Glad to find a place to whine

[Guest guest]

I'm 51 and finally just got to the point where I was comfortable in

my life - got my mid-life crisis out of the way, renewed my marriage,

re-committed my life to Christ, started a new wonderful job, have a

wonderful 12 year old daughter. I'm not sure when this RA thing

actually started, but my major symptoms started around November of

2002. I suddenly had a horrendous " kink " in my neck. It was so bad

I was nearly crazy with the pain. I just kept thinking it was how I

was sitting at work or perhaps a stress knot or something. I saw an

acupuncturist who helped relieve the pain for about 5 minutes. Then

saw a chiropractor 3 times. All in all, I was in pain for close to a

month. Then, I fell & broke my ankle (perhaps the RA was why??) and

while I was hobbling around with the big boot on my foot, I noticed

my hands & fingers were swelling. I figured it was the winter weight

add-on and that all I needed was to lose some weight. I used to wear

lots of rings and one by one I had to take them off as my fingers

kept swelling.

I went in to have my annual pap exam and by that time had some pea-

sized nodules in my hands & fingers. My OB/GYN guy referred me to a

rheumatologist. The day before I saw him, I couldn't stand it

anymore and had to have my wedding rings cut off by the jeweler.

That was a tough one. Upon first exam, the dr. said he was 98% sure

it was RA. My blood tests came back negative so he explained about

sero-negative. He put me on plaquenil (in April) I have taken it

religiously along with naproxen. I felt like it was getting worse,

but decided it was in my head. My hands, wrists, shoulders, elbows,

knees, ankles & toes are killing me. So I went in just this week and

sure enough, he confirmed it is getting worse. Took some more blood

(I've not heard anything on that yet) and prescribed Methotrexate &

folic acid as well as Vitamin B6 after a discussion about carpal

tunnel. He said when the RA gets under control, the carpal tunnel

will also improve.

I have zero energy and could nap at the drop of a hat (or my head on

my desk) and today I am experiencing the nausea he told me to watch

for with the Methotrexate and I feel like crawling in a hole. Also,

the pain in my neck (and I don't mean my husband) is back and I'm

walking around like a zombie, wishing I could just go home sick, but

don't want to come across like a wimp.

I am not liking this adjustment period here at all, but will do a

Proverbs 3:5 and trust that God will get me through this as He has

done every other crisis of my life.

It's nice to find others who can understand.

I'll pray for all of you as well as me.

Rhonda