Re: Hi Everyone from Another Newcomer-To

[Guest guest]

Hi , thanks for sharing your story. I'm new myself and have

already found this group to be supportive and encouraging. I think

it's important that we stick together as this is the place where

people actually understand how we feel and it doesn't just sound like

whining which is what others usually think. I look forward to

talking with you more.

Darlene

--- In , " " <dumbblondejogger@y...>

wrote:

> I've been reading the posts for several weeks now. I'm starting to

> feel like a " peeping Tom " from learning so much about some of you

> while not sharing anything about me, so I thought it was time to

> introduce myself.

>

> My name is , I'm 49, live in Texas with my husband and two

> kids. My journey with this wonderful disease began very suddenly

in

> April 2003 when I woke up with a swollen, throbbing right hand. I

> honestly thought I had somehow broken a bone without knowing it.

The

> hand seemed to heal after two or three days, to be followed by a

four-

> day bout of excruciating pain in my right shoulder, followed by

> another three days of swelling in my left wrist, and so on and so

> on. I know this sounds stupid – even to me – but I honestly

thought

> I was somehow hurting myself without realizing it. Finally figured

> out something wasn't quite right (duh). I was originally diagnosed

> with palindromic rheumatism, even though I did test seropositive

RA.

> (I don't know if you're familiar with PR, but it's another

> inflammatory arthritis that visits a joint for two or three days,

> causes immense pain, and then randomly moves on to another joint.

> You get it in flares, like RA, but it supposedly rarely causes

joint

> erosion. Still hurts like hell, though.) Finally in April of this

> year, it started falling into a more " rheumatoid type " pattern…more

> consistent pain, especially in my knees, feet, and hands,

> morning " stiffness " (and isn't that an understatement?), yada,

yada,

> yada. Fortunately, my internist had sent me to a great

> rheumatologist at the end of last year, so I was already taking

> Celebrex and had started Plaquinel for the PR. Now I'm also taking

> fairly small doses of Prednisone (5mg) and Methotrexate (7.5). I

> consider myself VERY fortunate because so far I'm responding well

to

> a fairly small dose of meds -- Minimum side effects and a pretty

big

> reduction in pain. (Yes, I know this can change very quickly, but

> I'm trying to look on the bright side and be thankful for where I

am

> today!) I'm really just having a few aches and pains right now,

and

> I'm much, much better in the mornings. Actually, one of my biggest

> challenges right now is the loss of energy, especially since I

> started the methotrexate. Given the option, I could probably take

> about four naps a day.

>

> I think I'll stop here…Otherwise, I'll tell you everything I know

and

> never have anything to post again. Like I said, I just wanted to

> introduce myself while I'm in a fairly " good place " so that maybe

> when the bad times come, I'll have a few more friends (and you can

> never have enough, can you?) You seem like a really great bunch of

> people and I look forward to being a part of this group.

>

> Take care,

>