Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 5 Issue 168 October 15, 2003

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Welcome to the 168th issue of the Arthritis Insight Newsletter. All back issues will be posted at community/newsletter
Feel free to pass this newsletter around to others who may be interested.

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The information in this newsletter should not take the place of advice and guidance from your own health-care providers. Material in this newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Be sure to check with your doctor before making any changes in your treatment plan. Information presented here is the opinion of the authors and has not necessarily been approved or endorsed by the medical advisors.

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Notes From Tina
(Tina@arthritisinsight.com)
Tina Underwood aka KrissyJo

I am an avid reader. I read just about anything I can get my hands on. My latest read is Private Practices by Stephen White. While reading it last night, I came across a paragraph said by one the characters about her life with MS. As I read it, I thought this is how I feel about my RA but could never put it into words:

"Indeed, why not me? I'd like to think I'm as well prepared as anybody for living with this illness. Don't pity me, honey. Just know me. This illness is one of the constellations in the sky. It's there. Like the Little Dipper. Sometimes it's obscured, sometimes it's the brightest light in the sky. But it's always there. I don't think about it all the time. When I do look up, it's there. That's all, just there. Part of my sky."

Until next week, may your constellation be obscure!

-Tina

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Ron's Ramblin's
(Ron@arthritisinsight.com)
Ron Griffin aka IndyRon

Well, now I really look as if I have been mauled and beat to a pulp. Not only do I have all the bruising from the oral surgery and bone graft, I managed to fall and take the skin from several areas of my body. For some reason, my hip seemed to just give out and I went sprawling. Of course I had to be on a set of steps which were covered with asphalt. I got both arms and hands along with a small part of the side of my face. I was afraid that I had managed to undo all the implant work that had just been done, but it looks as if I got lucky.

Speaking of the implant work, I have to go back in later this week and have all the stitches taken out. I dont know why, but I dread this worse than I did the original work. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I will be awake and aware of what is going on. Oh well, it will be over soon.

Finally, to cap off the week, I have to go to the DMV and suffer through the lines and hassle of getting my drivers license renewed. Just hasnt been a good couple weeks. Guess that the only thing to do is just to keep smiling.

~Ron

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Your Weekly Giggle
Doctor Visit

A woman went to the doctor's office where she was seen by one of the new doctors, but after about 4 minutes in the examination room, she burst out, screaming as she ran down the hall. An older doctor stopped her and asked what the problem was, and she told him her story. After listening, he had her sit down and relax in another room.

The older doctor marched down the hallway to the back where the first doctor was and demanded, "What's the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?" The new doctor continued to write on his clipboard and without looking up said, "Does she still have the hiccups?"


Check out all the jokes at:
fun/jokes
Send yours in today!

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Tina's Tips
Tina@arthritisinsight.com

Arthritis can affect your ability to do even the simplest of tasks. I've heard some people say, "Accept your limitations." I'm not sure accepting them is the way to go. I prefer to challenge those limitations, work around them, finding alternate ways of achieving the same goal. Every week I'll share some tips I've found to work around those annoying limitations and I hope all of you will send in your tips too. We may not be the next Martha Stewart, but sometimes the simplest things can help so much.

Here are the last three from Penny!


(1) Lots of foods can be prepared ahead and frozen. When you are feeling like cooking, fix food for two or three dinners then freeze them. When you are having a bad flare all you have to do is heat and eat.
(2) They now make massage cushion seats for your car. They simply sit on top of yor seat and plug into the cigarette lighter. When you are going to be in your car for a long time these are really helpful.
(3) If you have alot of hip problems try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees. Sometimes this is the only way I can get comfortable.

Thanks again Penny for sending all those great tips in!

Check out more tips at living/tips.html and send in yours today to Tina@arthritisinsight.com Keep those tips coming!

