I've had many medications failed me but also my aunt was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis like 40 years prior to my diagnosis and I always knew of rheumatoid arthritis because she was in a wheelchair and she couldn't really walk her hands were severely deformed and she suffered you know obesity from steroids she was treated with gold and she was diagnosed before the time of biologics so Having seen the advances in medication and also the devastating effects that rheumatoid arthritis can have when left untreated, and also feeling those effects when you have uncontrolled rheumatoid arthritis, I think medications is an incredibly important topic because there's... a lot of misinformation and myths and I think the what first myth that we need to bust because if you go into any Facebook group or on social media there's always talk about rheumatic disease medications are dangerous and have extreme side effects what would you say to somebody who believes that

Yeah, so I have these conversations all the time with patients and I think what you are seeing in social media is what I hear in my clinic a lot.

I think the, and you both touched on a really key, I think, point for people to consider when they're having discussions about medications is the disease itself can be dangerous and have side effects and have complications.

So, you know, rheumatoid arthritis, for example, or the other types of autoimmune arthritis, one, they affect the joints.

It caused joint swelling, inflammation, pain, loss of function.

They also cause inflammation throughout the body as well.

And we know very well the effects they have on fatigue, which is really common in people with active rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

This one's maybe really quick, but what would you say to somebody who says taking medications means that you failed to manage the disease naturally and it's a sign of weakness?