Re: In Denial

[Guest guest]

Hi & Welcome, I am a 41 year old female & have had RA most of my life. Since being diagnosed with RA at 13, the rheumy says that from my history I had JRA that progressed to RA. Well I though ok, I'm not really that bad I can handle this and I pretty much did until after I had my second son and all heck broke loose! I suffered the flare of all flares, which sent me back to the rheumatologist and was diagnosed with secondary OA and fibromyalgia. What!! This cannot be! wasn't it bad enough to have to deal with this one disease, how can I have more? Well, I have learned that not only can I handle the three diseases at once I can also handle a lot more. Since then I have come up with a couple more things to handle on my plate such as reynauds and carpal tunnel, cause by the RA. Oh yeah and tmj, thats the arthritis in the jaw. And I also have costochondritis / pleurisy! Yup, the pain in the ribs & chest that feels like I'm having a heart attack! The worst is when I can't breathe because of it, I feel like I'm suffocating. The pain never really goes away alltogether, if I have to sneeze or take a deep breath oh boy does it remind me that its still there. And forget about laughing, I do it anyway - I'm a compulsive optomist !So I just can't help myself, I guess thats what keeps me going each day. The only thing the rheumy can do for it is when it gets real bad I just take an extra Bextra,the NSAID I am currently taking, for a couple of days & rest. Maybe the reason your rheumy keeps eluding to RA is because you may have all the symptoms it just hasn't showed up in your bloodwork yet. And just because the bloodwork is negative does not mean that you do not have RA. I would ask her flat out, remember she is working for you & you have a right to know. Not everyone with RA is disfigured & or has deformaties. Like I said I've had it for 41 years now and fortunately I have not had any surgeries or deformities. I hope this helps. Please write back. God Bless, Barbara

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm just joining the group today. I was diagnosed about 2 weeks

ago. I wasn't surprised at the diagnosis because the Rheum. told me

a few weeks earlier he thought I had it. Anyway, about your non-

diagnosis. I would push for a diagnosis. Either you have it or you

don't. I don't see that it should be difficult to figure out. I too

have had pericarditis several times, however no one ever mentioned to

me that I should see a Rheum. I wish they had. Everyone's story and

problems are different with RA. Some people get the 'whole body' RA

and others in certain joints. I unfortunately am afflicted

throughout my whole body. Almost every joint was swollen twice

normal size and very painful when I was diagnosed. If you have RA,

you should have some inflamation in your synovial fluid, you may or

may not have the Rheumatoid Factor (20% of RA patients do not) and

there are other things that the Rheum will look for and test for. If

you do have RA, be sure to take the meds and do what the Dr. says.

They REALLY help!

Hope my two cents worth helps,

Pam

-- In Rheumatoid Arthritis@y..., " clyons78 " <clyons78@y...> wrote:

> Hi. I just joined this support group. I am a 42 year old female

> who hasn't actually been diagnosed with RA. I have been going to a

> Rheumatologist since 1997. My illness began with pericarditis. I

> thought I was having a heart attack. After having an echo, they

> told me I had fluid around my heart and that it is usually a once

in

> a lifetime occurence. However, I had it repeatedly and was

> hospitalized twice. After seing a cardiologist and going through a

> series of tests, they turned me over to a Rheumatologist. The

> Rheumatoligist would only tell me that I had a connective tissue

> disease. For years I have wondered what exactly I have. My

> Rheumatologist has recently been stating that I have " apparent "

RA.

> She never really comes right out and says it is RA. I could not

> accept this. I know people with RA and I am nothing like them. I

> do suffer with stiff knees and I have pain around my spine at

> times. However, my most severe pain is in my chest. It actually

> hurts to breath! I have been taking prednisone since I was first

> diagnosed in 1997. It has been a miracle drug for me. I know it

> has some really bad side effects. But, when I have a flare up, I

> can take the predinisone and after a few hours, I am good as new!

> No Pain!

> I know RA has different symptoms. I just would like to know if

> there is anyone out there who has had similar symptoms. Is this

> really RA? Please help!

[Guest guest]

Barbara,

Thank you so much for your reply. It is so nice to

have someone to talk to about my condition. I had a

really bad flare up in May of this year, and for the

first time accepted the fact that I may have RA. It

is so hard for me. All I could do is cry. No one in

my family has ever had any kind of arthritis. I have

been tested many times and always test negative for

RA. I finally realized that you do not have to test

positive to have it. My main pain is in my chest

area, however my knees and hips are beginning to show

signs. I try to walk about 3 miles but my hips begin

to hurt before I get back home. I kept thinking it

was my age and not my disease. How do you handle so

many diseases? I am taking prednisone which eases my

pain in my chest. That is the only med I am taking at

the present time. I have taken Celebrex and

plaquenil. I couldn't tell that they did anything. I

have come right out and asked my Rheumy what exactly I

have. She only says, " apparent RA "

Barbara, thank you for your reply. I hope your day is

pain free!

--- Barbara Kinney <bjjt_us@...> wrote:

>

> Hi & Welcome,

> I am a 41 year old female & have had RA most of my

> life. Since being diagnosed with RA at 13, the

> rheumy says that from my history I had JRA that

> progressed to RA. Well I though ok, I'm not really

> that bad I can handle this and I pretty much did

> until after I had my second son and all heck broke

> loose! I suffered the flare of all flares, which

> sent me back to the rheumatologist and was diagnosed

> with secondary OA and fibromyalgia. What!! This

> cannot be! wasn't it bad enough to have to deal with

> this one disease, how can I have more? Well, I have

> learned that not only can I handle the three

> diseases at once I can also handle a lot more. Since

> then I have come up with a couple more things to

> handle on my plate such as reynauds and carpal

> tunnel, cause by the RA. Oh yeah and tmj, thats the

> arthritis in the jaw. And I also have

> costochondritis / pleurisy! Yup, the pain in the

> ribs & chest that feels like I'm having a heart

> attack! The worst is when I can't breathe because of

> it, I feel like I'm suffocating. The pain never

> really goes away alltogether, if I have to sneeze or

> take a deep breath oh boy does it remind me that its

> still there. And forget about laughing, I do it

> anyway - I'm a compulsive optomist !So I just

> can't help myself, I guess thats what keeps me going

> each day. The only thing the rheumy can do for it is

> when it gets real bad I just take an extra

> Bextra,the NSAID I am currently taking, for a couple

> of days & rest. Maybe the reason your rheumy keeps

> eluding to RA is because you may have all the

> symptoms it just hasn't showed up in your bloodwork

> yet. And just because the bloodwork is negative does

> not mean that you do not have RA. I would ask her

> flat out, remember she is working for you & you have

> a right to know. Not everyone with RA is disfigured

> & or has deformaties. Like I said I've had it for 41

> years now and fortunately I have not had any

> surgeries or deformities. I hope this helps. Please

> write back.

> God Bless, Barbara

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " icfyre " <sharon.pierce@...>

> my body. Setting forth to not lose wind when climbing the stairs, to

> not hear my knees crack when I bend down.

That's a wonderful goal. One of my mottos is Eat and Exercise for Energy

and Endurance! Just work on getting fitter and the weight will follow. Do

you get any exercise? Can you start walking a few times a week. Your

endurance will improve rapidly.

Start making small adjustments to your eating. Making many, huge

adjustments to our lifestyles usually leads to failure.

Ann