Well, thank God for the women making this board active. And a hearty invitation for you male lurkers out there to come out of the shadows every now and then.
I think people who are doing OK with their disease and busy with life will not have too much time to spend here. That is great. They will miss out on some helpful discussions, but can always go back and read the archives when they get interested. One cool thing is that the record of people's experiences is being added to all the time, so the information is growing. But there is still a lot to be said about interacting with others -- even making friends -- through this forum. For the first 23 years I had AS I only knew one other person with the disease. I felt alone in it, but since it was not a major issue in my life, that seemed OK.
I myself did not even start reading this site until my doctor told me about Enbrel and that people with AS were using it in trials -- that was shortly before it was approved -- so I wanted to do some research and see what people were saying. I might have had a few questions back then, but did not get active until this past year when my condition got so bad that I was compelled to get more answers. As I got involved I discovered a community (with more women than I expected, but still diverse).
Sometimes when I don't feel well all I want to do is just lie in bed and use my laptop and wireless to stay amused. I spend time at other blogs, but try to check out this site every day, at least the General boards. Technology has brought us together and it has also now become part of my therapy. Nope -- that sounds too unmanly. Instead let's say it has become part of my LIFE.
