My husband and I have faced a number of life-altering diagnoses over the years - diabetes, RA, lung disease - Please can you tell me a little more about your husband and his diagnosis? Is this the first time one of you has been told you have a chronic condition? That is always a frightening thing for everyone- the future suddenly looks very uncertain. How will the condition progress? How will it affect our plans? What will he be able to do?

Let me say that there are many kinds of RA, and every person is affected in a different way. There are literally dozens of ways of treating it, and managing symptoms as they occur.

The best things the two of you can do are to learn what type of RA he has, find the best rheumatologist you can to treat him, and learn everything you can about his diagnosis.

The next step is to make every lifestyle change you can to improve his prognosis - exercise, diet, weight loss if recommended, adequate rest, stress management, and finally medication.

There are 2 sides to medication- not taking more than necessary, and not refusing to take any. What? RA inflammation damages the affected joints or organs, so taking meds to reduce inflammation minimizes damage and keeps you healthy longer. On the other hand, relying solely on medication to reduce pain often leads to overuse of pills, so it is important to incorporate diet, exercise and other strategies to decrease the effects of aches and pains.

It takes time to get used to the idea of a chronic, usually progressive condition, so attitude and mindset are really crucial. On the bright side - this is a challenge to live with, and is seldom fatal.

Note to spouse/caregiver - assist ONLY as needed, don't coddle.

Come on back with any questions either of you has. Also expect some anger or irritability as he gets used to this "new normal" and reassure him that you can manage it together.
Sue

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