Hi everyone!
Just thought I'd look around and say "hello." I'm 25 and I've recently (2 weeks ago) been diagnosed with RA, which is good news and bad news. The good news is is that I'm not crazy - I have been unwell for the last 18 months and have been dealing with my health spontaneously declining since then, and I have been trying to convince my GP and Rheumatologist that I actually have better things to do with my time than pretend that I'm unwell. Seems I'm one of those people that has slow-onset RA. The bad news, is of course, the fact that I have RA, but I'm glad that I'm not completely alone in the universe. I've spent the last 2 weeks obsessively researching, but I don't seem to be getting any comfort from the facts. My grandmother has seronegative RA, and is trying to comfort me about it "not being that bad," she's lived with it OK for the last 35 years, has had her RA managed by meds and has had minimal damage done by the disease. While that gives me a bit of hope, I'm still a bit scared that I will be in majority and have RA that may not be controlled. Right now I'm having to be a bit realistic about what I can expect from myself within the next few years - the possibility of persistent fatigue, yucky meds, pain, etc etc, and I'm finding it a bit frustrating. I'm on Plaquenil at the moment and I'm hoping that it will work - the worst it can do is cause eye damage, but I have to plan for a future of harsher drugs, coz HCQ may not work. I'm also on high doses of Prednisolone which gets me out of bed (yay!), but makes me a bit wacko.
Just thought it would be the best to share!
HI Paperdoll, what a yucky thing to be facing? However you have come to the right place. The problem with RA is that it is so hard to diagnose, I once read that on average it takes 3 years to diagnose!!! You know full well that your body is sick, the pain and fatigue you feel is real, I think we have all come across the odd medical person not taking us seriously. Do not give in as we have all been in that boat and eventually we get diagnosed and sometimes it is the wrong diagnosis and it becomes quite obvious further down the track. There are other conditions that can mimic RA so a Dr needs to be absolutely certain before they start you on the big-guy meds! I wish you a quick diagnosis and then you may have to be patuent with the meds as that is a real hit and miss proposition with some people. Thank God most people find relief but then there are others on this board including me that cannot tolerate the meds, or the meds don't work, or might have allergies, it really can be a long drawn out process which requires patience, persistence, and strength. I wish you all the best and hope you get sorted soon, Kind regards Janie.
_popupControl();^ Thanks Janie. I really do hope that it is something else, something that will be self-limiting, but there are no guarantees! Augh, I think that the worst thing a Dr can do is to question a patient's state of mind when they are mentally healthy, it causes such unnecessary distress. At the moment I fit 5/7 ACR RA criteria, and my Rheumatologist is very confident it is indeed RA, but deep down I hope to prove him wrong! I don't want the big-guy meds, they sound so horrible, but if there is a chance they can help me manage the condition, then I will be happy to give each one of them a go.
Hi paperdoll. Sorry you have to be here, but welcome. Hi PD...welcome!Hi Paperdoll...welcomeHey Doll!