1 - WebMD

nan’s note
from the editor in chief
“Mom, do you know how many people are better, smarter, prettier than me?” [Nothing is what
meets the eye, my dear.]
“And there’s nothing left to dream up or invent—someone else has done it.” [There has never
been a more exciting time to invent and create.]
“Mom, you just don’t know what it’s like out there. Five-year-old prodigies making videos and
being booked on talk shows.” [Point taken. In my day, all my childhood idols went to rehab by the time they became
adults. But remember that there was a lot of hard work before success came versus 15-minutes-of-fame stunts.]
Is it harder to be a kid today than when we were kids? Probably.
Somehow, instead of being inspired by history, literature, art, or a
new music album, today’s kids seem to be feeling more intimidated
by the vastness of all they can see and access. They are bombarded
by reality TV, endless entertainment choices, and the ability to type
virtually anything into a search engine and see that someone’s already
thought of it before or has an opinion about it. It’s got to be daunting
during one’s formative years. It’s daunting for all of us, really. But
then there’s the upside, and to me it’s outrageously exciting for the
generations to come.
I witness what technology and media have done for my brother,
who cannot see with his eyes. He operates his smartphone like he was
born with it. It tells him almost everything imaginable. He may not be
able to see the videos he makes on it, but he can show me a video of
his son swimming or of his trips around the world—showing me what
could be seen and telling me how it smelled, sounded, and tasted.
When he still was a teen, he didn’t know that he would one day
be working at Dialogue in the Dark in Atlanta as a guide leading sighted
people through a unique exhibit designed to give a more profound
understanding of what it’s like to be blind or visually impaired. Today, he does not see what’s on the
outside; he sees what’s on the inside—through sound and touch and the sensing of motion and
mood. And every time we see one another, he always tells me how beautiful I look—and then asks
me how he looks. And he looks gorgeous, even if he cannot confirm that for himself in the mirror.
This year, don’t get overwhelmed by everything around you. Use yourself as your own benchmark.
I am feeling pretty optimistic about you in 2011. I believe that possibilities and opportunities for all
of us are out there. We cannot plan for these, but we can seize ordinary moments and make them
inspired. And we can dare to dream about a goal and plan a path for reaching it.
Before you leave 2010 behind entirely, check out our WebMD.com/yearinhealth. What
a year it was, from bed bugs and whooping cough to celebrity health stories and our pets.
Happy New Year!
Nan-Kirsten Forte, MS
Editor in Chief, WebMD the Magazine
The fact is over half of patients with moderate to severe RA
have trouble with social, family and household activities.*
Each person experiences moderate to severe
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differently. But there
are a number of common ways that it impacts
patients’ quality of life. These ways can be broken
down into 8 areas. You can begin looking for
ways to reduce the impact RA can make once
you’re able to recognize the following areas:
1. Affects the physical activities you’re able to do
2. Forces you to cut down on your daily activities
3. Causes you day-to-day pain
4. Interferes with your overall health
5. Reduces your energy
6. Limits your ability to make and keep social plans
7. Limits what you’re emotionally up to doing
8. Makes you feel down sometimes
Do all you can for your RA by knowing the facts.
Learning more about your disease, including
the ways it can impact your quality of life,
can help you manage it the best way possible.
Discovering how much your RA is impacting
your own life is a good place to start.
Get in the know about RA today.
Call 1-800-RAliving or
visit www.RAliving.com
to get your information package,
including a Quality of Life Monitor.
Francesco Lagnese
* Based upon a 2005 market research survey of 715 RA patients, which included
565 patients on biologic treatments and 150 patients on non-biologic treatments.
© 2010 Bristol-Myers Squibb
IMUS10UBAD22401 Nov/10 Printed in USA
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WebMD the Magazine | January/February 2011