Wow!

I can't believe it's been two months already since the last post. The holidays were a whirlwind, as usual, for all of us here at Arthritis Today, and for the past 4 to 6 weeks, we've been pretty darn busy here, not only getting new issues of the magazine ready, but also getting our new Web site up and running. Now you can access us through the Arthritis Foundation home page, or you can go right to www.arthritis.org/ArthritisToday. There, we give you bonus information that ties into topics in the magazine's current issue, and you'll be able to find favorite articles and advice from past issues. Over time, the Arthritis Today's home page will build nicely and provide even more services. It went live yesterday, so now.... back to blogging!

You might notice that we've changed the title of the blog from "Arthritis Today's Hot News" to "Arthritis Today's Hot Topics." The reason for the change is that you readers often send in questions that, indeed, become hot topics of discussion among the staff and extended family of Arthritis Today. But what's on your mind and ours isn't always what makes the headlines on the evening news. We dive into the deep end of the news current and come up with questions and other connections to explore. We'll explore some of those topics here, some in the magazine and some on the Web site. Check out all three places to stay as informed as possible. And keep your questions coming! (E-mail them to atmail@arthritis.org or send them to Arthritis Today, 1330 W. Peachtree St. NW, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309.)

One topic that has been on my mind lately is pregnancy and inflammatory arthritis. Over those whirlwind holidays, I discovered I was pregnant with our fourth child – 8 years after our current youngest was born! I'm now 40, will be 41 when the baby is born in August, and am not yet through my first year since being diagnosed with RA. I was shocked, my husband was shocked and my rheumatologist was shocked. I had started on sulfasalazine back in September and was feeling great and could tell some inflammation had subsided by November. Ironically, that's when I got pregnant. Perhaps getting my arthritis under control got all my body's systems back to normal, making it conceivable to conceive.

Now that I have conceived, my rheumatologist has told me to stay off the sulfasalazine during the pregnancy, and that we can explore other treatment options, if I need help during the next several months. But so far, so good. Overall, I feel really good and really healthy. At times I can feel the pulling sensation and soreness in my wrists, hands, ankles or feet. But once I rest a little, I'm fine. I'm maintaining my exercise – walking, using the elliptical machine or ramp machine at the gym and lifting weights twice a week – and I'll add in swimming soon (once I need some relief from gravity on my growing belly!). Of course, I'm eating as healthy as possible, and that always makes me feel better.

I've gone through some extra testing, now that I am of "advanced maternal age," but I've had good news. Even with having RA and autoimmune thyroid disease, the tests show I have no more risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome or Turner's syndrome than a 20-year-old woman. The blood tests and ultrasound show a healthy, developing, active baby, for which I am grateful. I know many women with lupus and RA have had miscarriages – I had one years ago, myself – and the perinatologist I saw recommends my rheumatologists tests me for antibodies that could trigger one this time around. I am not worrying, but I admit I sometimes do feel the weight of all the information that needs to be sorted through during a pregnancy. One question I have is this: If I'm off the sulfasalazine for all these months, and the inflammation ramps up again, what effect will that inflammation have on the growing baby or my health during the pregnancy? Will I have an increased risk of pre-eclampsia or stroke?

I'm not the only one with questions, either. Last summer, when I was at the American Juvenile Arthritis Organization's annual conference here in Atlanta, I sat in on a lecture being given to young women who were planning or considering pregnancy. The amount of information given by the doctor who was speaking was astounding, and the room full of young women furiously took notes and asked questions for a good hour or so. There was a mother and daughter sitting right in front of me, and the mom leaned over to the daughter and whispered, "We have to get a calendar to keep track of when we have to do everything." That sparked an idea within me that I'd like to make a reality. I see a real need for young people with arthritis to have more information about what they need to do before, during and after a pregnancy to ensure their health and the health of their baby. While I'm developing this idea, please send me any questions you may have regarding handling pregnancy along with inflammation – whether for yourself or for someone you know. You can post a comment here that I'll see, or you can send your questions to the addresses I gave a few lines up.

Let's discuss this hot topic and find some answers. And if you have other topics you want to discuss here, just let me know.

Take care,
Donna Siegfried