Home Community Member Stories Michelle O

Michelle O.

michele@rksolid.com 

Hi! My name is Michele and I am 29 years old with a 4-1/2 year old son.  I was just diagnosed, finally, a month ago, but already knew I had Rheumatoid Arthritis 2 years ago.  My trip started full force in a short time.  At first I only had a shoulder that the doctor thought I had tendinitis but after months of muscle relaxers and then numerous other areas bothering me, my doctor decided to do bloodwork. BOOM! My world was catapulted! I had an outragiously high rheumatoid count and was sent to a Rheumatoid Specialist.  Of course it took 2 months for an appointment.  By the time I got into the doctor, the symptoms were very evident!  I limped very serverly, I could not raise my arms, my feet were killing me.  I felt like a 90 year old woman and with a 2 year old it was hell on earth.  Of course, the specialist did his own blood tests and confirmed the same results as before, BUT! I did not have enough "points" to diagnose me.  The doctor did say in 6 months there would probably be no problem diagnosing me.  What a rotten hand.  You just have to deal with it. Well, during this time period, I already knew I had to go in for a hysterectomy for endometriosis.  This as bad as the experience was, was a very good thing.  Let me explain.  I ended up getting out of the hospital 3 days after surgery but was readmitted for numerous infections.  I had 3 full blown knock your socks off antibiotics administered over a week... Now here is the funny part of it... When I went into the hospital I was limping and couldn't walk straight and PAIN!  When I left... No limp..no pain.  I didn't understand it.  Not until about 6 -9 months after that.  I was looking on line and found da-da-da antibiotic therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Well I'll be darned! Well, a couple of months ago I decided I couldn't just keep taking Vioxx and getting worse.  I had gotten to the point where I can not open bottles and the funny thing is I have a very hard time opening zip lock bags. Go figure.  My fatique is probably the worse thing.. See I met my now fiance right after my arthritis hit and right before my surgery.  I have missed so much work and I feel like a whimp or a pathetic moron for it.  But there are so many nights I go to bed at 8pm and try to get up at 6 am and have to claw myself out of bed.  It's like I just closed my eyes 5 minutes before that alarm went off and feeling like I was totally druged or hung-over.  Well, the Rheumatoid doctor put me on antibiotic therapy and changed my anti-inflammatory to a much cheaper drug-atdolac.  Well one month on Monocycline and being that this medicine is supposed to help acne...oh lord.. I did not expect the reaction I got.  I looked like a leaper... huge pimples all over my chest, back, neck, arms, and face.  Then I started having headaches and then last week started having a low grade fever and *gasp* diarehea cha cha cha.  Call the doctor of course and wouldn't you know... I'm alergic to it! Yank me off the medicine and now I have to wait another month to get back into the doctor for a different course of medicine... I'm hoping for just going for the extreme medicines... after 2 years.. I'm just plain tired of being tired and feeling old.  I'm supposed to get married next week.. and lord I feel for this man...He does not know what the future holds for us... will we find a medicine to make me good as new... will I get worse? Will I end up on disability... How am I supposed to raise a son like this and be a wife?  I feel like an invalid.. and on top of it all I feel like a whinning smuck because no one understands what this is... uggg... well on with Life...

Update: September 11, 2002