Re: Re: I have been reading

[Guest guest]

Lynda how old are you and why did it take so long to diagnose your RA Ann Salinas

[Guest guest]

Ann I am 59 years of age, and was not diagnosed due to very poor medical care by my General Practitioner here in UK. I had reached the point where I thought I was going to die, and begged to see a Rheumatologist and as soon as I saw him, he knew exactly where I was coming from, did some blood tests,and hey presto - RA was diagnosed. I was told I had the most aggressive and severe form, and from that day I have been treated like Royalty by this Doctor and his team. However, of course the damage was done to my joints and I am now having to use a wheelchair most of the time and require help from my family for many things. Here in the UK we are not allowed to try anti TNF's until we have tried 2 of the cheaper drugs first due to the high cost to the National Health Service, so at the moment I am on methotrexate, and finding the side effects very

hard to bear, the total exhaustion is very disabling in itself. It has helped the pain though, and on the whole I am coping better. We have just moved house to a single storey, because I could not climb stairs at old house and it is wonderful being on one level now. Previously I only made it downstairs once during the day, and then back upstairs at night to go to bed. Now, I have the run of the whole house which is very liberating. It seems that I may be able to try Remicade next year if I can get it on National Health (free), so I am hoping that this happens. This week I had a very bad asthma attack which resulted in being sent to hospital as an emergency. My first thought was that it was the MTX but I have been told probably not by Doctor. I wonder if anyone else out there has experienced asthma with MTX ? I was very frightened by this episode, and if I the MTX is the cause

then I shall have to stop taking it. I have also just got an electric mobility scooter, and wow !! this means that I now get around the village quick and easy and it has made such a difference to me, I feel that I am getting my life back little by little. Best wishes to you and to all others suffering this awful disease from a very wet and windy Shropshire in England Lynda SALINAS <503salinas@...> wrote: Lynda how old are you and why did it take so long to diagnose your RA Ann Salinas