RE: Re: New....does this sound like RA?

[Guest guest]

Just want to encourage all newbies to check out the recent thread on " Diet

and RA " and to search for any other relevant older posts -- it seems many

people have found at least some relief by managing their diets in various

ways...

JB

----Original Message Follows----

From: " DeNicola " <sdenicola@...>

Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject: RE: New....does this sound like RA?

Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 11:11:12 -0500

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Dear Holly, Hello and welcome the group! This is . I'm 26 years old and was diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis (RAA) in November '99 when I was 22. I had had 2.5 months of symptoms similar to yours. I didn't have a positive RF, but my SED rate was extremely elevated at 184 (normal is 0-20). I saw several internists, GPs, family doctors, radiologist, a physical therapist and 2 neurologists before being referred to a rheumatologist, who diagnosed me.

Where do you live? I received the best treatment at a teaching hospital -- Packer hospital in Sayre, PA (I was advised to go b/c my family doctor said they like mysterious cases and he was right).

Take care,

Steph in VA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>Hi! I am 27 years old and have been suffering with awful joint pain

>since 2002. In March of '02 a 6mm nodule was found on my right mid-

>lung, and said to be a chronic inflammatory foci. In April of '03,

>blood work was done, and I had an elevated Rheumatoid factor (30).

>I also have this round lump underneath the skin on my left

>elbow...it is hard, but does not hurt. My worst pain is in my

>knees, I have difficulty walking up and down stairs. Other areas of

>pain are my feet, hands and shoulders (+ weak feeling). I do not

>have swelling, but ALOT of pain. I have seen a neurologist to rule

>out any nasty neuro diseases. What do you think? Thanks.

>

>Holly

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[Guest guest]

Hi Holly, The neurologist I saw was Dr. Flynn at Packer. He was great. He knew right away that my problems were arthritis and called every rheumy (which was a feat b/c it was a Friday afternoon) until he found Dr. Oleginski who agreed to see. Dr. Oleginski now works at Geisinger in Danville as their head of rheumatology, but I have great confidence in the rheumys at Packer hospital.

Take care,

Steph

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

>

> > ,

>

>Hi! I live about 35-40 minutes away from Sayre, PA. That is where

>I saw the neurologist. I am trying to get a rheumatologist

>appointment there as well. I think it's called Guthrie Clinic. My

>sed rate was normal, but RA factor was slightly elevated.

>

>Holly

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