“I heard exercising cures RA. You should just do more of that!”

And I heard if you shove your head far enough up your ass you can see your stomach!…

Okay, so that is a little harsh. But…not really.

 

If you do not live with chronic pain or a physically disabling autoimmune you can’t imagine what it feels like. You can’t google Rheumatoid Arthritis and immediately understand what it means to have it. You don’t know, well, until you know!

 

Long ago I stopped giving people the benefit of the doubt. Many say I’m too severe and expect too little of them. But what I’ve learned is people just want to sound intelligent. They love to sound like they know what they’re talking about. It’s human nature to be superior. Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, once said “Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know”. The above statement is a prime example of this.

I realized that when people talk it is not because they care but so they feel better about themselves. They think that if they look up a few facts on the internet, regurgitate the information I give them, they sound caring. In reality, they just annoy me.

Yes, you’re partially right. Exercise does alleviate symptoms of RA, however, too much of it can have the opposite affect and do more damage than good. Why? Too much motion and repetitive motion exacerbates inflammation around the joints, causes the immune system to react and attack. I probably don’t have to mention that there is no cure for the keyword: chronic autoimmune condition. So, no, I can’t just exercise the RA away but, gee, thanks for trying.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.