u/Off-brand_username

Today is the 39th anniversary of the F4 tornado that tore through Edmonton on July 31, 1987.

If you're old enough to remember that day, spare a moment to reflect on how quickly life can change, and another to remember those who lost their lives, even if you didn't know them. It seems especially pertinent this year, given all the extreme weather that's already occurred.

Edit: Thanks for the corrections. I'm so old I forgot how old I am. Updated post body but can't change the title.

What is the process like for those who entered therapy specifically for your chronic illness? How has your experience been? If you are a ways out, were the benefits lasting, or have you continued to suffer despite your efforts? Did you use a workplace or insurance-provided service, and if so, are you confident in the confidentiality?

I struggle to manage my anger around everything now. Don't know if this is just a grief stage I will outgrow. I keep thinking I'm through it, but keep finding more anger unexpectedly. I don't know where I am in this process, if that's even what it is.

I've started working through some Acceptance Commitment Therapy stuff on my own, but the therapist started talking about how she didn't want to manage her illness with toxins, so I noped out quickly. I am pro-science.

I am unsure how realistic it all is given that everything in my life is suddenly relying on somebody else. I can work on me, but the rest of my situation is mostly out of my own hands for the foreseeable day-to-day. I figured some here can relate, so I wonder how you're managing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I'm failing with the search tool, so if anyone can link me to a previous post, I'd be appreciative. It's one with the jaunty skeleton symptom tracker someone made. I want to start tracking on paper for a few months to see if I like it better than a spreadsheet to show at appointments. I thought it was posted here but maybe it was another sub.

I have been flaring since Sunday and today is really bad. It's pouring rain now and I woke up in the middle of the night in pain and with my face throbbing before I knew it would storm today. I keep thinking I'm almost totally better if we have a few weeks of calm weather, only to get a sudden smackdown at the next sudden change. Thinking I can go back to work, only to have spells where I can barely move.

I was mostly fine for my last rheum appointment of course, and he dropped my visits to every 4 months. I told him my main patterns I noticed in hands, feet, and back and he said it was OA and maybe something like Raynaud's. My x-rays show neither RA nor OA in hands or feet but some in my back. I don't present like the photos online of Raynaud's but I'm not against it. I just don't understand. There's been no ultrasound or mri of those areas either. I wish he would explain his reasoning even a little because it's like he pulls his decisions out of the air as ro it being one thing or another. I have my own theories, but I'm not the Dr and I only get 15 minutes of his time, in which he so kindly told me he usually treats people much sicker than me. At least my face was much more swollen this time so he couldn't deny there was something going on there again.

It's wild to end up hoping to be visibly sicker just to be taken seriously despite bloodwork already saying I am. Anyway, thanks for coming to my Thursday pity party. May we all have better days! 🥳 🎉 💀 🦴

ETA: not sure why downvoted. Hope that person has a better day, too.

How common are muscle spasms and twitching in folks with RA?

In my case, if it's a muscle, it seems to glitch out from time to time. Especially lower body, but I've experienced nearly everything at this point. Every muscle in my legs, hips, back, gut, hands and arms at some point thought it was time to party. It's getting to the point that I'm curious if it's a symptom of something else. Duration is usually short, intensity varies, usually not painful, thankfully. Frequency daily, repeated locations common but not necessarily daily.

I know I've seen this mentioned a few times as a symptom, but who else here has a body that frequently wants to dance without music? At this point I'm trying to gauge how common this is and whether I should address with the rheum, or GP for a neurology referral. I'm not really suspecting MS, and I really don't want to start monitoring yet another symptom if I can get away with it!