment booked on the 18th which will be with a GP I’ve thankfully met before who seems nice. I’m just hoping she doesn’t think I’m nuts when I get my little list out – bowel pain ongoing –  meds made things worse, drops for sjorgens are helping –  can I have more please, yes I take tramadol daily, I need more of that too. Chest xray results please, if I miss a dose of my steroid inhaler this cough starts up again. Oh and by the way I need to update you from my appointment with the fatigue clinic, and my hands and back have been exceptionally painful for the past couple of months. 

Not quite so simple as simply popping in once a year when you get a virus. 

So for a multitude of reasons I’m sending healing blessings to my GP, and I very sincerely hope she’s better soon!