karen@dzjamieson.fsnet.co.uk 

I don't know really where to begin. My story started nearly two years ago when my baby boy Sam was stillborn at 27 weeks. It was a very hard time for us. We already have a boy who had just turned two and he helped us through this. About a month later in December, I had a sore wrist. I went to the doctor and I was told I had Tendonitis. I was prescribed anti-inflamatory tablets and that did the trick.

About two weeks later my other wrist was sore. I went back to the doctor and she did a blood test to rule out arthritis. I phoned the surgery and was told the doctor wanted to talk to me. The doctor told me that the test had came back positive and that I had RA. I couldn't believe it. I told my husband and he was devastated. So, here we were, 27 years old, just lost our baby and now being told that I had RA. It was a lot to take in.

I was given an appointment with Rheumatology for the middle of January and my husband came down with me. The biggest question that I had was if this had anything to do with me loosing Sam. The doctors told me no but it was rather a coincidence.

We still wanted a baby so I decided not to go onto any tablets. About four months later I found out I was pregnant. I was never away from the hospital between scans and blood tests and rheumatology.

The symptoms of the arthritis had really calmed down when I was pregnant and I was to be induced into labour of 28 December 2000, however my little baby had other ideas and she decided to make an appearance on 23 November 2000. She was six weeks early.

About one month after having Zoe, my arthritis came back with vengence. I was put on NSAIDS first - Vioxx- then when that didn't work I was put on DMARDS as well. I am currently on Sulfasalazine, eight a day at the moment, and I am still sore and stiff. I am also on two vioxx and painkillers. I have just received my blood test results and my ESR results have went from 14 back up to 22. I have to go for more blood tests next month and if it doesn't improve then they'll have to decide what to do next.

It has been a hell of a past two years for us. We are still coming to terms with loosing Sam, the arthritis and all the drugs I have to take to have some sort of normal life. My little boy gets upset that I find it difficult to play with him on the floor and run around after him. Looking after the children is really hard and I am always tired and sleepy, but life goes on and thats exactly what I have to do, live.

Sorry for the novel but I would like to hear from anyone who has been through the same problems and still came out the other side. I would also like to hear if anyone has any ideas about coping with children and arthritis at the same time.

Thanks for reading my story.