WYLLIE ARTHRITIS CENTRE 17 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park WA 6008 | PO Box 34, Wembley WA 6913 Tel: (08) 9388 2199 Fax: (08) 9388 4488 Email: general@arthritiswa.org.au www.arthritiswa.org.au
Please click the donation button below or complete the coupon over the page and give your most generous gift today.
From the desk of Ric Forlano
CEO, Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA March 2014
Dear Friend,
“How are you?..., How is your day?..”
…is a greeting we use so casually but how real are the replies?
Here, at pain headquarters, almost everyone we greet is enduring pain caused by arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or one of more than 100 auto-immune diseases. Mostly, they put on a brave face and say “oh, I’m fine!” For many, the pain is unrelenting and relief is hard to find. Rheumatoid arthritis can make it painful and hard to reach your feet and harder still to put on shoes and socks. To kick a football with your son or grandson becomes impossible.
Lupus is another nasty. Lupus affects more people than all those with AIDS, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis combined. Lupus hits your joints, makes them painful, causes rashes, ulcers and can hit your kidneys. You won’t like rich foods because your gut will react with embarrassing consequences. And then there is Ankylosing Spondylitis that affects the spine and lower back but can include skin disease psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which is when the bowel becomes inflamed. Just another nasty cousin of arthritis. Just a bit of arthritis…
Asking ‘how are you…’ or ‘how has your day been…?’ is so one sided that we thought it was time you told us how you really felt, to reply what it’s like for you…?
t r o p p u S
Is your arthritis made better or worse by the weather, or by what you eat? Are you in the care of a specialist? Are you taking drugs and do you feel they help? What more can we do for you? 2/- cont...
P lease continue over the page...
We’d love to hear from you..
2/- cont...
Margaret one of our regular visitors, is one who held nothing back…
“I woke up one day and my hands, knees and feet – just about every joint in my body – all hurt. It had been particularly cold and while I expect some flare ups in winter, this was the worst pain I’d ever faced. I said ‘Enough, it’s time I took control of this ‘thing’. So I got myself together and drove to Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA in Lemnos Street, a place I’d driven past thousands of times. Being barely into my fifties, I just didn’t want to believe I had this ‘old persons’ disease’. Wandering in, without an appointment, I met a wonderful volunteer counsellor called Sarah, and together we had a long chat about arthritis and how to manage pain. I actually felt a bit ashamed because her rheumatoid arthritis affected hands looked a lot worse than mine. But as she explained, ‘We’re all different and we can all help each other.’ She told me about tai chi for arthritis classes which helps pain by relieving stress so I signed up straight away. Since then, I’ve been receiving the Arthritis Today magazine regularly which keeps me in touch with all the pain management and self help courses on offer and the research the Foundation funds. And so her story unfolded…” Margaret gained new confidence as a result of sharing her story and so I am inviting you to tell us about your experience too. We know some people feel isolated not wanting to complain and instead, suffer in silence. Not any more… Please tell us your story. Don’t endure your pain alone. You are also welcome to visit us in person or phone and chat to a counsellor.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be a serious, life crippling, disabling and painful condition. So too is osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondlitis, lupus, or any of more than 100 bone and joint diseases.
If you have personal experience of these diseases, you will know I speak the truth. You will also know the worth of giving, to help us do more to find answers so that we might help those with one or more of these diseases I describe above. Your past support is much valued but a gift today will be most wonderful.
Warmest Regards,
Ric Forlano
P.S. Breaking news is the appointment of Professor Hans Nossent to the position of Winthrop Professor, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine at UWA, completing years of effort to first establish the Chair and second, to raise funds in support of his work and the research we anticipate he will lead. P.P.S. Remember, we would love to hear your story, but if you would rather just give a donation, we welcome your support with an open heart and encircling arms! Please click the donation button to the right or complete the coupon over the page and give your most generous gift today.
17 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park WA 6008 PO Box 34, Wembley WA 6913 Telephone: (08) 9388 2199 Fax: (08) 9388 4488 www.arthritiswa.org.au
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Dear Friend, Arthritis is not selective in who it attacks, or sympathetic to the agony it causes. Generous financial donations ensure our haven of support is always available to those who need it most.
So as I welcome you to take advantage of our facilities and services might I also ask you for a donation? $50, $25 or even $100 would ensure that support services and research can continue on and ensure a brighter and pain free present and future for all. I will be grateful for any amount you can give...
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Your story
Here are some inspiration starters. You may like to even pick just one; • • • • •
Please share your story with us here. If you need more room then please simply attach additional notes.
• •
What does arthritis mean to you? What would you like to spend more time doing? What would you like to spend less time doing? What would you like to spend more time thinking about? What would you like to spend less time thinking about? Your experiences with the Arthritis and Osteoporois Foundation What service or information not currently provided would you love to see available?
Thank you for taking the time to help us better understand how we can help you. By supporting each other, anything is possible. Please include your story with your donation slip, or mail to Ric Forlano, AFWA, PO Box 34 Wembley WA 6913. Alternatively you can email RicF@arthritiswa.org.au.