No sympathy, please.

[NbyNW]

Shootingstar, I was unaware of your previous work, and of course there will be variation among individuals regarding their experiences and sensitivities and the like.

The point that I REALLY wanted to make is that comparing the OP's struggle to adapt to life with RA to someone who relies on a mobility aid is not the same, and not very helpful to the OP. What would be helpful to her is examples of how others with RA manage their symptoms, stay positive, stay active, etc.

[Crankin]

I am surprised at the vehemence of reactions to this post. There are several here, including myself, who have been through a similar thing. It is hard to understand if it hasn't happened to you. We all have a certain "vision" of ourselves and when that is shattered, for whatever reason, it takes time to readjust the "new" you. When it is a change that you really don't want to make, even if it's the best for you, it is incredibly difficult. So while now I can take the time to smell the roses, I didn't want to hear that a couple of years ago, and I still get upset when I see or hear of others *older* than me, with much worse health issues, who are doing more. What helps me, is to put it in perspective from the point of view of my "regular" friends. They think I am a superwoman.
And that's where the counseling comes in. Try to forget that I'm a counselor... because when I went for counseling when I was going through this, I wasn't. I wasn't depressed... I was angry. I felt like my body had betrayed me. That, and a good dose of anxiety was making my situation worse. It really just took a neutral outside observer to help me see some things that I knew, but didn't want to admit. Dealing with a chronic illness is a difficult thing. Pair that with someone who is athletic and maybe competitive, there's a lot of adjusting to do. We've all found our own way.