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Hi ya'll. My name is Deanna. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I

have a wonderful husband and three children ages 15, 9, and 6. I

work part-time as a Teacher's Asst. in Kindergarten. I joined this

group about a month ago. I am learning so much and receiving

encouragment from the emails. I hope to encourage someone else.

Anyway, this past June 2 is when my RA started. I woke up with a

sore middle finger but it went away. Then a couple days later i got

up to leave the movie theater and could hardly walk(pain on the top

of my right foot). Then during the night the finger pain came back

so bad it couldn't bend it along with knee pain and foot pain. All

were swollen. I went to the doctor that day and they did blood work

and x-rays. From that day I was literally paralized. I crawled to

the bathroom, my husband had to bathe me, feed me dress me(only if I

absolutely had to get dressed!) I couldn't hold anything or even open

a door.

Anyway, the lab and xrays ( I don't know medical terms)showed RA.

They immediately started me on Prednisone and Celebrex plus several

others for the side affects. The md tested me for Lyme Disease, and

anything else that it could be they all came back neg. It only

showed arth.

What's strange to me is the pain slowly went away and I am fully

functional now.(I am not complaining!) i had to come off the Pred.

because it made me feel like I was losing my mind. The only signs of

RA is minor aches in my joints oll over my body. I get tired easier

and have to rest it the afternoons.

I haven't been to see a Rheumy becase the very day I found out about

the RA, my husband was layed off.

Does this experience sound strange to anyone else? Also, I have had

heel pain for about 2 years(was on Bextra) and when the RA came the

heel pain left. I don't know. Also, the md put me on a 1800 calorie

diabetic diet(sugar-free) because my suger was slightly high. I am

just a mess.

Deanna