I go tomorrow for an MRI of my left wrist/hand to check for damage and inflamation. The doc asked me when he ordered it which hand hurt more and at that particular time, my left was acting up more, so that's the one he wrote down. Last Sunday I iced a bday cake for my daughter and since then, my wrist, elbow, and finger joints have been in a bad flare. Pain, swelling, you name it..so now I wish the order was for my right wrist cause I know something would show up there! I am still hoping they can see some inflamtion on the left. I go back to RD a week from tomorrow and hopefully he'll have more answers once he gets this MRI!I think he's probably looking more for damage than inflammation. Inflammation is usally a given if you're flaring. If your left is the one that's had active disease the longest then that's likely the one that will likely be damaged if that's the direction your RA is headed. Some people have flares, inflammation and swelling in joints for years but they have little or no damage. You don't know until you have the MRI. LindyYou are very very lucky you have a doctor progressive enough to be in touch with the proper diagnostics needed for RA. I am glad I asked formy hand and wrist MRIs, as the x-rays taken at the same time didn't even note the osteoporosis in some of my fingers that the MRI caught, plus the synovitis in both wrists. I fell asleep during mine :)It's taken me two duds for RD's to find one who showed an interest in pursiuing this, so yes, I know I am very lucky to have found this one! I've had several MRI's in the past and have no doubt that I will enjoy a quick snooze in there. The smallness and noise don't bother me. Got the MRI done. Turns out I am really glad that they weren't doing my right hand after all. After seeing the position I had to keep my arm in, I never would have made it through. I wasn't expecting them to need to do contrast but after about 30 min. he came in and said he needed to start an iv for the contrast. Thankfully he was good at it and it didn't hurt. So, now I wait until I see RD next week and hope he see's something in these results to help point him in the right direction!
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