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Whats New

Rosie's SOS
Rosie's got some scary stuff!
living/family/sos/

Question of the Week
Oh those sleepless nights!
community/question

Exercise
Beverly shares what works for her.
living/exercise

Member Directory
We were overtaken with directory submissions after we fixed that form. We've added the new members and will work on the updates as soon as we can.
community/directory/

Advice for Better Living
Lots of great advice -thanks!! And we need some help with buttons.
living/advice/

Pain Management
Members share: Works for me!
medical/pain/works.html

Newsletter
Take a few minutes and relax with this week's issue.
community/newsletter/

News
All the arthritis and health related news from around the web.
news/

Contributors
Linda, who writes our computer articles has updated her bio. Go see what's new with Linda.
about/contributors.html

Check out all the latest updates at
updates.html

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Arthritis Insight Chat
community/chat

Time to get the party started! Got some extra time? Can't sleep? Drop into the chatroom to talk to other members that know exactly what you're going through.

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Cooking with Char
Char LeFleur
char@arthritisinsight.com

Hello again, friends! Most of us are are on a budget, and good and tastey ways to feed a family are always welcome. And with chicken being a staple around my house, I am always excited when I can find a simple way to make it different. So here are some I came across today, that are both economical and tasty. Let me know what you think.

Chicken with Orange

1 2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken cut up
2 tbs shortening
1/2 tsp paprika
1 med onion, sliced
1/2-6 oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate-thawed (1/3 C)
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs snipped parsley
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Hot cooked rice

In skillet, brown chicken on all sides in hot shortening-sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and paprika. Arrange onions over chicken. Combine juice concentrate, brown sugar, parsley, soy sauce and ginger and 1/2 C water. Pour over chicken and onion. Cover and simmer till chicken is tender (35-40 minutes). Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Spanish Chicken

1/3 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 2 1/2-3 lb chicken, cut up.
1/4 C shortening
2/3 C uncooked long grain rice
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1-16 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 8oz can tomato sauce (1 Cup)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder

Combine flour 1 tsp salt and garlic in a paper or plastic bag. Add chicken a few pieces at a time and shake. In large skillet brown chicken on all sides in hot shortening-remove chicken from pan. In skillet combine remaining ingredients and 3/4 tsp of salt-bring to boiling. Top with browned chicken pieces, reduce heat and simmer until chicken and rice are tender-40-45 minutes-stir occasionally. Makes 4 servings.

Foil Baked Chicken

1/3 C each Catsup and vinegar
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C margarine or butter melted
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tsps each
salt
paprika
chili powder
dry mustard
2-21/2 to 3 lb chickens-cut up

Combine all ingredients except chicken
Add 1/2 C water. Dip chicken in sauce.
Divide chicken in 8 serving portions, place each portion on separate sheet of heavy foil. Pour 1 tbs sauce over each portion. Seal securely. Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 45 minutes. Open packet-brush with the remaining sauce. Bake 15 minutes more. Makes 8 servings.

If you have comments or suggestions, or have recipes you would like to share, please send them to Char@arthritisinsight.com.

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From the CDC:
Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health
Preventing Arthritis Pain and Disability
For complete story with graphics:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/pe_factsheets/pe_arthritis_longdesc.htm#funding

The Reality
Nearly 70 million Americans - about one in every three adults - have arthritis or chronic joint symptoms. As the population ages, this number will probably increase dramatically.
Arthritis is more common among older adults, but it also affects many children and young adults. In fact, 60% of people with arthritis are younger than 65.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among U.S. adults. It limits everyday activities for more than 7 million Americans. By 2020, an estimated 12 million Americans will be limited in daily activities because of arthritis.
Early and aggressive management of inflammatory arthritis can reduce complications and delay costly procedures like joint replacements.
Unfortunately, many people with arthritis do not seek health care, probably because they believe nothing can be done to help their arthritis.
Estimated Arthritis Prevalence, 1990 and Projected to 2020


The Cost of Arthritis
The estimated annual cost of arthritis in this country, including lost productivity, rose from $65 billion in 1992 to $82 billion in 1995, an increase of $17 billion in 3 years. More than $22 billion is for medical care.
Arthritis is responsible for 750,000 hospitalizations and 44 million outpatient visits every year.
As the U.S. population ages, arthritis-related costs are going to soar dramatically.

Most Common Causes of Disability Among Americans Aged 18 Years or Older, 1999:

Arthritis or rheumatism: 17.5%
Spine or back problems: 16.5
Heart trouble/hardening of the arteries: 7.8%
Lung or respiratory problem: 4.7%
Deafness or hearing problem: 4.4%
Limb/extremity stiffness: 4.2%
Mental or emotional problem: 3.7%
Diabetes: 3.4%
Blindness or vision problem: 3.3%
Stroke: 2.8%

Source: CDC. Prevalence of disabilities and associated health conditions among adults - United States, 1999. MMWR 2001;50:120-5.


