Officially an Arthritis Sufferer | Arthritis Information

Hello 2 everyone, I havent posted on the boards lately but I have been reading all of your post. I finally got the results of my blood test and bone scan after calling the clinic 4 2 days and leaving msgs.

I'm glad you finally got some results, if not all the answers. At least your doc is starting you on something. Hopefully that will slow it down, whatever form of arthritis it is. Just hang in there, and keep after your doc until you have all of your questions answered. Keep us posted, and we're here for ya if you need us.

Take care,

Cris

Dear Shawnie, I'm sorry to hear you are suffering :( I pray that you find some relief soon. RA happens to young as well as older people. I wish you luck with the prednisone. Sending you love and hugs, juliah (p.s....my mind had 2 work 2 hard 2 read your lingo, LOL)If I remember right, the bone scan shows what areas are damaged but also shows inflammation. Did your doc tell you what the scan showed? I have normal blood tests, and I had a bone scan early on. It showed areas of non-specific inflammation, which I was told means something is going on and inflammatory arthritis can't be ruled out. If the scan shows areas that are very bright, that means damage. However, a lot of areas of damage from RA would be likely to be accompanied by joint deformity. Do you have morning stiffness, fatigue, visibly inflamed joints? They are some of the criteria for diagnosing RA. Lab results are only part of the picture. I hope the steroids help. If it's an inflammatory arthritis, it will respond quickly. That, I was told, is also a sign that there's inflammatory arthritis.

Hi Shawnie,

Sometimes it takes awhile before the arthritis can be named with any certainty. It took me 4yrs to get a diagnosis, hopefully you won't have to wait that long. It sounds like your Rheu... is doing a good job. The hard part for you right now is finding the patience to give meds a chance to work. The fatigue is very hard to deal with and there are no easy solutions. As the inflammation subsides, the fatigue should improve.

I knew you had to be young from your shorthand postings. My grandsons try to do that with me and I find it much harder to read. Some of us here are "old like me", take pity

Barb

Hi Shawnie; Welcome to our group. We're glad you found us.

Please double check your instructions for the predisone. Guys; correct me if I'm wrong but I do not think I have ever been given a 12 day coarse of predisone and then just stopped. I have always been told that this is dangerous. I have always had to cut back slowly and be "weaned off" (Not sure if that's spelled right; but all of you with experience know what I mean)

Starling is right. If it's some sort of inflammatory arthritis you should see a difference quickly with the pred. I sure did. I was dignosed right away (with negative blood work) and the predisone made a difference almost over night. My doctor called me the day after she'd prescribed it was thrilled it was working. She said that was just one more thing that confirmed her original dignosis. I wasn't totally better...don't expect I ever will be; but I could actually move which was a major improvement!!

I'll have to go with Barb on this one Sweetie; although the short hand is quicker for you to type...it takes longer to read. Write the old fashion way for all of us that aren't fimiluar with the chat lingo.

Again; Welcome to the group. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Lovie

Thanks to all who responded, i have read all of your post. I must apolgize to those who found it hard to read my message, I guess i just assume that everyone whos on the board knows the shorthand lingo

Thanks again 4 your help

Thank you Shawnie.

Barb

Im sorry it takes so long for me to respond but Im not at home the majority of the day so I usually have to do all my posting at night.