Hope In A Bottle

Doctors are very optimistic about the methods of helping people with Rheumatoid Arthritis with the current drugs available. My optimism is slighted when I read what the drugs do and the side effects. I'm also someone who hates drugs and medications- never took drugs as a youth and you could have hardly talked me into taking Tylenol for a raging headache or a sports injury.

When I found out I had RA I went straight to a Naturopathic dr, but after 3 weeks none of the reccomendations have worked- I have lost 10 pounds though so not all is bad. But I'm less optimistic about the choices I'm faced with, which is not a choice anymore. I have to releive my pain and inflamation through some scary meds that suppress my immune system along with a long list of side effects: eye damage (I have to get an eye test every 3 months, liver damage or kidney damamge(another test every 3 months), lower bone marrow and red blood cell formation, susceptible to infections like colds, flu's, staph, TB, etc.

There is hope for me in a bottle and I will be starting 3 different medications, but there is a fourth that is highly reccommended for complete therapy, but I've opted not to take it because it can cause infertility and birht defects even if I went off of it several months before conceiving. I am almost 35 and I don't want to completely give up on a having a little sibling for Haley. There is a 70% chance of my symptoms going away during pregnancy. God I hope so in my case if we decide to have another. Pregnancy lowers a woman's immunity and that's a good thing for people with RA.