Arthritis Control: A Good Investment
Early diagnosis and appropriate management of arthritis, including self-management activities such as self-help courses, weight control, and physical activity, can help people with arthritis function better, stay productive, and have lower health care costs.

A recent study estimated that an insurer or health care organization that implements the Arthritis Self-Help Course among just 10,000 people with arthritis can expect a net savings of more than $2.5 million over 4 years.
Achieving a healthy weight lowers a persons risk for developing osteoarthritis in the knees. It can also slow progression of the disease in people who already have it and delay costly knee replacement surgery.
Moderate physical activity relieves arthritis pain and stiffness and improves a person's mood and outlook.

Effective Strategies and Promising Approaches
The Arthritis Self-Help Course, developed at Stanford University, is a 6-week course that teaches people how to manage their arthritis and lessen its effects. Arthritis pain declined by 20% and costly physician visits were reduced by 40% among people who completed the course. Unfortunately, fewer than 1% of Americans with arthritis participate in such programs, and courses are not offered in all areas of the United States. Making the Arthritis Self-Help Course and other self-management strategies a routine part of health care for people with arthritis should help reduce arthritis-related pain and health care costs.
Increasing public awareness about the importance of early diagnosis should increase appropriate management for inflammatory arthritis and connective tissue diseases.
Getting the message out about the benefits of a healthy weight and moderate physical activity should help people with arthritis.

Hope for the Future
CDC is working with the Arthritis Foundation and other partners to carry out the National Arthritis Action Plan: A Public Health Strategy. The plan was developed to guide the use of the nations resources to decrease the burden of arthritis for all Americans and increase the quality of life of those affected by arthritis. It provides a blueprint for reducing pain, activity limitations, and disability among people with arthritis, as well as for preventing certain types of arthritis, as called for in Healthy People 2010.

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Member Stories
Mark M.'s Story

I was diagnosed with RA in May of 2001. I was working as the foreman/welder in a steel fabrication. The outside temperature was averaging 88 to 95 degrees and the thermometer in the shop was at 110 degrees by 1pm every day.

I was always fatigued and my arms were blown up like balloons most every day. My joints hurt, especially my wrists and hands.

After enduring these conditions for a few months, my wife suggested we go to a doctor. The first stop was the hospital. After tests and x-rays, I was told my RA factor was positive and I may have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus or some other inflammatory disease. I needed to see my primary care doctor.

I went to my primary doctor and he referred me to a Rheumatologist. His examination revealed the early stages of RA and "possible Carpel Tunnel Syndrome to both hands." (My right hand had previously been operated on for CTS)
After tests proved mildly severe CTS, I was sent to a hand specialist.

I had surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on my left hand in November and the right one in December 2001. All better, right? Wrong! I took classes at the local college in computer programming. I was looking for a new profession. I even build a website using the information I collect on RA from the Internet. Although I enjoy using what I have learned, it is hard to do on a regular basis because of the pain in my hands.

I began a new job in November 2002 and started having pain and stiffness in both hands. After having to leave that job and many more visits to my RA doctor, he decides to send me back to the hand specialist because he thinks the CTS is recurring. The specialist x-rays my hands and says there is evidence of RA in both hands but she doesnt believe there is a recurring CTS problem. And then there are the flare-ups.

Now Ive about had it so I decide to find a new RA doctor. May 2003 I begin seeing the new doctor. Guess what he says about my hands. "LOOKS LIKE CARPEL TUNNEL". I tell him about the x-rays of my hand and nothing else is said. He puts me on pain pills. And then there are the flare-ups.

I started a new job in June, driving and transporting people to and from doctors. I am taking my pain pills at night only because they make me sleepy. I was hoping I had found a job I could do and help my wife with the household bills. It is labeled part time but I was working 45 to 55 hours a week. We all know what happens when you have RA and dont get enough rest. After working 10 to 12 hours a day, I was wearing down and it was like I was having flare ups every other week. I would have to call out an average of two days to recuperate enough to work another day.

