Being diagnosed with any incurable disease is shocking, and rheumatoid arthritis is no different. If you have just received your diagnosis then you need to take time to process the situation and work out what happens next.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a well documented illness and it is easy to sink in the vast amount of information out there. Here are three simple tips which I hope will help you to find your starting point.
1. Every patient is different. There are no two people in the world the same. The same it true for patients – there are no two patients who will respond exactly the same way. However tempting it may be you must try not to compare your treatment or progress against others.
2. How to manage your pain. Pain management is an important aspect of any illness. Why do you need to manage pain? Pain can affect all sorts of areas of our lives. Although you may be able to live with a pain it does not mean that you should. Firstly, why should any one live in pain if it is not necessary? Secondly, there are side affects to living with pain – a patient may become irrational or emotional. This can have a devastating affect of areas of your personal life.
3. Dealing with physical change. It is inevitable that your body will go through changes with rheumatoid arthritis, but no one can predict how and when these will happen. Each physical change will need to be reviewed and the consequences understood. Living with rheumatoid arthritis is not about waiting for the next stage – this is the wrong mindset and an important pitfall to avoid.
Quality of life should be your most important consideration. Living with an illness does not mean that you give up living – but you will probably have to make quite a few changes to keep yourself on track.
Taking advice from other people is important, but it is most important to be sure of your actions and believe in what you are doing. If you are unsure of something then it is not likely to be successful.
Remember, there is no better way to stay positive than you make sure that you spend as much time as possible with positive people.