Officially an Arthritis Sufferer

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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.

My blood test were completely normal according 2 my RA doc, however the bone scan showed that I have arthrits in multiple joints, my back, pelvis, hands, feet, just to name a few. I asked my doc straight out did she still think it was RA, and she said she is still not sure since the blood test did not show signs of RA. She wants to start me on predinsone 4 12 days and then after that she wants me 2 b off of it 4 a wk. 2 see how my arthrits responds 2 it feeling there must b inflammation somewhere altho the test dont show it. All I know is Im stiff every morning and in pain the majority of the day. I work and go to school and it is really taking a toll on my body. I am so tired by mid morning I almost fall asleep at the wheel.

The fatigue is so overwhelming Ive had to nap in my car just to b able 2 get thru the rest of the day. I guess it's good 2 finally b sure its arthrits, but it just worries me that it is n so many of my joints, how much & how fast will it continue 2 spread, and is it RA, OA, or another form of good old Authur

? What do u guys, & girls think? Im not sure what 2 feel now, happy that I know, or unhappy cuz im breaking down already at 28. Thax 4 listenting 2 my sob story. Take care. Shawnie24138490.6548148148

Hi Shawnie,

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 and spell things out. Pretty please.

Barb

I know that feeling, i was relieved toknow what it was, but terrified i was 'old before my time'! Like barb says it can take time to sort the meds out, they're still trying with me, i still nap during the day and if i try not to i end up in situations like the other day, half way up my mums stairs i sat down for a rest and mum woke me about 10 mins later and sent me to lie down!

good luck, take care.This may sound silly, but do you have pttied or ridged nails? How about poriasis? You could possibly have psoriatic arthritis, which is alot like ra. I was diagnosed over 4 yrs ago with ra, but I was still having problems even with the meds. I kept telling my family dr something was wrong, but he dismissed it. Then when he left the clinic another dr took over and she sent me to an rd who diagnosed me with not only ra and oa but with pa which has been running rampant for at the very least 4 to 5 yrs. There are over 170 different varieties of arthritis so you could possible have something other than ra. meme

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 and I use it because its faster to type and easier on my hands. To answer some of your questions, I had been diagnosed wit RA by a PCP in the clinic I used to go to (before my job and insurance) The RA doc I am seeing now wanted to be sure of it so I guess that's why she ordered the test. Yes starling I do have morning stiffness (noon and night stiffness too), and horrible fatigue during the day, but its hard to see inflammation on my body because I have dark brown skin. I do also have swelling but to me it is mild compared to others I have seen with RA. Oh and Lovie don't worry, my doc did say she would start off the predisone with a high dose and taper it down for the 10 or 12 or however many days she's got me on it. Im hoping it will work like you all have said it does, I am so tired of pain I am ready to scream. I am grateful though to finally have an RA doc who is helping me instead of dismissing me like I was just released from the nut housel

Thanks again 4 your help

Thank you Shawnie. Hope you feel better very soon.

Barb

It is very rare to see really severe inflammation on RA patients now. Because there are so many different meds, usually there is at least some degree of control even if you don't feel that much better. When I first was told that I might have RA, I assumed that everyone who had RA had completely deformed joints overnight. Your doc will know what to look for, and if (hopefully) the prednisone is working, you will start to remember what your hands used to look like and that will give you an idea of how to gauge for yourself if you have visible inflammation.

I agree with u Starling, I look at my hands everyday and while they are not deformed they do swell, and they are starting to drift to one side(as are my toes). Even my Doc asked me if I had ever damaged or hurt my pinky finger I guess because it is so damaged. I cant wait to start the prednisone(should have picked it up today but sometimes the pharmacy is slow about filling prescriptions). I sure hope it works!!!!!! I also cant wait to see my RD again because I have so many questions in my head I want to ask her, Like does arthritis usually spread like this in someone young like me? And if it keeps spreading the way it is will I end up being completly cripple? Is there any way to stop it from doing any further damage? Just needing to know what to expect. Thanks for your help tho.

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.

Hi all!! I am new to this.. I have RA-Titer of 32 for Rheumatoid Factor-I have no idea what the titer of 32 means-and I would love to be friends with you all-but I also am not that great on computers-don't even know how to post a messge..duh!! Please help!!