I explained to the owner numerous times about my condition and that I needed to regulate my work hours so as not to get ill and have to call out. Each time he said he would work with me. And a few days later.... I was working 10 to 12 hour days again.

I worked four 12-hour days and couldnt work anymore. At the end of the fourth day, I said I was not coming the next day. I was hurting worse than ever. My shoulders, chest, arms, wrists, hands, knees and feet were hurting so bad. I was in a panic. The next day I called my RA doctor and begged for an appointment. The doctor prescribes Methotrexate and advises me to take the pain pills as prescribed or they wont help. Now I am unable to work at all for 2-4 weeks to see if the Methotrexate will help. And even if it does, I dont know to what extent. Will I be able to work? And in what capacity?

Thanks for letting me "air out." Only those experiencing RA really know what we go through.

To see the rest of stories go on over to:
community/stories

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Notes and Insights:

Birthday Board!
Happy Birthday to Vickie Haessly, Jodie aka JGirl, Alan Johnson, IndyRon, Di, Susan aka Kumus, Sandra aka Cupcake and Darlene aka Dar aka Scissors!!!
Check out all the birthdays at
community/birthday
and make sure to send them an arthritis-friendly e-card:
cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl

Join the Arthritis Dieters!
This is a group of people with arthritis who want to lose weight with others who know of the challenges of living with is arthritis. All those medications that make living with arthritis tolerable, but pile on the pounds. This group has been set up to give us a protected group where we can talk to others who know what it is like.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arthritis-dieters/

Wanna help?
Having surgery? Starting a new drug or treatment? Filing for disability? Keep an Arthritis Insight journal so all of our members can share and learn from your experience. If you want to keep a journal just let us know.

Write an article!
We always need articles on all subjects relating to arthritis. C'mon folks, we can't do this without you.

Ken Akers Cheer Fund
Donations to the Ken Akers Cheer Fund will be used to send flowers and gifts to those community members who are hospitalized, flaring or just in need of some good cheer.
community/kenscheerfund

Thank You!
A great big thank you to NeedaBasket.com (http://needabasket.com). NeedaBasket is now Arthritis Insight's official gift basket company. They are giving us a great discount and are donating baskets for our Arthritis Warriors.

Special Offers for Arthritis Insight Members
Whenever possible we will try get to our sponsors to agree to discounts and the like for our members. Here are our current special offers:

Sore No More (http://sorenomore.com) gel will send a free sample of the pain relieving gel to any Arthritis Insight Community Member who emails them at dma@glogerm.com.

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AI Help Desk
Linda Peck

COMPUTERS 101

Q: What's with all the sizes I see? Kilobytes, megabytes, etc?

A: File sizes tend to be one of the more perplexing issues for both the fledgling and intermediate computer user. So, we've put together a breakdown of the various file size "units" you may encounter.

Bit- The smallest unit in computing. It can have a value of 1 or 0. You'd be hard pressed to find a file size listed in bits.

Byte - A (still small) unit of information made up of 8 bits.

Kilobyte(KB) - A unit of approximately 1000 bytes (1024 to be exact). Most download sites use kilobytes when they give file sizes.

Megabyte (MB) - A unit of approximately one million bytes (1,024 KB).

Gigabyte (GB) - Approximately 1 billion bytes (1024 MB). Most hard drive sizes are listed in gigabytes.

OK, now for a little practical application.

~ A 3 1/2" floppy disk holds 1.44 Megabytes (1,474 KB).

~ A CD Rom holds 650 Megabytes (though most programs you get don't utilize the whole 650). This would be around 450 of those 3.5 floppies.

~ A 20 Gig hard drive will hold the same amount of info as 31 CD ROMs or 14,222 floppy disks.

~ It takes between 7-10 minutes to download a one megabyte (1024 KB) file using the average dial up internet connection.

~ A typical page of text is around 4KB.

To see the size of a given file, just right-click it (in Explorer or My Computer) and select Properties from the resulting menu.
I know that even with the information above, it can still be confusing, so I thought I would compare these digital units of measure to some everyday objects. Just picture them being completely hollow so you can store information in them.

~ Bit - Let's call this a regular sized marble.

~ Byte - Compared to the marble, this would be a baseball.

~ Kilobyte - Now we jump up to a pickup truck size.

