what a mess I am in !!

[Guest guest]

Hello -

I have not posted anything for quite a while as I have been having a

very difficult time during the last 6 months.

I suffer from RA and have been taking methotrexate for 2 years now

and my symptoms have improved. I still get flares and quite a few

side effects but I am so much better than I was 3 years ago.

I have just received quite astonishing news though. I have become

quite deaf in one ear (going deaf in other ear as well now) and have

been suffering from very severe tinnitus as well. My ENT consultant

arranged several brain scans for me and lo and behold the results

have shown that I have a condition called auto-immune ear. There is

no cure for this save for being given anti-TNF drugs and it seems

that my deafness will worsen over the years. I am also going to have

worsening deafness in the other ear, and I am now the very proud

owner of a wonderful digital hearing aid which is absolutely

fantastic. I have also been given tinnitus masking aid which helps

to try and take my mind off this dreadful tinnitus by putting another

type of noise into my ear as distraction therapy.

The most shocking thing though is that when I had my brain scans the

consultant found that my pituitary gland was shrunken to about one

sixth of the size it should be !! He has made a guess that my

immune system has attacked my pituitary and now I have to see an

Endocrinologist regarding my amazing problems !! it seems I am very

rare. what a laugh. Seems that rheumatoid arthritis is eating me

away, it's so fantastic you can hardly believe it.

Then last week, after having had problems with my digestive system

all winter and having been referred to gastro-enterology, guess what

has been found - a cyst on my pancreas. I cannot believe what is

happening to me. I am waiting for further tests but it seems that

there is major trouble ahead for me. Could be surgery and

combination of chemo and radiotherapy, goodness knows how I shall

cope with my RA and all.

I turned 60 last July and it has been downhill all the way regarding

my health and looks like I have a bit of a battle ahead. During all

this I have been astounded that so few people outside of the medical

profession understand that RA can have such devestating effects on

your body - they seem to think it's just a few aches and pains and

hey - pull yourself together. This has certainly been a shock to

them, but I still don't think they fully understand whats happening

and what we have to put up with.

I shall let you know what happens - needless to say I am seeing so

many medical people at the moment and having many tests etc.

I live in the UK and we do have a problem with waiting lists etc.,

but thank goodness treatment and drugs are free here.

best wishes - Lynda