How old are you now, and how old were you | Arthritis Information

diagnosed? Also how far has the disease progressed? I figured this could be sort of like a getting to know you thread (for me since i'm new, and like hearing others stories)

I haven't 'officially' been dx yet, but I know in my heart of hearts.

Anyway I was 20 when I first found out by my fam dr. My ESR was 38 and my RF was 160, so he deemed it RA.

I am almost 35 now and have a mild case that comes and goes. I've never had the fatigue or been physically limited,but i have noticed a subtle change in my left pinky(only noticeable to me, and it didn't dawn on me till recently..then again maybe it always looked like that lol) I've been taking natural supplements for 2 weeks now and notice a big difference already!!!

I admit sometimes I feel bad for even posting and don't feel like i fit the script since so many here suffer w/ severe ra, but i know things can always change so i choose to stay on the up and up with the latest treatments. My apt is today and I have decided to just stay au natural, and only resort to the heavier meds when and if it gets worse or progresses. I figure i'm still young, and the longer I'm on those meds the higher my chances are of having serious side effects. Note that is my PERSONAL decision for MY body and i respect everyones decisions on the methods they choose.

So..

1) how old were you dx

2) How old are you now

3)how far has the disease progressed for you

newbb39307.1996296296

I was 39 when diagnosed.

I was diagnosed May of 2006, but my Rheumatologist says that since my symptoms really started in October 2005, then this is probably my date of onset. That's almost 2 years ago.

That makes me 41 now.

Since then I have noticed changes in my right pointer finger and a decrease in the padding on my feet. Last xrays were 8 months ago.

My knees have actually improved since then and all my other joints have remained at status quo. The improvement in my knees may have been due to loosing 40 lbs. They say even losing 10lb significantly reduces the stress on our knees.

Thanks for asking the questions.

I was partially dx at 38, but had many signs and symptoms in my early thirties. I also had psoriasis since I was 14.

I am now 41, and most of my joints hurt all day. I have some troubles with my back, and my eyes are the biggest receptical at the momemnt. I have started a Pre-glacoma pattern and have cateracts.

I have Psoriatic arthritis, but my RF levels have gone up from two years ago.

You definitely belong here for strength and encouragement. I hope you can keep the disease at bay for a while, but follow-up with your Rheumy.

I was 47 when I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago. That makes me 49. (thats about the extent of my math ability). I am pretty sure I had this for at least 7 years before I was diagnosed. I started to have pain in my right knee in 1999 when it swelled up one night like a football. in 2000 same thing happened to the left knee. In 2001 I had a total knee replacement and the surgeon said it was much more than osteo arthritis and more likely RA or Septic arthritis. In 2002 I had the left knee replaced.

It wasnt' till my left wrist started to really flare up a couple of years ago that I finally saw a rheumy that diagnosed me with sero-negative RA. I saw 3 GP's, 2 rheumy's and 4 surgeons before I finally got diagnosed. my main problems now are my wrists, with my knuckles, fingers and balls of my feet and hips trotting along behind.

I have the fatigue and pain but think that for me the fatigue is worse than the pain at the moment.

Keep up the natural therapy as long as it works for you. But listen to your rheumy and trust him (her) when it is time to move on.

Good morning newbb,

I was diagnosed at age 3 but it was determined that I was born with it and that my entire body except eyes are affected by it. I am almost 38 now. I have had both hips and knees replaced at age 12. I enjoyed a remission for over 20 years when all I needed to take was an occasional ibuprofen when it rained or snowed. At 33, I started having more pain than usual. Nothing unbearable. RD put me on Naproxen and Plaquenil. At 35, I found out I was pregnant which was huge not only for having a baby but also because I was told since my operations that it was highly unlikely if not impossible that I would ever have children. I delivered a very healthy 8 lb baby who just turned 2 a few weeks ago. I had a wonderful pregnancy. I felt like what I almost imagine people without RA felt like. I could touch the floor for the first time in like ever. As RD expected, I went out of remission for a short time ( about 6 months) after giving birth. I lost some range of motion in my left shoulder. X-rays determined that there is very little space between my shoulder and the ball that allows it to turn. Same thing that happened with my knees and hips. Shoulder replacement was ruled out because surgeon said it wouldn't necessarily relieve the loss of motion just take care of pain. I didn't have any pain from it so we decided not to do anything yet. I consider myself to be very lucky because I don't think I have as much damage from the RA as some others. It seems to me considering I was born with it that it has progressed relatively slowly.