~ Megabyte - Now for the leap - this would be a medium sized sky scraper.

~ Gigabyte - Take 1024 of the medium sized sky scrapers and stick them together for this one!

Source: Computer Tips & Techniques
http://www.worldstart.com
Copyright 2001, Worldstart - Reprinted with permission.

THIS WEEK'S CLICKS

Another site for free eCards

Stationery, eCard and background site for those who enjoy the Victorian Age

Witts Wallpapers

Check the rumor before you send it on

Some free software

Have a minute? Read a book!

UNTIL NEXT WEEK,

"An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the motivation that rubs against it."

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Weekly News Summary
Karen Sears
kaekae@arthritisinsight.com

TINY CAMERA SHOWS FEWER BOWEL LESIONS WITH CELEBREX
Pictures taken inside the small intestine by a capsule-size camera show that arthritis drug Celebrex was nine times less likely to cause ulcer-like lesions in that section of the bowel than a combination of two older medicines, researchers said.
Yahoo News, Oct 14

NEXIUM COMBATS ULCERS CAUSED BY PAINKILLERS
Stomach ulcers that can arise from long-term use of aspirin and other so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be prevented by taking Nexium.
Yahoo News, Oct 14

TIE2 TYROSINE KINASE REGULATES ANGIOGENESIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Tie2, an endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinase, is a major regulator of TNF-alpha-induced angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new research suggests.
Medscape, Oct 13 (free registration required)

THIRD OF EUROPEANS SUFFER CONSTANT PAIN -SURVEY
A third of Europeans suffer pain every minute of their lives and chronic pain accounts for nearly 500 million lost working days a year, costing Europe 34 billion euros, according to a survey published Monday.
Yahoo News, Oct 13

PROGRESSION OF OSTEOARTHRITIS AFTER ROTATIONAL ACETABULAR OSTEOTOMY LINKED TO FEMORAL HEAD DEFORMITY
patients with early stage osteoarthritis (OA), rotational acetabular osteotomy (RAO) is an effective treatment, even in severe hip dysplasia, if there is little deformity of the femoral head.
Doctors Guide, Oct 13 (free registration required)

NO LINK FOUND FOR PROTEUS MIRABILIS INFECTION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DEVELOPMENT
Proteus mirabilis (PM) infection may not have a role in either triggering or causing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new study.
Doctors Guide, Oct 13 (free registration required)

TNF-ALPHA ACTIVITY UNDERLIES BLOOD LIPID ABNORMALITIES IN SLE
Dyslipoproteinemia and an activated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha/TNF receptor system both appear to be associated with disease severity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, Swedish physicians report.
Medscape, Oct 10 (free registration required)

URINARY TYPE II COLLAGEN LEVELS PROGNOSTIC IN PATIENTS WITH HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS
Urinary C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) levels, a fairly new and specific marker of cartilage degradation, are elevated in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip, especially in those with rapidly destructive disease.
Medscape, Oct 9 (free registration required)

POOR LONG TERM OUTCOME WITH TOTAL WRIST ARTHROPLASTY
Total wrist arthroplasty with the anatomic physiologic wrist prosthesis has a high incidence of loosening and dislocation, and resultantly a high rate of revision, according to a recent German study.
Doctors Guide, Oct 9 (free registration required)

INTERMITTENT IBANDRONATE EFFECTIVE, WELL TOLERATED FOR OSTEOPOROSIS PREVENTION
Intermittent ibandronate for prevention of osteoporosis is effective and well tolerated, according to the results of a study published in the October issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Disease .
Medscape, Oct 8 (free registration required)

More health news can be found on our site:
news/

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Contribute

Have you written something you think our subscribers would like to read? Send it to Tina@arthritisinsight.com and maybe we'll use it in our newsletter.

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A Closing Thought
Seven Wonders of the World

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the Seven
Wonders of the World. Though there were some disagreements, the
following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student
hadn't turned in her paper. So she asked the girl if she was having
trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't
quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World
are:

1. to see
2. to hear
3. to touch
4. to taste
5. to feel
6. to laugh
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we
overlook as simple, ordinary and take for granted are truly wondrous!

Consider this a gentle reminder about the most precious things in life.
Now smile and have a great day.

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Arthritis Insight Newsletter Copyright 2003