Hi, my name is Linda im 33 years and married w/ 3 children. I was just wanting to introduce myself to you guys, I will be commin here for help and questions. My dr. just diagnosed me with RA, Im goin to see a Rhuematologist on the 23rd. Could yall maybe tell me what i can expect from my visit? My problems started after my last baby was born June 2005, it started in my hip. Mostly starting as a nagging pain that felt like I just needed to pop my hip... later the pain got worse but there was times it would go away completly, its a very strange illness...Does anyone know what sets off a flare if anything? Now im at the point were I have pain in all of my joints from time to time. My dr. currently has me on Diclofenac 75mg twice a day, i was taking celebrex but that stopped helping. This doesnt seem to be working any better. Sometimes the pain is so bad I have to take Pain pills but its not easy to get my dr. to give them too me and it kinda makes me feel like they think i WANT to take them... they make me sick at my stomache...but thats all that helps sometimes....anyways to move along... just recently I have started having burning and tingling in my joints, I havent been able to talk to my dr. about it yet because they SUCK at getting back to me but can anyone tell me if that is normal w/ RA?? I also take an antidepressant daily lexapro 20mg. The past 2 years have been quite a rollercoster for me heathwise. June 2005 my baby was delivered emergency c-section..I had preeclampsia with all 3 childeren. Exactly 1 year later I had to have a hysterectomy because I had adenomyosis... I also had endometriosis as a teenager which seemed to have got better after i had children... anyways, so I had the hyesterctomy in June 2006, In January this year I had to have my gallbladder removed do to gallstones. So basically for the past two years I truely feel like I have been falling apart and im only 33. It has truely broken my spirits but im really tryin to overcome it. My grandpa and my uncle both had RA and both ended up with very crippled hands and knees. Things just dont seem so hopeful to me right now and im really hoping that You guys can offer me a little light at the end of this tunnel. I am just now even trying to research RA because I have been in denial. Wow this ended up kinda long, thanks for any insight that you may offer me...
Linda
Welcome to AI Linda. Hi Jo-jo...the first year is the worst, so you will never again feel as
lost as you do right now. As far as triggering flares, you may have
something but there's so many variables it may take some time to find
out what yours are. For some people it's foods (dairy, meat, gluten, or
nightshades, in particular). Other people react to weather or stress. I
read about one guy who reacted to that orange dye they put in cheddar
cheese!
Please don't be frightened because of what happened to your Grandfather
and Uncle. RA treatments have progressed a lot and it's possible to
live a fairly normal life, even with the infliction. It may take a
while to find what treatment works for you, or you may luck out right
away. Also, a regular routine of moderate excercise really helps a lot
of people.
Educate yourself. Good books to read are:
The New Arthritis Breakthrough (covers a good alternative therapy)
Rheumatoid Arthritis: The First Year
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan to Win
Hi Linda and welcome! I recommend starting a list of questions for your Rheumatologist Appointment. It is amazing how we can forget our questions especially if the Dr acts like they are rushed.
Gimpy is so right that the first year is the worse. I was undiagnosed during the first year and scared. Finally during the second year I got a diagnosis and started treatment. Your Dr should not mind giving you pain meds and if they do mind then maybe a pain specialist could help. I also take pain meds from a very good specialist.
Good luck and keep us informed.
Linda...I hope you hear some good news from you RD this month
I'm a newbie here also and I've learned a lot from this site and the posts. Hang in there ... and again I hope you hear some good news from your RD. My 'first' appointment with my RD is tomorrow I was recently dx'd and still have tons of questions and uncertainties. But everyone is so nice and helpful here...well except for Gimpy (just kidding)! We have a love/hate relationship, we love to hate each other. lol
Welcome Linda! I'm also pretty new. I also have 3 kids, all delivered after pre-eclampsia. Pretty scary at the time but things were fine. I think my RA started a loooooong time ago. Looking back, I had tons of symptoms I didn't know belonged to this. And yes, stress is my major problem. Too much stress=flare. I hope you find the answers you need. There are many sources. Have a great weekend and happy mother's day!
