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Krystal
Krystal's Story
seven.7@ns.sympatico.ca
Hi, my name is Krystal and I was
diagnosed with RA January 1999. I am
still in shock about it most days. I don't have a family history of RA
and the RA factor doesn't show up in my blood tests. I personally
believe that it was triggered off because of my own vanity. I had
decided that at 31 I should not have facial acne and asked my doctor for
accutane. I was told that side effects could occur but after you
discontinue the drug side effects cease as well. I also had to have my
blood monitored for various things. I wasn't however given a list of
possible side effects that could occur and I wasn't informed fully about
the drug. I was encouraged to take it. Two months into taking this drug
my
doctor called me and told me to stop taking it. I guess my liver could
not handle it or something along that line. A few months later my feet
started to bother me. Not to bad at first but as the days and weeks
went by I was having a harder time walking any distance. I thought I had
overworked myself and didn't give myself time to heal. Then other joints
and muscles seemed to be coming into play. I was prescribed different
anti-inflammatories and then I was referred to a RA specialist. Before I
went to see her I had gotten worse, to the point of having my husband
help me to the washroom in the middle of the night, to having him give
me a shower because I couldn't lift my arms up to wash my hair. By then
I had done some research on my symptoms and knew what I had. I told my
husband what I thought I had and he went into denial. When my
appointment with the RA spec. finally came, my husband came with me. She
looked me over and said, " You do realize what you have already ,
don't
you? " I said yes but I needed the confirmation just as much as my
husband did. Once we left the office and pulled away I just broke down.
Questions with no answers kept going through my head. I didn't know
which way to run. All I have is my husband to support me here. My family
lives about 4000 kms away and my husbands family is a days drive away as
well. I just wanted to go "HOME" . Needless to say I'm still
here. I am
seeing a different RA now for personal reasons. I have been told she is
good.The only drawback is that she is about an hours drive away. I don't
have a general doctor. I have no luck in keeping one. I'm looking for my
4th doctor in 4 years. You just get comfortable with one and they decide
to move on and out of the area. I am now on Celebrex200mg--2x/day,
plaquenil 200mg--2x/day, and methotrexate 7.5mg/week on saturdays. I
have decided to up the MTX to 10 mg/week as recommended by my RA. My
hands are getting worse and my toes are still quite tender. It has
been over a year now and I'm still trying to deal with the frustration
of it all and so I tend to babble. Any way there is more to my story but
I think all of you know how that goes. All the ups and downs. That is
what brought me searching for something more. I wasn't sure then what it
was I was looking for but I think I may have found it. I think I need
the support of people who understand what I have gone through, and what
I am going through now. I hope to meet all of you through the message
boards and while on chat. I may not be able to get to chat often but I
will try my best. -----wishing you all the best---Krystal
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