Having Rheumatoid Arthritis, what does it mean to others, we know what it means to us. The truth about all that this disease can cause is something many will never understand and will never be able to completely grasp. We are vulnerable to it more ways than we as sufferers can count.
Rheumatoid Arthritis puts us in a category that many really do not understand. What I mean by that, because RA is an auto immune disease and we take medication for it, this puts us in a place of vulnerability when it comes to staying as healthy as we can. This is separate from dealing with our day-to-day struggles that we endure. Things that may come along and attack our bodies without warning is something that we think about and a burden that we all have to bear. What do we do when something slips in on us?
I know for sure people wouldn’t want to get a cold but if they did, the process can be rather bothersome but most likely it’s over in a not such a long period of time. For those of us with Rheumatoid Arthritis, this process can turn out to be much worse than a simple cold and trying to get rid of it in a short time is not easy at all and our bodies can literally breakdown and turn on itself. I know many may say this is an exaggeration but I’m here to say, it is not. What our bodies have to fight for us can’t stand up to the task causing something simple to become serious. This is what life is like with this disease, a constant fight with it and a constant fight to stay as healthy as we possibly can.
I must say I was never one to be over protective when it came to something like a cold or any of the other simple illnesses but I have learned the hard way by taking for granted I wouldn’t get sick or thinking I was being too cautious. I did get sick from my grandson’s simple cold which turned into something that literally put my life at risk. It took me weeks to get better and I had to go back to the doctor all because of “something simple”. Then in just a few weeks another cold so I’m learning there is nothing wrong with being cautious, it’s my life with RA but I still don’t want to fall prey to being totally captive by this disease. These are things that many do not know or understand when it comes to the life of a person living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Nothing for us is something simple.
I will never take for granted something as simple as the common cold or any other thing that we may be vulnerable to nor will I be a person paranoid, yet I will be much more aware. Maybe saying I took it for granted is too strong but I didn’t really go out of my way to hide from the simple things or be too overly cautious because I want to live my life as normal as possible still I did learn a lesson the hard way. We are at risk and we should be careful but to what extent without giving in to this disease since it’s already taking so much from us. Many may think we are overreacting but we must take care of ourselves and do what is necessary to protect ourselves because getting sick is what we as sufferers will have to deal with even sometimes alone. I will say with certainty that we are our own Protectors so it is up to us to protect.
Life is our teacher and I have learned so much having this disease and I want others to know, those of us with Rheumatoid Arthritis are strong but RA is stronger and its job is to make our systems weaker. We do not pretend to be anything we aren’t and say anything that isn’t true. Our illness is real, filled with pain, fatigue and complications with medications that are supposed to be our fix. Through all of these we are fighting just to maintain a life with some normalcy so protecting ourselves is not a cry for anything but what it is “safety”. Rheumatoid Arthritis brings and gives to us each and every day making each and every day a fight to sustain. Keeping ourselves safe is an added pressure which is also true and real. Protecting ourselves is protecting those we love and we ask your understanding.
STAY WELL!!
Be Blessed
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RA AND THE FAMILY FIT 
February 28, 2017 at 8:59 pm
I love this post! I think about this all the time. A simple cold to everyone else, means the possibility of death for us. I have had 3 ‘colds’ in the last few months, 2 turned into strep throat and thrush, and 1 turned into a sinus infection. I know, not deathly, but still much worse than a cold. The part that hits me the hardest is how the other illness causes a terrible flare in my RA. So even a slight feeling of getting a cold, sends me into a state of panic. I avoid germs like the plague, lol! I hear you, this is an important post and I thank you for writing it. ❤
February 28, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Thank you for reading my blog. Up until last year it wasn’t so bad for me but that has changed. I went to the doctor because my head was exploding so I ended up with a migraine and sinus headache all in one but I found out my immediate problem was my heart. I was in so much pain my heart rate was off the chart and that ended up being what they had to get under control before I was allowed to go home. All started because of a cold. Blessings.
March 1, 2017 at 4:16 am
Wow! That sounds so scary! At least a high heart rate lets the doctors know that you are definitely hurting! It’s hard when doctors (or anyone else for that matter) doesn’t understand how bad the pain can be when they can’t ‘see’ it. Here’s to avoiding germs!! Hand sanitizer is my constant companion. Blessings to you too ❤