Having a panic attack - knuckle on hand is roasting hot and red and
painful - keep looking at lots of horrible pic on net of hands with RA
and I just don't understand how you cope with this - sorry I'm having a
really really bad day today.
Hi Julie
We all have those days My pinkie was
like that for a long time, then it turned purple. I started MTX and the
purple color went away. For now you might try some ice on it and see if
it helps. If it gets really bad you can ask your doctor for a
shot of cortisone in it. It doesn't really hurt much if he sprays
the numbing stuff on it first. Hope you feel better!
You poor thing, I know what that panic feeling is like.Hva eyou tried heat on it.I am fortunate to have klonopin to help calm me down when the pain is too much and the fear of the unknown is there.Another thing that helps me is getting in a darkroom,lighting candles,putting in a good movie and getting comfotable.Maybe you need to take abreak from the internet it will scare you to death when you find things like pictures of RA.
I hope you get better soon.
Sheila
Julie; some of those pictures show the absolute worst of RA. A lot of those pictures date back 50 years. There wasn't the treatment that is available today.
Please don't let that stuff scare you so. You are on the right tract and if it is found that you have RA you will soon start a disease modifying treatment that will slow the progression dramatically.
The likelyhood of you every experiencing those types of defromaties is very, very rare.
I have been treated for many years with what is referred to as DMARDS and I have very little noticable damage. If treated correctly your prognosis is very promising.
Hang in there girl.
I get these deformed-looking joints all the time and wonder if my finger or wrist or toe or whatever will ever look normal again. Then wonder of wonders the flare subsides or I get a cortisone shot in the joint and all is well again - the bendability is back, the color is normal and the use is there. So have patience, get a shot if needed from your rheumy (little pain momentarily), splint or wrap the joint if possible so you don't bump it. I also get swollen nodules on my finger joints and those are tremendously painful to the touch. Those I wrap in cotton and then tape to protect them from touch. Works pretty well. Good luck to you.Hi Julie!
The following is a post that I wrote almost 24 hours ago to another newbie, Cindy. Hope it makes you feel a little better!
Hi Cindy and welcome! I'm glad to hear that you now know what you're fighting against and are choosing to do this with a little support instead of on your own. You'll find that this makes a big difference. Take advantage of the fact that with todays meds, you have the upper hand in this battle. I'm going on my 20th year of slugging it out with RA and I'm here to tell you that no matter how bad you think the pain is now, it will get better. I'm one of the bad ones you hear about with the destroyed joints, the joint replacements, the deformed hands and the "prednisone belly." With all this in mind, I am happy to say that I have held down a full-time job for most of the last ten years and have probably not missed more than 3 days due to RA. You see, this is a winnable fight. My RD has said more than once, that if I had had the meds 19 yrs. ago that are available today, I would have never had the destroyed joints that I have and have had. You have a lot of things going for you. Try to be patient, even during the tough times and work closely with your RD. You'll be okay!
Allen
sewez, before I started MTX the top of my right index finger curved to the right and I lost the ability for my right thumb to move correctly...I don't think those will be fixed with meds, but those are the only deformities I've had for many years. I guess surgery can fix it *shrugs* Julie-I did the panic thing too. It sent me into a total tailspin when that happened to me. I also imagined the horrible pictures that you saw. Everyone is right. DO NOT look at those anymore. I am still new at this too, but a shot of cortisone in your knuckle will make it feel and look soooooo much better. One second of pain will way outweigh the pain you have now. I thought I'm the only who totally freaks out about that. Hopefully, for you as it does me, you'll read all the responses from people who have had this for so much longer and who have been through so much more, and feel better that you're not alone.
From what I remember of your sweet husband's post, I think he said you're having trouble convincing your doctors of the fact that you even have RA. Is at still the case? If so, we need to help you get treatment. Please tell us where you stand on the doctor situation.
And Lovie is right. Stop with the awful pictures. They're old and very, very rare. Most of us look perfectly normal. No one knows anything is wrong. (Which can be a hindrance at times, but that's another story. Have you read the posts of stuped verbal attacks on those of us with handicapped plates?) Anyway, the thing we need to do right now is get you immediate (if for now temporary) relief of your pain. So where are you with the doctors?
Do not go around the net and look at things/ read a lot. A lot of it is not accurate and isn't profitable. It will just scare you.
We are all here to support eachother and we are all at different stages of our disease. I had pain/swelling like you are having in your finger, and it is mostly gone now. TOTALLY! There really are success stories out there! Read the success stories more than the bad stuff- I believe diseases have a lot to do with the mind as well! Our minds are powerful.
Butterfly I couldn't agree with you more. Only you can control your mind....and your mind controls your body. Decide early on Julie that you are going to train your mind to keep your body in a positve state. It will help you through some hard days.
A positive attitude will go along way toward helping you live a happy life. I won't promise you pain free days...but you will be able to deal with the pain better if you have your mind in the right place.
I realize it's still very early for you Julie; and for some of us it took years to get to a place where we weren't constantly beating ourselves up over this....but eventually you'll get there. Give it some time.