Rheumatoid arthritis affects the entire body

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects the entire body.  “RA affects joints when it causes the lining of the joints called synovium to overgrow and destroy the articular cartilage.  However, unlike osteoarthritis which mainly affects joints, RA affects the entire body because it’s a malfunction of the immune system.  Many people with RA become anemic, having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity of hemoglobin which diminishes the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen.”  (SEHohler, Arthritis:  A Patient’s Guide, (Jefferson, NC:  McFarland & Co., Inc, 2008, 17.)  People dealing with RA may feel sick.  They may find themselves becoming depressed.  As they deal with their physical symptoms, they may deal with grief and sorrow:  their former life doesn’t seem possible anymore and they grief the loss of ‘what I could do in the past.’  This is a normal grieving process for some people.  A person with diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis can find information, support and help at RA Connect at http://community.arthritis.org/community/raconnect.htm.