Pretty much every time I visit my rheumatologist, he tells me, “you look good. You’re in remission.”

Unfortunately, by the time I get to his office, I’ve usually been awaken for about three or four hours minimum and the worst of the “morning stiffness” is over.  My body has had time to adjust to itself. Sometimes I wonder if the pain stops or if I just adjust and don’t notice it as much…

So he says I’m in remission.  But when I think of remission, I think of cancer.  I think gone.  No more.

So you say I’m in remission.  But I wake up stiff.

So you say I’m in remission. But I don’t want to get up to walk to the bathroom because the pads of my feet are painfully swollen.

So you say I’m in remission.  But I swell up teaching a heated yoga class.

I want remission to mean gone.  Isn’t that what it means?  Guess not.  RA has different rules.