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The programme piqued my interest because I think that it’s time that the term “Rheumatoid Arthritis” had a makeover too.  If you suffer from RA yourself you’ll be familiar with the type of comments that abound when you talk about your diagnosis.  People often confuse it with osteoarthritis and will empathise with you by sharing their own “aches and pains”.  However, whilst osteoarthritis is another dreadfully debilitating condition, it doesn’t generally include the type of systemic effects that are common with RA, and doesn’t require the aggressive and often toxic rounds of medication that people with rheumatoid arthritis have to accept should they wish to avoid serious joint damage.  There is a real lack of understanding out there.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame my friends and family.  Before my diagnosis I knew nothing about RA either and would probably have been guilty of making the same sort of comments.  No, what I blame is the name, which is both ambiguous and uninformative .  So here’s my challenge to you.  Can you come up with a better name for Rheumatoid Arthritis?  I’d love to hear it.

PS:  There are some great organisations doing their best to raise awareness of RA.  In the UK the most well known is the NRAS who are making a Radio 4 Charity appeal on Sunday 17th January at 07.55 and 21.26.  And if you can’t manage either of those times then it is repeated the following Thursday at 15.27.  Well worth a listen! Find out more

Arthritis Ireland's Exercise Book and DVD

Now I’m not claiming to be Paula Radcliffe, but prior to being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis I did a fair bit of exercise.  The year before last I took part in the Playtex Moonwalk - a 25 mile night walk around London, a year or so before that I took part in the MS Society’s 50 mile Big Foot Challenge.  We even have a treadmill.

However, since my arthritis took hold I have been nervous about exercising.  Will it make me worse?  How much (if any) pain should I put up with in the pursuit of a healthier, fitter me?  That’s why I’m pleased to tell you about a new product - Arthritis Ireland’s Exercise Book and DVD ‘Be Active with Arthritis’.  The programme has been designed in consultation with physios who specialise in arthritic conditions so you know you’re in safe hands.  Step by step instructions enable you to maintain and improve your mobility in the comfort of your own home - avoiding any horrible ‘gym moments’.  All proceeds from the sale of this exercise book and DVD go directly to Arthritis Ireland so your order will support a great charity too!

The copy is reproduced with the permission of Arthritis Care (UK) and was originally published in their magazine, Arthritis News. See www.arthritiscare.org.uk for details.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We’ve had a great deal of feedback recently from customers asking where they can get hold of a Funky Arthur catalogue. Well, today we’re pleased to announce that you can now download and print our catalogue in PDF format to browse at your leisure. Please feel free to use as many copies as you need, and do pass them on to any friends that may find our products useful.

The catalogue contains our full range of arthritis aids, alongside pricing and details of how to buy.  Take a look, we hope you enjoy it.

Download an arthritis aid catalogue.