What caused my RA?

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

I haven't posted before today, mostly I've just been reading. I was

diagnosed with RA on 4/26/04. On March 17th of this year my

orthopedic dr. scheduled me for a bone scan because the knuckle on

right index finger and the first joint were swollen. X-rays showed

nothing on either hand. When I went in for the bone scan my right

finger was the only problem I had. I was scheduled for exploratory

surgery on my left knee due to an injury at work. The day of the

scan I was fine. The day after the bone scan all the fingers on

both hands started to swell up. By the day of knee surgery a week

later I couldn't make a fist for the nurse to start the IV. My

Orthopedic dr. at the 2 week check up, told me to go see a

Rheumatologist, my right index finger only showed chronic

inflamation. 5 1/2 weeks after the swelling started, and only got

worse, even my feet swelled until I could hardly walk, I had my

first visit with a Rheumatologist. That day, April 26th, he said it

was RA. I was totally blown away. There is NO history of RA in

either side of my family. I'm the first. It's really been scary

reading all about it and I've finally stopped looking up things on

the internet. This support group has really helped and has given me

lots of information and question to ask my Dr. I went back for a

second visit last week and he increased my Methatrexate to 5 pills

for 2 weeks then 6 pills, I'm on 5mg predinsone 2x a day, folic acid

1x a day and motrin 400mg 3x a day. I was doing Vioxx but I felt

Motrin would do just as much and it has.

Thank you all and sorry this is so long.

Joan