Bye, bye, baby, Goodbye!
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
2y ago
I started this blog nearly 15 years ago when there were few patient-centered resources for RA. I’ve had some amazing experiences, vented loudly about insurance and copays, shared what I knew about treatments, and (most importantly) made some life-long friends. Photo by Julia Khalimova on Pexels.com In the meantime, there has been a growth of sites where those with RA and related conditions can find reliable information and connect with community. There are truly some informed, funny, sympathetic, and reliable people working on behalf of patients. Also in the meantime, my blog has been pretty m ..read more
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And then there’s this
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
2y ago
It’s been 10 days and I’ve been trying to figure out how to write this post. Image from MedicineNet Last November I had a TIA (“mini stroke”) that I wrote about here. At that time, the most exciting thing was the ride in the ambulance. I knew that once you have one, you are almost guaranteed to have others and it’s often the indication of a major stroke to come. Since then, life has gone on. My doctors’ appointments and labs have gone well although, as part of life as we know it, I’ve developed some other issues that don’t warrant mentioning here. There’s been a six-month process of moving my ..read more
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And, so …
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
2y ago
There are two things to know: seronegative RA is hard to quantify and I haven’t been on a “formal” treatment plan since November 2019. The third thing to know is that I am a strong proponent of treating RA. Slowing the effects of the disease is possible but recovering from permanent joint damage really isn’t. I believe that treatment (1) should be in consultation with your doctor and (2) treatment can be whatever works, whether pharmaceutical, holistic or a combination of the two. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Looking for a viable (and affordable) treatment plan, in November 2019, we upped th ..read more
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My “Insomnia Watch” Broke
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
Those of us who wake up at weird times in the middle of the night will understand what an “insomnia watch” is. It’s that timepiece you look at to try to figure out if it’s worth trying to go back to sleep or whether you might as well just forget about it. Mine was a Fitbit Sense. It (theoretically) had all kinds of bells and whistles and apps and capabilities but the primary thing for me was that it had different clock face displays. The Sense basically has a screen you can customize and my display had large white numbers that I could read half asleep, in the dark, without my glasses. When I w ..read more
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When you don’t want the answer
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
So I’ve completed my third visit in search of answers for my TMJ situation. While I’ve had TMJ issues my entire life, they haven’t really bothered me. I’ve always been able to “unlock” my jaw when it went out — until about six weeks ago. At that point my jaw got stuck to where it only opens about 60 percent. Nothing to this point has been able to “unstick” it. I’d put off seeing this particular specialist because he doesn’t take my insurance and TMJ solutions are expensive even for providers who are in network. However, after meeting with him (and having my third set of 3D X-rays taken), I fin ..read more
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Is beauty skin deep?
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
In the search for a treatment for my TMJ issues, I’ve had some 3-D X-rays taken. These are not only of my teeth/jaw area but of my entire head. It’s weird seeing your skull. What do you think? Change my profile picture to this ..read more
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Actually SEE patients?
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
I’m all for telehealth visits. It’s been a lifeline during the pandemic and is truly convenient for those who have issues traveling to a doctor’s office. But at some point, doctors actually need to see patients. Hands-on, physical exams provide a depth of information that a virtual visit simply cannot. And while you might be able to put your swollen joint, rash, etc. up to the camera, it’s impossible for the doctor to closely examine your eyes, skin or other parts of your body. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com (Can you tell I’m perturbed?) Last November I had a TIA (also known as a mi ..read more
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Winter storm, TMJ and RA
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
You may have seen the news that we had a major winter storm in Texas in mid-February. I was lucky in that I lost power for a few days (I camped out in a warm hotel room), but was otherwise unscathed. Literally thousands of Texans had devastating damage and many of these people are still dealing with the aftermath. One such person is my dentist. It turns out that my dental checkup was originally scheduled for a day or so after the winter storm was supposed to hit. Knowing the roads would still be in bad shape, I had called and left a message that I would reschedule once things thawed out. When ..read more
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Vaccination Complete
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
Yesterday my husband and I received our second #Moderna vax, right on schedule four weeks after we got our first round. Other than a sore arm for me, we’ve not (yet) had any adverse side effects. The cosmic coincidence that we got our injections on the day that Texas “opened 100%” and lifted all COVID/mask restrictions isn’t lost on me. It will be two weeks before we’re considered “fully vaccinated” meaning we’ve had time to form the required antibodies. I don’t necessarily feel safer, but I’m a lot less stressed. Since we registered (in multiple places) it seems it was a daily ritual to check ..read more
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Finally – Help for Fatigue
Carla's Corner
by Carla Kienast
3y ago
For many RA and PsA patients (myself included) fatigue is a major complaint. I know that one of the first signs that a treatment plan was not working as well as it had been previously was the onset of worsening fatigue. Unfortunately, you can’t measure fatigue with a lab test, doctors and other healthcare workers might note it on a chart but otherwise may be uncertain how to address this debilitating symptom. Fatigue, like pain, is often viewed as simply a patient’s opinion rather than a clinical finding. FINALLY, the FDA has approved a label change for one of the prominent RA/PsA medications ..read more
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