RA and life expectancy 😟

[virginied]

Hello, I'm getting a bit depressed after reading that RA can shorter your life expectancy by 10 years and I feel that my clock is ticking .😫 I get lots of flare-up and sometimes I feel like it's nearly the end ( although I'd like to be active , I'm usually positive ...)

[Orangutans]

had RA since my twenties and many other things as well including breast cancer. Am now 79. Ok am not so agile but still enjoying life and family. Do what you can and make the most of it x

[virginied in reply to Orangutans]

Well done 👏

[DaliLove in reply to Orangutans]

A short to the point reply. Your advice is brilliant 👏 i feel it needs to printed on a poster for all our bathrooms or kitchens 💜 Do what you canAnd make the most of it 💜

[jarujuda in reply to DaliLove]

My Nan had it age 40 and lived until she was 86 and that was with no meds. I have it I am 71 and have taken methotrexate for the last 6 years. Just stay positive and enjoy life! ❤️

[DaliLove in reply to jarujuda]

Agreed. You just find your own path and do what you can for you 💜

[helenlw7]

20 years ago my first rheumatologist told me that RA would shorten my life, and I’d end up in a wheelchair! That put me in the mindset of it’ll not beat me!’ And it hasn’t yet. I’m not as mobile as I was then so no morning runs, but I live on my own in my own home!

[virginied in reply to helenlw7]

that's great 👍

[girli1111 in reply to helenlw7]

think that rheumatologist was right n the wrong job!!

[HeadInASpin]

I read about shortened life expectancy too, after I was diagnosed. Then my dear sister in law passed away from cancer last year at just 58 years of age and it put things into perspective . She lived a wonderful life albeit far, far too short. She truly lived, she loved and was loved in return. She travelled and had fun. She was the first to reach out to anyone in need and she was the last to leave the parties.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that no-one knows their expiry date so 5 or 10 years less can't really be quantified. After all if you're were destined to live to 100...90 ain't bad! We all need to think about HOW we live not for how long we live it. If I could be half the woman my sister in law was I would consider it a win. So try not to dwell on the negative statistic, life is always too short. Look around you and find joy in whatever you can, love, family, nature, a pet, hobbies or just the sunlight through the window. I wish you as many pain free days as you can get and much joy in your life for however long that maybe. x

[virginied in reply to HeadInASpin]

Thanks

[DaliLove in reply to HeadInASpin]

Beautiful wise words. None of us know when our times up. I wake up and even though in disabling pain and thank 'the universe' for a new day, blessed and grateful and learning on the way. 💜

[jencar7]

This upsets me as well as my husband has just being diagnosed with RA and we both had relatives with RA who did die at a younger age than they should have. However it seems now looking at newer reseach that the gap in life expectancy for RA sufferers is much less than it once was and is continuting to reduce. I am sure I read the other week that it used to be 65 and it now more like 78, so in a few more years it could be even older! My husbands uncle also has RA and is now 85 and still mobile and regularly travels abroad and so its probably best just to take things as they come as opposed to worrying too much about what could happen.

[virginied in reply to jencar7]

Fingers crossed 🤞

[AgedCrone]

Don’t worry about something you can do nothing about!

Plenty on here ….me included ….have had RA - flares, surgeries & cancer included, for donkey’s years & are 30+ years older than you .& we are still all leading a good life!

Metaphorically kick the cat on bad days….take your meds & just think of all those poor people in third world countries who can’t even get an Aspirin…let alone the sophisticated meds we are fortunate enough to be prescribed!

Cheer up…Father Christmas will be here soon!

[Gymcactus in reply to AgedCrone]

I love you Aged Crone, Happy Christmas to you.

[medway-lady]

Where did you read that? As I’ve had it for years am 71 and no real issues. I think untreated RA might make some difference but as heart attacks, strokes, cancer also may or can shorten life I think you may have got this a bit out of proportion. I’ve made plans for next years holidays, bought a new car and think no one is going to live forever so enjoy your life and stop worrying about something someone has written who is always looking back over time so can’t really see the difference newer drugs are making. And it’s worth thinking that just because something is written that it is always true. We will all die with RA if diagnosed with it, but not because of it, as it’s incurable but it is controlled with very good medications. I’d suggest you read the NRAS information and try to think about something else and above all Dr Google might have a lot of very dubious sources.

[virginied in reply to medway-lady]

I had the bad idea to Google " RA and life expectancy " and it came up 🥺

[medway-lady in reply to virginied]

Bad, bad,bad idea. It’s like most Patient Information Leaflets if it doesn’t give you an upset tum it’ll make you constipated! Moreover all medications have side effects and paracetamol kills people somtimes but it’s swallowed every day by millions. So don’t Google side effects for him either although I expect you already have. lol

RA is a journey it’s lifelong but remission is the aim. So travel with hope and not angst or it’ll frighten you every day. I have no side effects and life is more or less normal I think of the medications as tools which enable me not disable me.

[DaliLove in reply to virginied]

I'm sure we have all Googled this. I did just outta curiosity, I actually laughed and thought how do they know. No one knows. Every day is a gift. Enjoy 💜

[Spanelmad]

Stop worrying about how much time you've got and go out and live!!! RA is hard don't let it take over

[Amnesiac3637]

Oh please leave ‘Dr Google’ alone! The damage these algorithms do - and if you read enough of them on the same subject you’ll realise they all copy each other - is not good for mental health and at best they are often inaccurate and at worst downright dangerous.

