Author Davee Jones

My Medicated Mid-Life Growing up, nothing scared me more than needles…well, maybe Bigfoot, but, I saw way more needles than I saw Sasquatch. After living with RA, fibromyalgia, and whatever else my autoimmune system decides to attack, pain became a greater fear. Well, maybe not a fear, but, it became dreaded and interfered with living my life. So, after trying a few meds that didn’t work i.e. methotrexate, leflunomide, plaquenil…my rheumy and I discussed biologics. So, I started on Enbrel. Hoping for success to mimic a pro-golfer, I agreed and quickly I received my first prescription. But, I had to inject myself…with a needle…to get the Enbrel. Well, crap… Now, at this point in my life and treatment, needles are a normal, routine part of existence for blood work, and flu shots, the occasional steroid boost to eliminate a nasty flare. I became accustomed to someone else administering the needle. It was my turn, and it freaked me out. Now, I’m not prou...

Ahoy Fellow Fathomers...My life took a turn a few years ago when I became sick and started a quest to find out what was wrong. Several doctors, tests, and what seems gallons of blood later returns the result as Rheumatoid Arthritis, commonly referred to as RA. Swelling between thumb and first finger web RA frequently attacks more than joints in the body. According to rheumatology.org : What is rheumatoid arthritis? Swelling below my ankle bone RA is a chronic (long-term) disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and limited motion and function of many joints. While RA can affect any joint, the small joints in the hands and feet tend to be involved most often. Inflammation sometimes can affect organs as well, for instance, the eyes or lungs. The stiffness seen in active RA is most often worst in the morning. It may last one to two hours (or even the whole day). Stiffness for a long time in the morning is a clue that you may have RA, since few other arth...