I am 50 years survivor with Severe Seropositive Rheumatoid Arthritis, 17 at diagnosis and I'm now 67. I have been on Methotrexate since it first came to the United States in the early 1980s. I am a woman of Faith. I spend time every day outside in nature and 3 months a year employed at a children's overnight conservation camp. I have a bachelor's of education degree. I am a writer. I am a macrame artist. I still walk, swim, work,   as and live  independently.I have had several hands and feet reconstruction surgeries. I will have left hand surgery again this 2025 year. I am very proactive with my health, eating healthy, abstaining from alcohol, smoking and any unhealthy lifestyle choices. I tell my children I hope to live to be 100. Thank you for reading my story.I hope/wish that I can be a positive impact ( not sure how to connect ?) for other RA patients.🌹♥️

Fatigue is another thing that is inconvenient to deal with.  Im on Methatraxate, still working fulltime and have a good social life, but no one knows what is going on behind the scenes.  Waking up in pain every morning, flare ups every few weeks, joints feeling like they are on fire most of the time.  Im determined to live a full life, but boy, I get so tired most days!  Its always comforting to know that you are not alone.

No one talks about the sleepiness

Rheumatoid arthritis is the disease that nobody understands and patients don’t have enough support to get through this terrible disease. I got diagnosed with RA at the age of 39 and when it started with headaches, dry eyes and dry mouth ( sjogren’s disease) then 7 years later I started feeling pain on the rest of my joints, especially the shoulders. RA is an unpredictable disease but also very stressful to be sick and taking meds everyday. Stress plays an important role in RA for me cause I notice at times when I’m under a lot of stress my flare up  starts and I get really sick.

My stiffness is no longer just the morning. It’s 24/7 now it gets better during the day but it’s always there.

I have had RA for 45 yrs, diagnosed at age 7. I am glad to hear someone that understands it & what we endure with it. I sure pray daily to have a good day best I can, it’s so hard especially in the winter. Thanks again for all you do.

Diagnosed at age 38. I also have lupus. Autoimmune diseases are hard to deal with

I love getting funeral plan ads when looking at medical research videos lol!

I presented at 28 years old with shoulder, elbow, hip inflammation.  Doctor outright refused to consider RA despite family history (my mom in a wheelchair with it and was his patient).  He blamed it on having two toddlers and told me to take Tylenol and that I must have strained my thumb joint (also implied this was all in my head) when it swelled up and turned red. Finally changed doctors.  New doctor immediately asked about family history of RA and ran an arthritis panel.  RA Factor positive.  Bingo.  So much relief.  Biologics have kept me walking but I have had lung and heart involvement….Rheumatologist insisted the lung involvement was MAC which meant going off Humira……it wasn’t - it was classic RA Lung….had to change doctors, again to get appropriate treatment.

I helped mine with giving up processed foods and going low-carb. If you eat crap, you’ll hurt.

We need more than intelligenal talk. RA patients need medication that is not rat poison causing cancer, heart problems,  swelling, loss of hair, feet and legs, in other words suffering and a death trap. Holding back the one thing that keep humans alive, the immune system is not the answer which can bring on deadly infections. The medication side effects is like living a horror movie, more pain and suffering!

Love Kevin mange really is so educational. I have a lot of this now. I face my condition head on. I study it and he's so spot on. It's so great this video exists to bring awareness

Ahhhhh he just made me realize/explained why my iron is always low  and the newer constant dry eye 😑🤦‍♀️

Thank you for your share. You have shed some lite on this horrible disease

Yes theres so much my body has to go through...its like the worst cold in the early stage...for a long time. 😢

67 yr. old female here first diagnosed with RA about 30 years ago.  With the rheumatoid arthritis I am experiencing, yes, it is in my fingers, wrists, elbows and lateral knees, but the most painful part is the RA in my back!  I also have scoliosis in my spine along with herniated discs and some stenosis involved.  Throw the RA in with all of that and I'm in constant pain.  I live with it.  The only time I get a break is when I'm totally knocked out sleeping.  As soon as my eyes open, it's right back with the pain.  I LOVE to sleep!!

It’s a Shame that we have to go through so much/ Pain while being mocked & laughed @ by most / past physicians who looked down on us due to their lack of knowledge,with all their Degrees ,,,while the good / best doctors 🥼 are the ones to clean up their mess,,concerning what they could of done instead of not being concerned about the patients health & only their pockets.& Now with this COVID  is their excuse to not work,, keeping most offices closed,,as an excuse to not do their job,in which they wasn’t doing anything anyway,,JUST  SAD 😞 😷

My morning stiffness when I wake up usually lasts about 1-1.5 hours.

Brain Fog,  Fibromyalgia and Depression are óther consequences to deal for the rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Thank you but it’s so much more. The pain, lack of motion, daily pain, quality of life is tough. Our health system has dropped the ball on anti-immune disease . I hope one day it research, etc catches up.