Home Community Member Stories Jodie H.

Jodie H.

jods@hutchtel.net 

Hi All.

I am Jodie. I'm a 42 yr old mother of 2 and soon to be a wife and stepmother of 5 more. My story is short but far from sweet. I have always had problems with the joints in my hands. Especially during drastic weather changes. But this past winter I began to have severe pain in my finger joints. I went to see the Nurse Practitioner at our clinic and she ran blood tests. My RA factor came back negative but I did have a slightly positive ANA (1:40). During my quest for knowledge on RA I have found that most don't consider a 1:40 a positive ANA at all. My NP diagnosed me with tendonitis even though I told her it was in my joints. I also complained of severe fatigue that seemed to take over my body around 1-2pm in the afternoon. I also had morning stiffness. She gave me a splint to use on my finger (which immobilized my finger and made the pain much worse). 

I finally decided it was time to be checked out again. During the last 3-4 months I've had excruciating joint pain in my fingers. They have been swollen. I have gotten to the point where I could not hold a pen or write my name (writing checks was fun!). Suddenly doing simple things like opening bags, zipping my jeans, washing my hair, picking my ears etc became almost impossible. I was referred to our Orthopedic Specialist at the Clinic and he diagnosed the RA almost instantly. He felt that further blood tests were not necessary because my joints were clearly swollen, boggy he said, and quite painful. He said he didn't need a blood test to prove what was already there clinically. 

I, to say the least, was shocked. Actually flabbergasted! I was expecting carpal tunnel or some other syndrome--not RA. Now I'm trying to find out all I can about RA. Most sites say the same things over and over again. I was put on Aspirin therapy to try for 3 weeks. If this does not work, he will refer me to a Rheumatologist because frankly, RA is past his skill level. Hmmm. I've been taking the aspirin for almost a week now and I don't feel a bit of difference except that my wrists ache now too.

I would like to hear from anyone who has this disease--and specifically how it can affect other organs of the body. I also have had periods of chest pain/pressure; SOB, especially when I lie flat in bed; exhaustion after exercise or activity. I'm worried it could have affected my heart.

Please feel free to email me here. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Jodie