| One of the oldest and largest medical foundations in | | | | All the medical personnel and the drug company |
| Santa Barbara County in California recently got their | | | | listened to what a difference the regimen had made in |
| top two rheumatologists, their staff, representatives for | | | | my life. They were aghast that the original physical |
| the maker of one of the latest injectable drugs and a | | | | medicine doctor who treated me didn't diagnose me |
| patient on that said drug all together to discuss | | | | correctly for six years and amazed that it was a trip |
| rheumatoid arthritis. | | | | to my orthodontist that put me on the road back to |
| The topic was: Inflammatory Arthritis-Diagnosis and | | | | primarily good health. |
| Early Therapeutic Intervention. The main speaker for | | | | The physical medicine doctor decided since my hands |
| the Samsum Clinic was Dr. Stuart Segal. Pointing out | | | | weren't totally gnarled and deformed and my blood |
| that the sooner the patient receives treatment, the less | | | | tests came back negative for RA, that I had |
| joint damage and deformity will take place, which in | | | | fibromyalgia. He looked no further and shot me full of |
| turn makes the possibility of living a productive and less | | | | cortisone and anti-inflammatory drugs. Then the |
| painful life more the norm than in years past. | | | | erosion hit my jaw, I couldn't open my mouth more |
| Dr. Daniel Gibson, also from Samsum Clinic, made it | | | | than the width of one finger. My main diet of raw |
| clear, that with the medications on the market today, | | | | vegetables and fruit changed to soup and applesauce. |
| he can go into a room and say with confidence to a | | | | I could no longer walk from the pain in my feet. |
| new patient, that they do not have the outlook of being | | | | The orthodontist convinced me, with the aide of an |
| wheelchair bound, gnarled and in growing pain for the | | | | x-ray, to insist on seeing a rheumatologist. |
| rest of their lives. | | | | Thanks to this doctor and his staff working closely |
| Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis usually involves | | | | with my recovery in mind, I was able to WALK into the |
| combination therapy. The last decade has seen major | | | | meeting and STAND UP to talk about what a |
| improvements. There are now tumor necrosis factor | | | | difference being on the TNF had on my existence. In |
| blocker drugs (TNF) available that minimize joint | | | | the four years since starting the injections (which my |
| erosion. The most common are: Enbrel, Humira and | | | | husband gives me), I am now back to being able to |
| Remicade. The first two are self-injected, the last must | | | | power walk, do strengthening exercises, take care of |
| be given in a hospital through IV. | | | | my husband and our home. I've resumed my writing |
| Dr. Segal said the main idea behind the early | | | | career. |
| intervention was to, at best, hopefully start treatment | | | | With some help from physical therapists, I've regained |
| before any joint erosion could take place. If not | | | | most of the use of my jaw. Working crossword |
| sidestep deformity, to at least catch it and prevent | | | | puzzles no longer requires "rest stops" for my |
| further permanent damage by slowing it down, if not | | | | cramping hands and I am able to zip and snap |
| stopping it from progressing any further. | | | | jeans-no more pull on pants for me! |
| The patient who joined the medical seminar to give her | | | | In this "meeting of the minds" we all agreed-early |
| point of view and let them know what a difference | | | | diagnosis and treatment can make the difference as |
| using one of the TNF drugs in combination with the | | | | to whether or not a patient will be able to live a |
| more traditional ones happened to be me. | | | | productive life. |