flares, c-spine, what now

[Guest guest]

The thread on flares has been really helpful. I'm also one of those

people who always seems to have a good day when it's time to see the

doctor, and a picture is also worth a thousand words, as they say.

I certainly don't have the horrific pain levels so many here describe

(though I was feeling pretty danged sorry for myself before I started

educating myself here). I do have flares, am very reactive to certain

kinds of weather, have pain and stiffness for an hour at least in the

mornings in my feet, hands, neck, and sometimes knees. And mild

exercise doesn't make it worse if I feel good enough to exercise.

Some of my labs are back, not the RA factor one yet or the sed

rate--my CBC, glucos, NAK, and Thryoid stuff is in normal range, thank

goodness. The neck xray shows, says the postcard I just got " mild

arthritis " (and boy howdy, if what I was dealing with the last couple

weeks is mild....yikes). The hand xrays, says that postcard, is

" normal. " I know that the RA factor can be negative and you can

still have RA, and vice versa. I'm happy to hear that the Xray didn't

show any damage (should I add " yet " ?).

Here's my question: what, if anything, should I do now as a proactive

patient?

Thanks all you smart people out there,

Lynda