Re: I am new and have some questions

[Guest guest]

Mem - where do you live? There must be options for you.......medical assistance or even thru a sliding scale at a university based hospital.

Sandy

From: "ohmeme50 "

Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: I am new and have some questions Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:29:01 -0000

I don't mean to bore anyone, but this is causing me anxiety....would it be ok to ask a few questions?' also my Mother, who is now deceased, had RA, and my sister has fibro is it ok to ask questions here? I don't have insurance and the dr bill was extremly high, they did want to send me to Rhuematologist; but she wanted $400 just to see me; and at least $800 for "beginning tests" please let me know....I think I do have it tho, but would be grateful for some clarity and feedback gentle hugs mem

[Guest guest]

Hello

I am still searching for that clinic that would have sliding scale.

I live, rural area, in the 'progressive? south'. We are in the

bracket of 'too much but not enough' lol

I had to go get my test results from the Dr office...they forgot to

send them to me...the one test...RA-RHEUM Factor reads: results

Neg<20..reference: 0-3-IU/ML...what does that mean?

I think I am going to just try to keep record of my symptoms, what I

find helps me daily, and as much as possible, use exercise as able

and herbal therapy. I have never been one much to trust Drs anyway.

Thank you for letting me be part of this list

many gentle hugs

meme

I don't mean to

bore anyone, but this is causing me anxiety....would

> it be ok to ask a few questions?'

> also my Mother, who is now deceased, had RA, and my sister has fibro

> is it ok to ask questions here?

[Guest guest]

>Hello Meme,

> Your results for RA-RHEUM mean you test negative for the

>rheumatoid factor. This does not mean you do not have arthritis --

>it just means you don't have rheumatoid arthritis. I also test

>negative for the rheumatoid factor. My GP classifies my arthritis

>as " sero-negative inflammatory arthritis. "

From the Sav-On drugs " savonhealth.com " site, I got the following

info on RF levels:

" About 3% of people without rheumatoid arthritis have a high RF

level. Of these people, only about 5% will later develop rheumatoid

arthritis. In addition, about 25% of people with rheumatoid arthritis

do not have a high RF level. A doctor always uses the results of an

RF test along with information gained from a medical history and

physical examination before diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. "

So a negative RF is does not " rule out " a diagnosis of RA. I expect

that I will be one of those 25% when I finally have my Rheumy

appointment at the beginning of April, since my RF tests have all

come back negative, yet I seem to have fairly consistant, and

progressing, RA symptoms. If I don't post again before then, be

thinking of my on April fools day when I get to see the Rheumy for

the first time. (Then that night when I get to go for my second sleep

study, this time with a c-pap machine attached. With any luck I will

be fully diagnosed and on my way to feeling better on several fronts

by mid April!)

Marty (In central Illinois)

[Guest guest]

I tested negative for the RA factor and my disease is quite severe.

I just recently tested positive for it but when I was diagnosed over

8 years ago, I was negative.

-

>

> Hello Meme,

> Your results for RA-RHEUM mean you test negative for the

rheumatoid factor. This does not mean you do not have arthritis --

it just means you don't have rheumatoid arthritis. I also test

negative for the rheumatoid factor. My GP classifies my arthritis

as " sero-negative inflammatory arthritis. "

> Where in the South are you? I'm in Culpeper, VA -- a rural

town about 2 hours west of DC. I have to travel into DC to see a

rheumatologist because there isn't one here.

>

> Hope that helps,

>

> Steph in VA

>

>

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