A Tale of Education...

Hello my fellow readers! It's Trevor here, with our October tale. By now, most of you are back to school or at least performing with distance learning, which is a new concept, during this time of navigating during a pandemic. For that reason, we ask that you consider this blog post, our back to school addition. BOL It's going to be covering education. 

This all started when Brenda read an article that considered rheumatoid arthritis, a lesser known type. Are you kidding me, was her response. Brenda is quite passionate, when it comes to terminology, because as an advocate, she feels it is her responsibility to get the word out there, if it is not correct in any way, shape or form. That is who Brenda is. Allow her to be your teacher for this post, with my help of course. BOL

First of all regarding rheumatoid arthritis. You have to know first, that there are at least 100 different types. Osteoarthritis is #1 and Rheumatoid Arthritis is #2. I hardly would consider that a lesser known type, being in the top five. Brenda actually knew this early on in her arthritis journey. That actually probably began a lot sooner, before she was diagnosed in 1991 with RA. Brenda was at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN in 1988, where she was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis or OA of her lower spine. She has a bulging disc at L5 S1, that was diagnosed in 1984. Things were definitely cooking up back then, although slowly. She ended up having a nonmalignant ovarian tumor removed, as a result of discovering this issue with a bulging disc. It was actually causing the pain and pushing. It ended up being the size of a jumble grapefruit. It was half solid and half liquid, so imagine carrying that around. 

Her body was never the same after that procedure. She actually developed endometriosis, which has a strong connection to RA, that Brenda would discover years later. She hadn't even been diagnosed with RA. Brenda did however end up having a condition known as costochondritis, which involves the chest wall and it is painful. This was 3 years before her diagnosis of RA, which actually brought her to the Mayo Clinic. 

She ended up having her cartilages removed around that chest wall by a heart surgeon. This was felt to relieve the pressure. She has about a 5 inch scar to prove this happened. For a time, it seemed to help but about a year before diagnosis 1990, things started to cook up once again. Her feet were giving her lots of problems, which was probably the OA as well. Finally this year, it was determined that Brenda also has degenerative joint disease or OA in her feet and ankles, the same type as in her lower spine. It makes sense. It finally took a new rheumatologist to make this discovery. 

Brenda also received some other great news, that her joints are in remission, as a result of taking a biologic. She has seen others post that they are receiving chemotherapy with this class of drug. That is incorrect. Please do not refer to Enbrel (etanercept) as chemotherapy. It is a TNF inhibitor. Tumor Necrosis Factor is a molecule that was discovered by a scientist, allowing for the manufacturing of biologics. Enbrel was one the first biologics that was FDA approved in 1998. Brenda had her first injection in 2001, so she feels a lot like a pioneer in being one of the first ones trying this medication. She is still taking it to this day. That is not typical, but then Brenda is not a text book patient, which as been said by several doctors. 

Brenda realizes that she still lives with RA, it's just that things seem to be quiet right now. She still deals with fatigue and no, she is not pain free. She also deals with OA, which is actually a relief knowing that is what has been causing the terrible pain in her feet and ankles. It's not always having to do with RA. She has noticed that getting dressed and getting going in the morning, has been much easier. 

Brenda still has to be careful, because her medication can cause her immune system to tank. She takes extra precautions, especially now during this pandemic. She wears a mask, when she knows that she can't be within a safe distance of others. She pretty much goes to work and home after. Only has been to her doctor's appointments. No dining out, she has a meal delivered once a week for a treat and to help out local businesses. She has her groceries delivered, which has been great. Most of the delivery persons are even kind enough to carry them up the stairs and drop them off by her door. That is worth it to Brenda. 

We hope you are all staying safe out there. Remember to wash those paws I mean hands. BOL Until next time, this has been a T Man Production with yours truly barking off.