Arthritis TV

Have you seen them? There's new commercials all over the telly featuring arthritis. As a former teacher and a long time Gimp, I'm going to grade them: personal opinion and subjectively, of course.

The Remicade Ad: A review of one woman's life and her experience of the life-changing effects of RA. This is a rather good one, in that RA flares do make you move slowly and painfully. For those that Remicade helps it helps well. The woman's daughter also has been Dx'd with RA and she asserts that things will be better for her daughter than they were for her. Also true! The encouragement to talk it over with your doctor is a a fine idea in any case; because the more effectively treated RA is at the earliest possibility the better. B +

The Enbrel Ad: Eric Lindbergh woodcarving. Eric Lindbergh bicycling. Eric Lindbergh playing with the kids. Eric Lindbergh as a cross-Atlantic pilot. You can too, with Enbrel! Let's get real. Perhaps you can carve wood again with very specialized tools. Probably playing with the kids is in the cards. Bicycling some, but lots of it and hard wouldn't be ideal. And across the ocean piloting solo? Forget it, no way, not a chance. Talk about PAIN! Eric Lindbergh you're not. C -

Osteo Bi-Flex: Yes! Osteoarthritis does make you feel just that way. Stiff, sore and groaning, especially in the morning. I STILL hate mornings whether I have an arthritis flare happening or not. But the shots of Frankenstein reading to kids, playing the guitar, doing Tai Chi...wonderful! The humor is gentle and sweet. The activities are mostly realistic as long as no one expects me to get up and be happy about cooking breakfast. A

The General RA Ad: This is the ad that talks about "Normally, I'd ( fill in the blank with things you'd skip doing due to flaring). This is a general ad about arthritis that tells people to go to their doctors and find out about new treatments that can help them behave normally with arthritis. An important message that needs to be heard and heard widely. I'd personally like to see a wider diversity among the races and ages and shapes of actors used because arthritis is an equal opportunity afflictor. So this one is an in-between only because of that caveat. A -

As our populace ages, expect to see more and more ads for arthritis treatments. Knowledge IS power, even if it does educate through an ad.

Regards to you and yours from Rosie