Years ago we were all doomed if we whispered we had RA but nowadays, with excellent, well trained rheumatology teams and amazing new drugs we can live as long as anyone else with a bit of tweaking. I’ve, like most who’ve replied so far, have had RA for many years (35) and ok, have gone through bad times with it but I’ve always said it lives with me not me with it and that’s the only mindset to have.

If you start reading about life expectancy, which nobody can predict you’re on a hiding to nothing. Just live - after all the proverbial bus may be lurking round the corner and how is Google going to square that one………🤪

[Lizard28]

Please just live for today, no one knows how long we have got, my dearest husband was fine when he got up and an hour later he passed away very suddenly last month, I’m still trying to understand why? His motto was Live for today. That’s what I am doing now. Enjoy every day.

[HappykindaGal in reply to Lizard28]

I’m so sorry

[girli1111]

I’m just a little older than you at 55 and I’ve been diagnosed since I was 33. Statistics can be scary but the truth is that no one can know exactly when they are going to die so there’s little point wasting valuable energy thinking about it. If you’re having regular flares then try and see your team as the RA may need better managing. I’d be lying if I said I never worry about my future health but when I look after myself and take gentle exercise I feel so much better. I’ve recently had a knee replacement and was briefly really incapacitated but it’s been a success and it’s made me more determined than ever to help my body keep strong by looking after it properly.

[Seabird1]

Hello there Virginia,

I think those statistics would be out of date these days as there has been huge improvements in treatments and with them inflammation is reduced which is the key.

We have also more choices in medications and most people are monitored well by medical teams etc. Don't be too disheartened.

Take each day as it comes, as much as you can with the ups and downs of RA and general life. I hope I don't sound too Pollyanish but try not to despair.

Pain that is constant is very wearing and it sounds like you are having a bit more than a bear can bear at present.

[Seabird1]

Sorry my spell correct changed your name to Virginia. 🙃

[Brushwork]

Who really knows how long we have?

I’ve seen my nephew lose his life in a freak accident, a very close relative take his own life in his early 40’s and many others dear to me live long and active lives. We simply don’t know what might happen.

Be grateful for modern medicine, it has afforded us a much better life than many of our forebears with similar conditions.

Be grateful for all the wonders of life, the love and support of family and friend, the many things we are able to enjoy…

Carpe Diem and cherish every moment.

[Rusticgarden in reply to Brushwork]

Lovely words

[smilelines]

I hear you. I have days when I think about all the medicine I put into my body just to function and wonder what it is doing to me. Plus, sometimes I am so sore I can’t imagine living for 20 more years. ❤️

[pammi2]

You got to stay positive. You dont loose 10 yeras, the more you think in that direction the more you make it bad for yourself.... we got no choice, we got RA we have to get on with it that is life, we did not choose it, it was dealt to us, always remever other people are worse off than you,. I HATE it but i have no choice, I have had it for 15 years and still dont fully accept it but as my brother always says "it is what it is"

[wilbertjellyfish]

There are links between inflammation and depression so it's no wonder we all have periods of feeling down. Not to mention the pain. If you're feelings are lasting speak to your medical team as they maybe able to adjust your meds.

[Rusticgarden]

As with all reports it also depends on the context ,newly diagnosed now are recieving drugs that work better ,it also depends on factors like severity of RA, family health history, weight of individual and exercise ( even walking). ,Had cancer at 35 yrs and thankful I'm still here in my ,60 s

[Scottishlad]

A friend was in her 80s when she was diagnosed, probably had it for a long time before. Was 95 when she passed away.

[Haz58]

Hi virginied. Like someone already said RA can cause you to become depressed especially in the first couple of years of diagnosis. I've been there! I read that too but then I heard my mum's voice saying what she always used to say 'when we're born we have a date stamp like food and that's it'. You could get run over my a bus tomorrow so no point worrying'. Very true words! Do what you can when you can and when you can't rest and relax and keep taking the meds.My dear brother in law was a marathon runner, cyclist, loved very long walks, etc etc. he now has terminal brain cancer and has also had prostrate cancer.

So who knows what will take us to the 'better life' in the end.

Live for today. ❤️❤️❤️

[Briefencounter]

I was 43 when I was first diagnosed with seronegative RA , I'm 83 now . Despite the preferable diagnosis of being seronegative, unfortunately , I have had a plate and 9 screws in my ankle , a replacement knee and a replacement elbow .

However , the DMARDS that I'm on have kept me relatively pain free . I do have flares , occasionally , but paracetemol and codeine are my friends .

I would have liked to have moved onto the new biologicals but was never considered bad enough.

I continued teaching throughout and retired at 58 , when it was offered to older members of staff .

When I was first diagnosed I read all about the prognosis of possibly ending up in a wheelchair and a much shortened life . It was quite dispiriting then but it hasn't happened . 😇 Now I rarely think about it 🤔.

[EJaneB]

Such positive words and advice .. a phrase I like too is ‘it’s not the years of your life , it’s the life in your years’ ( that matter!)