carpel tunnel ~~>>then RA Dxs

[Guest guest]

Madelonchristine,

I was diagnosised with carpel tunnel with my job. I got very poor treatment

by occupational health doctor. He would never call it carpel tunnel. He keep

saying I had tendonitis. After more than a year he finally sent me for EMG

which the doctor that performed the test said, this is carpel tunnel, you have

significant slowing on the left and some moderate slowing on the right. I

took it back to the occupational doc and he still say there was no need for

surgery. He wanted to continue using PT and OT. In my discussions with my doc

he

asked was there anything else going on with me that my family doc had found

becuase he had never seen a case not respond as mine was then my elbows started

swelling. I told him yes I had a copy of my lab results and had a super high

sed rate for over a year and what did that mean? The occ med doc said you

need to see a specialist on your own because everything was looking toward RA.

I am also the only person in my family and family history that has every had

autoimmune disease.

To make a long story short. I probably had RA for a few years before the

carpel tunnel came along. The RA was not severe and was sort of lurking in the

background. The stress of my lifestyle, pushed me over the edge and the

swelling got so bad the carpel tunnel was created. I had to force them to close

my

workers comp case so my doc could fix my wrist since they kept denying it was

carpel tunnel..though the EMG test showed something different.

When my ortho doc went in to fix my risk, he had to clean out tons of goop

from the RA and placed a special ring around the nerves so hopefully the RA will

not create so much pressure on the nerve again to create the problem. I have

been told by others with RA that have had carpel tunnel surgery that its not

a permenent fix. If the RA starts attacking in the same wrist again is can

once again compress that nerve.

Good luck with workers comp. I have found them to be very incompentent, slow

to respond to your needs and in general they are not looking out for your

best interest but I looking to protect the company you work for.

I just wanted to feel better and get the wrist fixed before the nerve damage

was permenent!

ly I could care less about Worker's comp or my company paying me

anything.

Toni

In a message dated 2/1/04 9:19:13 AM Central Standard Time,

writes:

> Message: 24

> Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2004 23:03:48 EST

> From: madelonchristine@...

> Subject: (no subject)

>

> Has anyone out there been told that being diagnosed with carpal tunnel and

> later showing signs of RA is just the logical progression and that they are

> actually one and the same. I had carpal tunnel symptoms, later fell down

> (flat on

> my knees, hands, etc.) at work, was operated on for carpal tunnel and during

>

> physical therapy started showing symptoms of RA in my shoulders, wrists,

> hands, knees, ankles, feet, etc.

>

> My doctor made a comment the other day that nothing that happened at work

> could have been a cause for RA. He is the doctor I was sent to see by my

> Workers

> Comp attorney and is quite the Beverly Hills expert so I have been told.

>

> I know the ailments all seemed to come on in order following the carpal

> tunnel problem, but I don't know any others who have carpal and immediatley

> exhibit

> RA symptoms. I was 60 and have always been in good shape for my age and

> have

> never had any other symptoms prior to this problem.

>

> madelonchristine

>