Welcome, H!

[Guest guest]

Well, that's a very interesting story of how you found us, ! Welcome

to the group! I'm glad you decided to stay.

Sounds like you've had quite an ordeal over the last few years. Sorry

about that. It does sound like you are on track now and holding steady.

Thanks for introducing yourself, and I hope learn much more about you.

[ ] (unknown)

> Hi,

> I am new to the group. I actually came across this group as a part of

an " intro to the Internet " class. We had to join a ListServ. I found

and joined a group of them (most of them had little or no activity).

The class is over and I unsubscribed to all but this one.

>

> I was initially diagnosed with RA in 1995, but was then told I didn't

have RA, but did have a strep infection in my joints and was put on

Penicillin for 30 days. The infection and pain in my joints all went

away.

>

> Then in 1999 all of the pain and problems came back (with a

vengeance). My doctor ran the usual tests and decided that I had

Lupus.... " the blood tests indicated " that I had Lupus. So, my Dr. put

me on prednisone. Four days after my initial dose, I woke up, jumped

out of bed and fell over and hit the wall (literally)....I had lost all

of my equilibrium. I was in such pain that I was put on ketoprofen 50

mg. three times a day just so I could get some sleep

>

> Then I started seeing " bumps " on my wrists and forearms, next my

fingers on both hands were starting to tingle and feel numb (RA induced

carpal tunnel). My Dr. sent me to a Rheumatologist. By this time I was

in real bad shape, I could hardly get up and it took me about five

minutes to walk 50 feet. (If I sat on the floor, my job sometimes

requires me to get there, it was extremely painful to get there, it took

me about 5 minutes to get up) I walked into the examining room (about

three minutes after the nurse). The rheumatologist took one look at me

and asked about my symptoms, when I got to the bumps, he said RA and by

the way, those are called nodules.

>

> He put me on mtx, plaquanil, and sulfasalizine. That was in Sept. of

1999 and I have been doing fairly well since then, the nodules went

away, the carpal tunnel is pretty much non-existent (a little tingle

occasionally in my right hand).

>

> About the only side affects are a little hair lose, dry

mouth/skin/eyes, and IF I take the sulfasalizine too late I get heart

burn (ranitidine for that).

>

> I have read alot of postings and have found comfort in the fact that

I'm not alone. Thank you all so very much for giving me that.

>

>