We recently had an email from one of our visitors asking why we use the word “sufferer” on our website.  The author of the email, someone with arthritis, felt that the word was negative, depressing and indeed cringeworthy.

I have to say that I agree.  The word “sufferer” simply does not reflect the ethos of Funky Arthur.  Personally speaking, I also find the term unpalatable.   So why do we use it?

Unfortunately it comes down to a technical issue.  When I look at how people find us online, a large proportion of them include the word “sufferer” in their search terms.  Common keywords include “gadgets for arthritis sufferers”, “aids for arthritis sufferers”, “products for arthritis sufferers” and so on.  This means that if we were to remove the word “sufferer” from our site, then fewer people would find us and fewer people would have access to what we hope you agree are some great products.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.  As Funky Arthur grows and becomes better known, I can see a day when we will be able to drop that word altogether.  I for one can’t wait.

Christmas will soon be upon us, and for many this brings the dread of writing all those Christmas cards!  Pain when writing is a real problem for arthritis sufferers so we thought it was about time that we expanded the writing aids section of our site.  We’ve added two great new products which we feel sure that you’ll love.

The Original Pen Again

The Original Pen Again

The original pen again is a revolutionary no-grip solution to writing.  The body of the pen is shaped like a “Y” creating a cradle for the index finger to rest in, whilst the weight of the hand provides sufficient pressure to write.  An Ergo-Sof version is also available which has a rubber coating for even more comfort.

Dexball Writing Aid

Dexball Writing Aid

The Dexball writing aid was designed with arthritis sufferers in mind.  Made from high density foam, the spherical shape means no more painful gripping, whilst a special insert holds your pen or pencil in place.  Available in large or small dependent upon your grip strength or hand size.

If you’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, whether recently or in the past, then you may have found that the shock of diagnosis pretty soon turns into a desperate need for information.  Unfortunately, finding the right information can be difficult.  It’s true that there are some great websites out there, including NHS Choices, which has a comprehensive section on RA,  and of course you should have come away from your rheumatology department weighed down with literature to browse at your leisure.  None of these though, have the personal touch that you get from reading other people’s day to day experiences of living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Recently there has been a big surge in the number of RA bloggers out there, each with a slightly different take on how it feels to live with a chronic illness.  I follow many avidly and have learnt so much through doing so.  Here are a few of my favourite RA bloggers, but let us know if there’s anyone we’ve missed.

RA Warrior - A really comprehensive and frequently updated site which contains all you could ever want to know about the reality of living with RA

RA Guy - Living with RA from a male perspective this time.  The blog includes real profiles of people with RA and an excellent 60 second guide

Synovial Syntax - a British blog from a parent with a real sense of humour (and RA). 

Pollyanna Penguin - Another British blog finding reasons to be cheerful when living with a chronic illness

Single Gal’s Guide to RA - One woman, one crazy city and a chronic disease….

And of course, no mention of the RA community would be complete without including the fabulous forums that exist on the Arthritis Care website and the amazing work done by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society.

The panic surrounding the Swine Flu pandemic shows no sign of abating. To date I have received two letters from my daughters school informing me of confirmed swine flu cases (will I be getting one a day soon?). I can barely leave the house without running the risk of being sneezed, coughed or otherwise spluttered on.

As an RA sufferer, what is to be made of all this? Like many people with inflammatory arthritis I take DMARDs, and like many I am concerned about the effect of Swine Flu on my compromised immune system. It’s unclear at the moment whether all RA patients will be eligible for the Swine Flu jab, but so far no gilt-edged invitation has arrived in my letterbox!

What happens if one of my family goes down with Swine Flu - I can hardly avoid them for seven days.  Should I continue with treatment?  Will I need Tamiflu?  There are so many questions yet so little real information, which is why I was so pleased to receive a tweet from Arthritis Ireland telling me about a great Swine Flu downloadable factsheet put together by the Irish Society for Rheumatology. It’s full of really useful information and well worth a look.