Anyway.I have been reading on the board and other RA boards.I never really thought about RA back when all this started a few years back.Always thought of lupus.But looking back and even now in the present I see the signs I was just blowing off as being overweight and out of shape.The many mornings,including now, that it hurts to walk cause of the stiffness and pain,hard to straighten back after sitting down,hip pain,knee pain(had surgery 10 years ago on knee) and the thumb pain which has now turned into swollen painful knots whenever my thumbs get inflamed.A couple of years ago my ankle and foot swelled up from walking, a few more years back I had gout.When I first went to the orthopedic about my thumbs 3 years ago,I thought some how I had broke them,especially the right one.She told me then I was more than likely developing some form of arthrtis and it was a shame due to my age.I have since been back to her for shoulder pain,impingment in left shoulder and only surgery will fix it so I just ignore the pain and push on.Since I have been exercising and strengthening my deltoids the pain is not as bad during the day it mainly hurts if I sleep on it now.
All these red flags along the way.Even though I have no blood work to prove anything I am gonna try even harder to get these extra 40 pounds off and work on developing my muscles to support my joints.I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop anytime now.I haven't felt this bad in awhile and now that the pain and stiffness in my feet are back I am even more concerned.All these years I have blamed every ache and pain on my weight.I have lost 60 pounds so far and really don't need to lose but 20 more but I am gonna push for the weight I was when I was in my early 20's.Not to fit into a size 8 again but to protect my joints.But all the weight lose and exercise has maybe woken up this problem inside me and is now trying to keep me down.I am trying so hard.Who knows.But I have to keep fighting.
Changing the subject just a bit.I was wondering does it take a very serious flare to detect any signs of RA?
Thanks for reading my post and listening to me ramble on.
Take care,Sheila
Hi Sheila, welcome to AI, don't think i'm the best one to answer questions, but I know there's a lot of people here that are so good at it, they've helped me a great deal.
I only had flares in my hands and feet when i was diagnosed, and I'm sero-negative too, so it didn't show up on blood tests either
hope you get some answers soon,
I was diagnosised on my first visit; but not all doctors are so quick to tag it as RA. We do have many here who spent years trying to figure out what was wrong. In my opinion that only delays your treatment. I hope you won't have to go through that.
Good Luck,
Lovie
Hi Sheila, Welcome to the group.
Sorry to hear that you have been through so much pain. I hope you will soon have the answer that your looking for. Have you ever seen a Rheumatologist, docs that specialize in arthritis conditions? If not ask you regular doc to give you a referal to one. He/she may will probably be better able to tell you what type of arthrits you have, and start you on meds that help the pain and inflammation. Hope you feel better.
Shawnie
Welcome, Sheila, to this wonderful group of people who can relate to everything that you are experiencing and feeling.
My RA crept up on me insidiously. I can remember Xmas shopping in 1996 and I could not hold the bags without having my fingers stiffen and ache. I handed everything over to hubby. I would sit in the bleachers at my kids' football games and when it was time to leave, my knees would not move. When it was cold, I found it impossible to unbend them.
If it werent for smart and caring docs who truly listened to me, I'd have joint damage by now. As someone whose labs never supported any dx, I had docs who prescribed the DMARDs and NSAIDs which handled the pain and stiffness.
Hopefully you're being followed by a good rheumatologist. It makes all the difference in the world! And take your meds as prescribed. I used to rebel against having to take meds so frequently and I'd "take med vacations"....bad decision! My pain/stiffness would roar back with a vengeance. Now I am much more disciplined and med compliant.
good luck...come back often to share!