Guest guest Posted July 17, 2002 Report Share Posted July 17, 2002 Hi, I was (tentatively) diagnosed with RA yesterday. I say tentatively because all my bloodwork keeps coming back negative, but my Rhuematologist looked at the ever-increasing swelling in my hands and said she doesn't know what else it could be. I think I'm still in denial. I have spent the past 3.5 months going to drs, only to have every test come back negative. Yesterday's diagnosis wasn't a surprise as my dr and I had discussed the possibility but were hoping that something else would come back positive (like a viral infection). Didn't happen. This all started when I went to my PCP 3.5 months ago for hand pain. Initially I was thinking I had CTS as I work on computers all day. Any way, now I've been on Relafen for 2 months and even had the dosage increased once but my hands keep on swelling and the pain keeps increasing. I guess I'm lucky that that's all I have to deal with at this point. My dr is sending me for a whole body bone scan before we start treatment, which presumeably will start with a short-term run of prednosone. Can anyone tell me what a bone scan is? All I know is its suppose to identify areas of inflamation. Thanks in advance for any information you can offer! -Millie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 19, 2002 Report Share Posted July 19, 2002 Hi Millie, You could still have arthritis if your bloodwork comes back negative. I have sero-negative inflammatory arthritis, which means I don't test positive for the rheumatoid factor. However, I am positive for the B27 gene, which some doctors think is a genetic mutation. Unfortunately, many people play the doctor game. My symptoms started in Sept. '99 (which I was 22). I went through 13 doctors over 2 months before being diagnosed. The whole body scan is an important piece to determine your inflammation and joint erosion. Aggressive arthritis does the bulk of its damage during the first months and years after symptoms begin. When I had my body scan in Nov. '99, it showed inflammation in all of my left joints. The scan isn't painful or anything, but it is difficult to lay still. Good luck. , Reactive/inflammatory arthritis, AS and psoriasis Culpeper, VA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win but the people who don't give up when they lose." ( )~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 Thanks, , I appreciated the info regarding bone scans. You were right, lying still for so long was a pain. I find out Monday what the results are. In the meantime I have been taken off Relafen, thanks to the high blood pressure that turned out to be a side-effect. I suspect that I will learn alot about various side-effects of different drugs in the coming weeks and months. *sigh* I am limited to taking extra strength Tylenol until my blood pressure normalizes again. At least it is something, and it *does* help! In the meantime, I know it sounds silly but has anyone had luck trying Yoga or meditation to relieve pain? Thanks again and best wishes to everyone! Millie __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2002 Report Share Posted July 27, 2002 Dear Millie, I use both meditation and yoga for pain management, but I mostly use the breathing technique that I learned when I was young and a runner. My technique is very similiar to Lamaze (mine worked better for me while I gave birth to my children!). If you are " into herbs " , a combination of garlic(get the odorless kind) and cayenne(there is a " no-heat " type-probably at your local healthfood store) helps to balance the system for blood pressure issues. In my experience, this combination helps to balance both low- and high- blood pressure. I am usually low, but when I was pregnant, I developed high-pressure. Hope this helps, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2002 Report Share Posted July 27, 2002 In response to your question about yoga: I have been doing pilates and it has really helped...especially with stiffness. I recommend it especially with a trainer that monitors you. The machines really help. Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2002 Report Share Posted July 27, 2002 I, too, have been doing Pilates. It's great exercise and the best part about it is the stretching. I do it with a trainer who's also a trained physical therapist. I highly recommend it. gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2002 Report Share Posted July 28, 2002 I'm new to this group, but to answer your question about yoga and meditation, yes I meditate any time the pain gets so bad it hurts to do anything. Sometimes I do guided visualization, like imagining my meds being SWAT cops and breaking the door down to a house I own to forcibly evict squatters. I visualize the names of my meds stenciled on the jackets the SWAT cops are wearing, and the disease and pain being Mirandized as they are arrested and hauled away. Here's the Miranda warning I give when I visualize that arrest: " You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be used against you in the War on Pain. You have the right to leave the premises (my body) and never return. You have the right to return stolen property (my life and livlihood) at any time. You have the right to repair or undo any and all damage you are responsible for. " Surprisingly, when I do that mental exercise, I usually start to feel a little better. Sara > Thanks, , I appreciated the info regarding > bone scans. You were right, lying still for so long > was a pain. I find out Monday what the results are. > > In the meantime I have been taken off Relafen, thanks > to the high blood pressure that turned out to be a > side-effect. I suspect that I will learn alot about > various side-effects of different drugs in the coming > weeks and months. *sigh* I am limited to taking extra > strength Tylenol until my blood pressure normalizes > again. At least it is something, and it *does* help! > > In the meantime, I know it sounds silly but has anyone > had luck trying Yoga or meditation to relieve pain? > > Thanks again and best wishes to everyone! > > Millie > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2002 Report Share Posted July 29, 2002 Hello Millie, I'm glad my experience helped. It does get easier. My full body scan in '99 took about 1.5 hours. I couldn't stay still so they had to do some parts again. My tests in 2000 and 2002 only lasted about 20 minutes each b/c I just get my hips and spine scanned. Anyway, I have found great relief from complementary medicine -- namely, yoga, meditation, and massage. I tried acupressure once but it didn't do much. I started with a yoga class that was offered where I live. Then I bought a video i try to do that several times a week. I do a 20 minute meditation each night before bed and a 10 minute meditation each morning. I also do ballet when my body is slightly agreeable. I was a dancer (ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and aerobic) for 8 years before I got sick. I was teaching dance at college (nothing big, just some friends that were interested in learning) when my arthritis symptoms started. Of all the limitations my arthritis had brought me, the most upsetting is not being able to dance the way I used to. I tried taking classes last summer but my body couldn't keep up with the class. Anyway, good luck with meditation and yoga. I strongly advise giving it a shot. Take care, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win but the people who don't give up when they lose." ( )~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Thanks, , I appreciated the info regarding >bone scans. You were right, lying still for so long >was a pain. I find out Monday what the results are. > >In the meantime I have been taken off Relafen, thanks >to the high blood pressure that turned out to be a >side-effect. I suspect that I will learn alot about >various side-effects of different drugs in the coming >weeks and months. *sigh* I am limited to taking extra >strength Tylenol until my blood pressure normalizes >again. At least it is something, and it *does* help! > >In the meantime, I know it sounds silly but has anyone >had luck trying Yoga or meditation to relieve pain? > >Thanks again and best wishes to everyone! > >Millie > > >__________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 Love that visualization!! I do believe I'll enjoy that guided meditation! In Light & Love, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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