Intro: New member (long!)

[Guest guest]

Greetings all ~ I am a new member of this group and thought I'd introduce

myself.

I was diagnosed with RA in May of 2003, after experiencing rapidly

progressing symptoms for the 2 or so months before. My RF factor was

positive but not high, so my doctor suspected an autoimmune disorder but

could not positively identify it. I was referred to a rheumatologist, but

was not scheduled for an appointment until August (I think my doctor

referred me for possible fibromyalgia, I don't think she really thought it

might be RA). What I remember most about that time was the pain,

inflammation, and stiffness that made me unable to function... a few

examples: I was unable to turn over in bed at night or pull up the covers

without great effort; it often took me several minutes just to get out of

bed. I had great difficulty walking and climbing/descending stairs. My hands

were next to useless in the morning; my husband had to button shirts and

jeans, tie shoes and pull shirts/dresses over my head. I couldn't raise my

arms high enough to brush my hair. What amazes me was that I was still more

or less able to pull it together to work until the end of the school year.

My doctor prescribed numerous arthritis and pain medications but nothing was

truly effective. When I saw her again for knees that were full of fluid, she

intervened with the rheumatologist's office and got me an appointment late

in May. The rheumatologist immediately diagnosed RA after exam and a look at

x-rays, tests etc., and began with what he called a " super shot " , which was

some sort of steroid, the effect of which would last a month or more. I was

prescribed Plaquenil, and a month later got another steroid shot. I also had

an ultrasound done of my hands that summer, which revealed that some bone

erosion had occurred.When it became clear that Plaquenil alone would not

work, I began MTX, and some months after that, Humira.

A year later, I am able to do much of what I had done prior to RA...

strength and flexibility close to what I had before, I catch myself running

up and down the stairs sometimes. I still have morning stiffness and some

mild pain/discomfort on a daily basis, but by and large doing very well

considering where I started. I try not to get depressed about the diagnosis,

and am encouraged by my rheumatologist's attitude, which is " the goal is

total remission of symptoms " .

Sorry this is so long, but I find it interesting to read of other's journeys

along this path, and so thought that I'd tell part of my story. I remember

when I first went to the rheumatologist I picked up an magazine that had an

article about Kathleen and how she came to be diagnosed with RA. I

was amazed at how similar her story was to mine (with the exception, of

course, that she is a movie star and I'm an art teacher... well, that and a

few other things!). One thing I realized was that though it seemed the onset

was fairly sudden, I am now convinced that it had been building up over many

months. Several months before I suddenly and inexplicably could no longer

wear my favorite Dansk clogs... by the end of the day I could hardly walk.

In October I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. By the time

spring rolled around I was considering surgery. After the RA was treated, no

more CTS!

My last appt. I had a test for vitamin D level (low levels have been

associated with autoimmune conditions) and a bone density test. I recently

received the results re the vitamin D level: low at 6 ng/dl. (The normal

range is 30 or higher). Now I'm taking a mega D supplement and trying to get

enough calcium along with! Tomorrow I'll find out about the bone density

test. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced the side effect of itching

with any of the medications I'm taking for RA (Plaquenil, MTX, Humira)?

Several times a day the last couple of months, always when I start to get

warm (i.e. getting into a hot car, walking on treadmill, taking a bath,

housework, etc.) I start to get unbearably itchy (torso, neck, arms, legs).

I understand that it might also be a symptom of menopause, but I suspect

medication.

Thanks for reading if you got this far!

Deborah