Hi Linda, good that you 'found' this forum....it is a god-send!! You sound really overwhelmed with the beginning of this dang disease. Honestly, finding out 'what' it is that you have is the first step. Your doctor will review your lab work, or ask for some, and look at your hands, your walk for foot irregularities (toes), stuff like that. And then come up with a plan to stop the damage to your joints! I hope you trust your Doc as that important. I started with plaquinel, then to methotrexate, and now below have added more meds because of an unusually BAD flare!! I hope you can take some deep breaths and trust you will get the right meds for you. love, SarahHi Linda and welcome to this special community. You're in a pretty scary place in your head right now, as you try to learn about and come to terms with the implications of this condition.
I'm sure that you will find lots of support and help on here, a place to laugh and a place to cry, and a place of comfort when you just need to vent.
Welcome to the board!
Getting into the rheumatologist and starting treatment ASAP is very important. In the meantime while you are waiting to get into the doc, research all possible treatments. There is more out there than the traditional meds. There are many people here that can help you out with researching alternative therapies also. Choose what you think is going to be right for you.
Print out a list of any questions that you have for your rheumy so that you do not forget to ask him or her anything that is on your mind. Develop pain management and stress techniques. Journaling, meditation, music, hot packs, moderate exercise, are just a few ideas. There are many more I'm sure people will post to help you out with that.
Advocate for yourself. Only you can make the docs give you the best possible care that you deserve and need. As far as the pain medication thing goes where they are hesitant on giving you anything right now could be that they want you to get into the rheumy first and see what treatment you are going to do. It can also be because a lot of docs just do not prescribe them and it is hard to get them to prescribe them. Never ever let yourself go in pain. Do whatever it takes to manage your pain. Even if that means bugging the day lights out of your doc.
Please let us know what your rheumy says at your appointment. And please ask any questions here that you have. There are a lot of wonderful caring and knowledgeable people here!
Hi there! Newbie here too.....but I'm learning alot on here. I remember just late last year telling a friend how awful I felt for another close friend of mine because she had RA and the meds they put her on weren't working....and I could NOT imagine how hard it is for her to be going through this being so young. (she's the same age as me..34.) About 3 months later I was diagnosed. Just seemed unreal. I didn't believe the Dr at all....I also have Graves Disease and I thought all my pain I was having was from that....turns out it wasn't. My problems all started after I had my baby last year too. (several months after I had her) I believe my RA and Graves was brought on by stress....and who knows what else- luck of the draw?
Anyway-- there's a great group of smart people on here that can give you lots of good advice! (I'm too new to know a whole lot) I look forward to getting to know you.
You've come to a good place. Yes, RA is scary but asking questions is a very important step towards understanding.
Your first RA doctor's appointment will mean filling out several forms, an exam, and blood work.
The exam will mean that the doc will check your hands, feet, spine, TMJ joint and should do x-rays too. You will be there for a couple of hours. The bloodwork is to get an idea of what's going on. As far as the blood work goes, some of us are sero-negative but have the symtoms of RA. The trick to getting this thing under control is early treatment. Don't be upset if the meds that they give you don't seem to be helping. Some of them take time. Keep track of all of your reactions to the meds as you may have to take combo meds, MTX with folic acid.
The biggest thing you can do now is lower the stress level and find out as much as you can. Plus keep asking questions no matter if you feel silly asking. Knowledge is power!
RA is not like it use to be and with support from caring people, you can learn how to live with this.
Again thanks for joining us.
Hi, Linda
There's not much I can add to what everyone else has said--just wanted to say "Welcome" and that you have definitely come to the right place. I am a newbie too (just diagnosed in December) and I have probably learned more here than I have from my Dr. (although he is very good; I'm just in such a daze when I am in his office I don't catch everything he says). I'm not nearly as frightened as I was at first.
This is definitely an illness of ups and downs and everyone is different. But when I'm having a particular problem I post it here and someone usually has experienced it and can give me some advice.
Good Luck!
Hi Linda and welcome. I hope you get on the road to feeling better soon. Good luck with your dr appt.
Take care
CinDee
Welcome Linda. Sorry you have this crappy disease. One thing for you to do