Doc, when I saw you and you diagnosed my rheumatoid arthritis and told me I will get better when I stick to my treatment, I was so happy and reassured.

But when I went back home that same day and I started to read more about my condition on the internet, and when I also joined some patient groups for rheumatoid arthritis, since that day, I have been feeling so down, so frustrated.

All those who have rheumatoid arthritis in the patient groups are sick and in pain and depressed. How come you told me I will get better and how come all the rheumatoid patients I met on the internet are so suffering and unhappy.

Yes, your condition will still improve. You will still be better and happier. I still insist you will, if you drink your medicines and follow all the instructions that I gave to you. Also, if you leave those patient groups, you will even improve faster. The patients you met in the patient groups, most of them did not represent rheumatoid arthritis patients that we see in our clinics. They represent a particular subset of patients with rheumatoid arthritis; the frustrated patients who did not experience any improvement in their condition and they are a minority if we compare them to the total number of patients with the disease that we see in our clinics. You were in the club of that minority. You are in the unhappy patient club.

Patients whose condition is better and who already experienced good improvement in their arthritis do not go to patient groups. They do not look for patient groups anymore. They even log out of patient groups. And if they go to the net, it is no more for rheumatoid arthritis pains and treatments. It is for pancake recipes or weekend outings.

Even you yourself, when you improve, you will no longer search rheumatoid arthritis on google or look for patient groups anymore. Please always remember that very important fact when ask google about rheumatoid arthritis and search for patient groups.

The patients that you met in the groups do not represent the future of your arthritis. They represent patients with really more severe and aggressive disease or patients who are not on the optimal treatment for their disease or patients who did not drink their medicines because of own beliefs or because of too much frustration. Drink your medicines, follow your doctor’s instructions, have little patience and you will still get better and you will still get over this arthritis.

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This post was prepared and published by  Dr. Hatem Eleishi. Dr. Hatem Eleishi is a professor of rheumatology at Cairo university (Egypt) and is especially dedicated to supporting arthritis patients with online educational videos and articles about arthritis causes and treatment. He also runs a rheumatology clinic in Cairo and a center for www.tabibakom.com/en that, in addition to providing online rheumatology consultations, also provides online medical consultations in several different medical specialties by expert consultants from Egypt, Canada and the United States.

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