RE: Causes??? (31/05/08)

[Guest guest]

Dear Harold Thank you very much for answering my question so knowledgeably. I can now picture the process you describe clearly! Harold, if I may ask, why did you contract rheumatoid arthritis? What were the causes? Thanks. God Bless. Ken.Harold Van Tuyl <hvantuyl@...> wrote: Ken, I think those are probably rheumatoid nodules if they are small (like a pea or smaller), but if they are larger they are likely to be synovial cysts. I have lots of rheumatoid nodules, mostly on my hands but some elsewhere. These can come and go, or come and stay. I’ve just learned to live with them because if they are surgically removed they usually just come back. They are one of the diagnostic criteria for RA but many people with RA never get them. I’m not really sure what causes them or what is in them, but they can either feel squishy or fairly firm. The synovial cysts are connected to

the joint but they may not be right at the joint. RA causes the joints to make excess synovial fluid and that can make a cyst right at the joint or the fluid can travel through a tendon sheath and erupt at some distance from the joint. They can be surgically removed but often return. I had a large one removed from my right wrist and it never came back, but I ignored a smaller one on my left wrist and it just went away by itself. I consider the nodules or cysts to be just nuisances rather than something to really deal with. It is necessary to ask your doctor about these at your next visit because all I know is my personal experience and what reading I did to

try to understand my situation. There are probably other things that the lumps could be so you should have your doctor look at them. God bless. From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of Ken PearsonSent: Friday, May 30, 2008 11:29 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Collection of Symptoms Hi Harald Thanks so much for your interesting hypothesis that RA is a syndrome of symptoms common to a lot of diseases. This approach would explain a lot

of the 'mystery' of RA. Harold, I have 2 'fluid lumps' or 'collections of fluid' on the top of my left hand just below the wrist. One doctor said these were common in RA. What can I do to get these pesky cysts go away? Hoping you are well, I thank you for the care and time you put into this group. Ken.