Social media brining rheumatoid suffer's together

When i was diagnosed just under four years ago, i felt very a lone and that no one understood what it was like to be me. Now 4 years later my friends and family have become more supportive but they will never fully understand. I needed to speak to people who really understood what it felt like to live with this condition. The modern world lead me to Facebook and Twitter which subsequently lead me to meeting some amazing friends who really do understand and the great thing is they are from across the world and although our medication and treatment is different the symptoms and pain is the same and we get comfort from each other. The great thing is with insomnia one of the many things we go through there is always some one on line to talk to about your concerns or pain. We celebrate achievements together and are there for each other when things are bad. Social media also helps to get out messages out about what rheumatoid actually is i think it's fantastic and one good thing to come out of social media. V xx

Driving

Good evening all, Today i drove my car for the first time since the end of last year due to flares. I have to be honest it felt amazing to be back behind the wheel again, my brother was in the car stressing out as i was driving lol! It was a little weird to be behind the wheel again my hands did hurt a little bit but i think thats because i havn't done so for a while. Now its been a few hours since i drove and i have not gone into a major flare up so i feel really happy and relieved. hugs xx

hand flare

Well today is a short blog, im in another flare up mainly in my hands and feet. I'm sleeping a lot in a lot of pain but things will get better i'm sure. Looking forward to getting stuff for my home saturday with my cousin its all coming together slowly :)anyway wanted to show you my hand during a flare ..

As you can see my knuckles are very swollen and painful. blog soon xx

Feeling trapped

So ive been thinking about stuff these days few days due to talking to several people with in my team and it just cries out how trapped i feel. Pre-rheumatoid i was different i could go to football matches, i could go shopping, i could go on days out on holiday even at the drop of a hat i did what i wanted when i wanted i was maybe you could a sper of the moment kind of girl.

Now my life is so different i just dont know when im next going to have some fun, i try to think positive but deep down i feel so trapped in this small town were transport is shocking i can not even use the train station because u have to go over a bridge! The buses are just irregular and not great for the wheelchair anyway. I can not go/do anything on my own and it winds me up i have needs to do things like any one else, i want to go and cheer on my football team, i want to walk around the shopping centre for hours just because i'm a girl! I want to wake up and think you know what i'll take a trip to the seaside today because its a nice day no i can not do any of that instead i have to sit in these dam four walls and if im not in these four walls im sat in a stupid wheelchair unable to go/see what i want to do being "taken" by some one else .. what life is that? it truely is so fustrating.

xx

hands

So this post is about my hands ..

Before i got rheumatoid i had normal hands over the past 4 years they have deteriated because of the way in which the condition works attacking my joints. Unfortunatly i never thought of taking pictures throught the past 4 years but i have some pictures now which i'd like to show you.

This is a picture of my hands 12 months ago as you can see there is damage and this is my hands not in a flare, they have got progressivly worse. and the second picture stuck in a fist is my right hand.




Sorry for the pictures being out of place, im still getting use to were they go when i upload them on to my blog so please bear with me it will get better

xx

my knee

Ok so this post is simple about my knee and showing you what happens during a flare, as you can clearly see it becomes enlarges and painful. What you can not see is the heat that comes off the joint, you can feel the heat through the clothes you are wearing.

xx

ra joints

One of my friends Tim has posted this on facebook and i asked him if it was possible to post it on my blog.

As you can see the left hand is a normal joint like everyone else's, the second joint is that of a person with osteoarthritis. Finally you reach the right hand picture which is rheumatoid joints as you can see they are swollen and there is bone damage.

I hope that you find this picture interesting x