Rheumatoid…makes me think of hemorrhoid.   The similarity between the two is that they both involve pain and both could easily fit in the “pain in the a**” category.

Then, there’s the word arthritis.  Arthritis…the kind your grandmother had is not the same as rheumatoid arthritis.  I think we’ve all probably experienced a conversation that went something like this…”Oh, you have arthritis?”  Followed by, “you know… Aleve really works for my Aunt Gracie”.  Let me tell you something that I know for sure…when you are having an RA flare, Aleve is no more effective than eating a sweet tart. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s defense system attacks itself and causes the joint lining to become inflamed and swell.  I know that there is pain involved with any of the over one hundred types of arthritis, but I’m just sayin’…RA provides a different kind of pain.

There are so many misconceptions & myths about rheumatoid arthritis.  I think a name change is in order.  Any ideas?