To contact Sasha: lifeofsasha [at] gmail.com
She welcomes your comments but can’t promise an email response. Life is busy! 
Thank you!
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Hello:
I’m assisting an ex-spouse in her 50s who has been bedridden in nursing homes for the past several years with aggressive rheumatoid arthritis. Initially she could sit up and feed herself, but for the past two years needs assistance even with those limited tasks. She is in too much pain to be transported to see doctors at their offices. She had an internist/rheumatologist who would visit her monthly at a prior nursing home, but when she changed locations he could not follow her. She needs to find a new rheumatologist and also an eye doctor who will see her at her present location just west of downtown Los Angeles (near Good Samaritan Hospital). Does anyone have suggestions how to find physicians who will still see patients at such a facility instead of at their office or hospital? Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations.
Hi everyone, thanks very much for this blog. I am having a problem and for which I am almost sure it is chronic pancreatitis. Doctors they could not make a diagnose but I have been having horrible pain on my left side (back) for last year, and all after a problem with the gallbladder which it was removed.
I would like please to talk by phone with some person that could give me advice and clarification on symptoms and evolution of this illness. Please if you can and I apologyze in reality a lot for asking this, but my life has become so complicated with this.
My phone is 352-315-8524, I am grad student of University of Florida
Best wishes, blessings
Abelardo
Keri, you and I have the same med list! I also have RA but throw in a pituitary tumour! What fun.
Thanks so much for this blog! I was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in august of 2007. I am 26 years old and had no clue as to what was happening. This is the hardest thing I have been through and currently have to take loratabs to make it through the day, which i find very difficult since i dont want to become “a pillhead”. So do you recommend a pain management doctor?
Hi Sasha,
Let me start by saying It is nice to know your not alone….or crazy.
I have some questions about pancreatitis. I would guess you know alot about it. I am 38 yrs old and live a very active and hectic life. I love my job and work many many hours. I have 3 children from 14 to 20. When I was 26 I was diagnosed with RA. Since then my life has been one big doctor visit. I have been on every drug on the market for this incedious disease. I have also participated in several drug trial studies.
In the past five years I have had a brain tumor…this started by the lovly methotrexate, 4 cysts removed from my ovaries,,again caused by drugs… my gallbladder removed and a complete hystorectomy due to cervical cancer.
Now my doctor thinks I have pancreatitis. I have excruciating stomach pain. If I eat I vomit…no two ways about it. I am going in for an ERCP…this really worries me.
In all my research i have found that all of these issues are related. it starts with an auto immune disease.
One thing I know for sure …..the drugs you are taking to make it better only makes it worse in the end.
these are some I have been on
Celebrex
Vioxx
Plaquenil
methotrexate
Remicade
Enbrel
Humira
Nexxium
Prednisone
corticosteroid injections
Dillaudin
Percocet
Tramacet
oxycodone
morphine
Currently not on any meds until they figure out what is going on in my stomch. This is very difficult. I am incredibly independant. I am in incredible pain.
what can you tell me about pancreatitis ?
Sasha,
I am diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer of the pancreas with metastasis in the spine, liver, lung and bones. I am thinking about getting an interthecal pump installed to manage the pain, and would like your thoughts from experience with the device.
How has the interthecal pump affected your sexual life? How were your orgasms affected? Are you able to orgasm come more readily, or are ograsms more difficult with the pump?
How has your ability to sense at the periphery? How have your fingers and toes changed in perception? Anything else I should consider?
I appreciate your help, and thanks in advance for your help.
Nicolai
Wow!! Michael, I read your post with great interest/sadness. This must be very hard on you also. The most important thing I can tell you is that they MUST be all related as I have the same 3 diseases. Please be sure you both begin therapy together. It’s the only thing sometimes that allows Jax and I to stay together through all of this BS. Love can rise above it. Also, just know that she is not the diseases. Plus, don’t believe the bull about people bring on diseases. It’s the bad part of new age theory. Thanks – Sasha
Hello Sasha,
Just read your Info from Jan. on SSI benefits & RA. What peaked my interest is my finace has RA, Chronic Pancreatitis and Interstitial Cystitis … all diagnosed in the past 9 months. I am sure she would like to hear more from you. She is having a hard time coping with all this. Any insight would be great.
Sincerely, Michael
Hi Sasha: I can certainly relate to all the dilemmas that I have read about in your blog so far. Thanks for sharing your experiences! You seem to have a positive mental attitude.
I, too, have a chronic medical illness– in my case I was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2003. I am also a pediatrician. I have started to try to write about my experiences at: http://bluefingers.wordpress.com/
Will keep reading!
It is great to find another site about RA that is genuinely beneficial to the reader and in particular an RA sufferer. I will definitely set up a blogroll and add you to it. I would like to thank you for your support and I am glad that I am getting positive feed back regarding the site as I was reluctant to use my own experience but I feel it would be the best way to reach people. I hope…