I was diagnosed at age 43, and now I am.....still 43! This all just started in February. The 4th, to be exact. It slammed me hard and fast, going from one day having a sore, inflamed wrist, to not being able to walk about a week later. I guess that's good for me, no long years of subtle aches and pains while RA was slowly destroying my joints. It took about 3 months till I was dx'd, and then another month or so to get on the right combo (MTX and Enbrel) to control. Now, aside of some achiness, mostly in my shoulder, fingers, and sometimes my knees, I'm pretty ok. I can still do almost anything I want to do, except running. I can't do that like I used to.

I know I don't super fit here as far as how bad the RA is, but I found out a lot about RA from the people here, AND I like everybody. Since they haven't asked me to leave, I'm staying

Linda

Hi, and welcome to the boards all you newbies that I haven't said hello to. I've been away for a month and a half and there are so many new people!! I'm sad that you have to be here but happy that you've found this place, too.

I'm 52 and was diagnosed a year ago after complaining for several years about pain in my wrists and hands mostly. So far deterioration(sp)has only showed up in one hand and my rheumy says the medication must be working. I still question my diagnosis though because RA attacks both sides of the body and that hasn't happened to me. I don't think I'm in denial, it's just that if I have to take this medication, in my case Remicade, then I want to make damn sure I really need it in the first place. You know?

Was 23 and am now 25

Hi newbb,

I was diagnosed about 1.5 yrs ago. I had been having problems with what my PCP called "migratory arthritis" because one week it would be in my hands then in my knee or feet. Looking back it has probably been around for a few yrs prior.

After several rounds of Prednisone from PCP he finally reffered me to a rheumy that diagnosed me with RA. My main problem areas now are my wrists, knuckles, fingers, knees, and the balls of my feet. I currently have fatigue and some pain. I have a boatload of ?'s for rheumy next month. Most of them I would not have thought about asking if I had not come here. (Thanks to everyone!)

I was diagnosed when I was 52 with a severe onset of RA. I had symptoms for about 5 years before diagnosis. Was misdiagnosed at Stanford Arthritis Clinic so I lived with the pain until I became homebound and couldn't walk. Finally was diagnosed by my gyn!! and referred to a rheumatologist. Have damage to most of my joints and it has been 10 years of trial and error with drugs. Not all cases are like mine. This hit swift and hard, sort of like the cosmic 2x4 upside the head. The aches and pains didn't get my attention but that 2x4 did. I'm 62 years young and I plan on living a long, enjoyable life. Lindy38 now; diagnosed I around age 33 (can't remember for certain - might have actually been 32 or 34).

Relatively mild, compared to the horrible pain and other symptoms most on this board must face. Occasionally I will need a medrol dosepack (methylprednisolone tablets taken in decreasing quantity for 6 days) to subdue the beast; otherwise, it's rest, NSAID's, and the occasional tramadol or vicodin. Oh - and fish oil. For me, it's been a godsend.

MILES!!!! Hey you!!!

I was 18months old, and now I'm almost 24. My left wrist has a couple of fused bones (from lack of cart. cushioning them) my toes curl in a little and I walk funny sometimes. Hehe but really I'm lucky.
I was around 34, was under going fertility treatments for repeated miscarriages when symptoms hit. I just turned 37, still questionable dx but more than likely sero neagtive ra. I have some damage in wrists and hands, with lots of swelling. Pain almost all the time and the fatigue is awful. My hands, wrists, feet, ankles, knees, hips, jaw, neck and lower back seem to be affected the most. Humria weekly and prednisone only seem to minimally help. I am on oxycodone 40 mg every 12 hours for the pain.

DXed @ 18 months old, Now 28... I think I am 28, I am drawing a blank again on how old I am. Darn RA Brain!!

Edited to add:

Yeah, I am 28. Good thing I changed that in my siggy, otherwise I would have had to call hubby at work and ask him how old I was again. Not the first time I have done it. He thinks I am crazy because I cannot remember how old I am. Ok... so I might be a little on the crazy side, but not the psycho crazy

I've come across more than a few who were dx at 18 months...must be something about 18 months, I'm stumped.

Thanks to everyone who answed. I guess I'm the only one so far dx in my 20's.

[QUOTE=newbb]

joonie, lol, one yr when my bday came i forgot how old i was too. Hah! Must be an RA trait.

I've come across more than a few who were dx at 18 months...must be something about 18 months, I'm stumped.

Thanks to everyone who answed. I guess I'm the only one so far dx in my 20's.

