I thought it would be useful to provide some basic info about this superfun illness of mine (and approximately 1.3 million other people in the U.S.) called Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
RA is a chronic, autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the synovial lining of joints around the body-from your jaw all the way down to your tiny toe joints. If you want to find out more anatomical/medical info on exactly how the disease works on your joints, click here to read more about it.
A lot of people, especially older people, have arthritis, but the kind they are referring to is osteoarthritis, which is caused when cartilage breaks down between bones, thereby causing pain and swelling. RA is different in that it is a systemic disease caused when the immune system goes haywire and goes to work on your own body tissues, mistakenly thinking they don't belong to you.
In a way, it's kind of like your immune system (ok, my immune system) is having an identity crisis. Some books and people use phrases like 'your immune system is attacking you,' and that is one way to look at it, but I don't enjoy thinking about my immune system intentionally launching a series of coordinated attacks to take me down and render all my joints unusable, because frankly, my immune system is, last time I checked, a part of me, and that idea kind of sucks and feels hostile.
I prefer to think about it as my immune system being an overachiever. It's producing too much of what is normally a good thing (one little thing in particular called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is part of the body's regular inflammatory response). All this extra stuff ends up causing harm in the end, kind of like a 'too many cooks in the kitchen' kind of thing, where really, some of them just need to shut up and get the hell out so dinner can be made.
There is a lot of thought and theory about what causes RA, but honestly, you aren't going to find me spending too much time on this one. Doctors and researchers are plugging away trying to better understand the immune system and what causes it to go haywire and run amok. They know there is a genetic factor for some people, but not in others; they know there seems to be an environmental factor, and that the nervous system plays a big role. The long and short of it, though, is that, really, in the end, they don't know jack about why one person gets it and another doesn't.
It may seem strange to some, but I haven't spent a lot of time wondering what triggered my immune system to go all type A on me, and that is because I don't see the point or the payoff. The fact is, I have RA, and I can't un-have it. Finding out what triggered it won't cure me. Sadly, right now, there isn't a cure, but there are some kickass new meds that make a big difference for a lot of people, and a host of other alternative therapies and practices that help with managing the pain, fatigue and other symptoms, and give you a lot of good tools to better take care of yourself, and that, my dears, is where I'm putting my energy.
"All this extra stuff ends up causing harm in the end, kind of like a 'too many cooks in the kitchen' kind of thing, where really, some of them just need to shut up and get the hell out so dinner can be made."
Totally laughed out loud at that. I know it's off topic for this blog, but AMEN!
Posted by: Catherine | June 14, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Yay! I'm glad you laughed out loud. may as well, and that is genuinely how i think about it.
Posted by: SGRA | June 14, 2008 at 11:31 AM
great post, right to the point. well said !
Posted by: Joint Pain Relief | November 29, 2008 at 08:30 PM
JPR-thanks! Glad you found my blog!
Posted by: Sara | November 30, 2008 at 10:51 PM
I loved this quote from your article "In a way, it's kind of like your immune system (ok, my immune system) is having an identity crisis"--- I was having an identity crisis in a way when first told I had RA because I had no idea what RA was and my concept of RA was RA was arthritis in the hands only and my hands did not bother me so how could I have RA. It was my ankle killing me and I hurt all over and was extremely fatigued. I learned a lot fast like the rest of us when we are diagnosed with RA. I really like all your articles and I am so glad you started writing them; you really help.
Posted by: Rabbit | November 10, 2009 at 12:20 AM
Rabbit- thank you so much. I think for most of it, that is our experience. I had only vaguely heard of RA before I got it. The learning curve is steep.
Posted by: sara | November 10, 2009 at 07:46 PM
I think from now on I may tell people that my "immune system is over achieving". They will be soooooooooo jealous ;) .
LOVE IT!
Posted by: Tiffany Westrich | November 12, 2009 at 01:56 AM
Oh my gosh - I was speechless when I read that you describe your immune system as an "overachiever," because that's exactly how I do as well! I'm actually making a video right now about dancing with RA. Anyway, thank you so much for this down to earth, positive description of what RA is. It's such a welcome break from all the stark medical sites. I look forward to reading more of your posts!
Posted by: Cheryl | April 10, 2010 at 02:07 PM
Hi there!
I just stumbled upon your blog. I just wanted to mention that even though no one really knows what causes auto-immune conditions, you can potentially reverse everything or at least a lot by changing the way you think, what you do, what you eat etc. I was diagnosed with RA, and then Crohn's at 23, left college in a wheelchair, but now at 26 I'm completely off of all drugs and am living happily in Brooklyn- all because I never stopped asking questions and listening to my body, and for me the thing that changed my life the most was radically changing my diet, avoiding negative thoughts and practicing yoga (seriously).
Never give up! You're awesome for putting your story out there.
Posted by: Laura | September 28, 2010 at 08:27 PM
Thank You for posting this, for having this blog and for putting RA into real terms. All my dr. did was tell me I had RA and to go see a specialist. So, in the 3 weeks it has taken to get into a specialist I have been left to figure it out on my own. Thank God for your blog.
Posted by: Amy Inarizona | June 05, 2011 at 02:58 AM
Hi Amy- glad you found me! I had to wait about three weeks for my rheumatologist appt as well, and my PCP also basically just said, yeah, you have RA, go see this person, so I remember how awful the wait in between felt. Some of the stuff you will read out there will make you feel completely hopeless, but there are so many people out there still living there lives around RA, so try not to despair. Make sure you trust your doctor- ask tons of questions, take notes and remember that you are in charge! Hang in there- S
Posted by: sara | June 05, 2011 at 12:07 PM