[/QUOTE]

LOL - last year after my birthday I went around telling people I was 38 for about 3 months, until I realized I had just turned 37

Its not severe nbin terms of damage but man the pain is

First of all...I think anyone fits the 'script' if there lives are affected by this disease. That is really all the criteria there is.

My history is kinda complicated so I will try and keep this as concise as possible.

My theory now I know so much about RA is that I had this as a child and it was not diagnosed. I ended up in hospital as a child three times as my neck would drop on my shoulder and I would be in a ton of pain. They could never find what it was, I rested in hospital and I would get better. Hmmm.

It sort of went in degenerative phases for me of about ten years each.

But what really triggered it off was a bout of pneumonia at 29. There are strong links to pneumonia triggering off RA as it throws our immune systems up in the air and then it is like the pieces come back down but in the wrong places.

Shortly after that I remember mentioning to my GP several times that the glands behind me ears were swollen a lot. Of course, when I went they were not, were they so after trying to get an answer on this several times I gave up.

The disease kept degenerating but I was so used to the pain it became normal. I put on a lot of weight in this time because movement became difficult. I was told I was lazy, had no self esteem, needed counseling, was imagining it, didn't eat right, was depressed...on and on it went.

Then I had my daughter at 33 who is now five. And, of course I had a massive flare, I now know, triggered off from the birth. For the next three years I was treated for postpartum depression, that was now the problem. Yes, I was depressed but from the RA both physically and emotionally. My doctor tried five anti-depressants before he struck one that worked.

Then my doc decided he should do a full blood work on me as it hadn't been done for years and my ESR came back at 85. He then a C-reactive protein and it was 62. But I had no RF as I am seroneg.

At this point physically, I could barely walk, was dropping everything, couldn't use a knife and fork, it was effecting my speech - all that inflammation and I was nightblind and couldn't drive in the dark anymore. I had a nearly three year old I couldn't pick up and it was rapidly getting worse.

Was sent to rheumy, of course, who did every single eliminating test in the universe. That process took two months alone. When everything else was eliminated...it was declared that I had seronegative polyarthritis...seronegative RA.

Well, great. I was 37 then and I am 39 now.

In the last two and a bit years I have been through Plaquenil, Sulphzalazine, MTX, Arava, some anti inflammatories which have been useless. Humira and the biologics have just failed as I have built up an immunity to them so I am about to go on Rituxan.

The inflammation is in all my joints and muscles from the nose down so I endure enormous amounts of pain, stiffness, crippledness and fatigue. Joy. Even my ears have been hurting the last few days.

And just to add some spice to it...I am a single parent now.

I guess for most of us we lived with this for a long time before being dx, and just accepted it as a part of our lives. I hate that part of it and can relate to Cordie so well. I was told the same thing, by people I love and trust.

I guess for us we just have to keep researching and suggesting and finding our way through with each other.

I am 19, was diagnosed 2 weeks after my 19th birthday and the doctors debate when I started showing symptoms - some think it was whe I got a virus when I was 18 and others think it started before that when I had severe pain and swelling in my knees (began at 12, never went away), which was diagnosed as chrondomalacia patellae. *shrugs* It's here now, so I guess it doesn't really matter!HEY I'M 75 today.....

good days bad days but am still around....

I thank God everyone morning I plant my feet on the floor..

take each day as it comes and enjoy life, live I'm 32 and was just diagnosed in June. I started having mild symptoms a
year ago that have progressively gotten worse. Fortunately, it appears I
have not damage.

I'm 45 was diagnosed at 22. Classic onset received the diagnosis at viryually my first PCP visit. Looking back I had symptoms in my early teens. Severe joint damage, multiple joint replacements

When I was a kid multiple drs told my folks I had 'arthritis'. No one mentioned RA. It would come and go - mild to medium, never severe.

My Jr year in college is when it became a chronic thing - say age 20. After 4 years of constant 'sprains' of forgotten cause, bowel inflammation, and terribly light sensitive eyes and oh yeah TMJ so bad I was sent to an oral surgeon who 'forced' me to see an RD. I was dx on my 2nd RD visit as seronegetive RA.

I am 53 and could use new elbows and knees. But my feet are the worst for pain. Still working.

so since your hands and elbows are ok you can walk on your hands for a while, maybe it'll help your feet

It hit like a ton of bricks. I had surgery last November to correct a congenital hip problem, then I had some more surgery in March to correct my lack of listening to my dr. about NOT bearing weight on the leg.

Anyway, I woke up one morning in March with my hands and feet so sore I could hardly walk and could barely use my hands.

My hands still are not 'back to normal' and I fear they will never be again, so I have a 'new' normal now.