Re: Dew's Intro. - Re: RA and Blood Sugar LONG

[Guest guest]

Hello Dew!

I don't know if you have RA, but if you have bunions you don't have to get them

taken off. I have them on both feet & I wear proper fitting shoes & orthotics

so I don't aggravate them. Everybody that I meet that has had them removed

regrets it. Have you ever had X-Rays done on your feet? This should show the

distortion of your bone if you have a bunion. My podiatrist told me that my

bunions are " bad " enough to be removed but would only recommend it if they were

painful - he doesn't want to cause me more pain by putting me through surgery.

This whole thing with RA started because of my bunions! I was only supposed to

have bunions, not some systemic version of arthritis! LOL! Apparently my body

didn't get the message!

I don't think that you are a hypochondriac! If you don't feel like you were

properly diagnosed, find another doctor. I know that it is not always easy to

find a good one, but keep at it because your health is too important.

Lori

http://users.adelphia.net/~tmihalko/Stitching/index.html

[ ] Dew's Intro. - Re: RA and Blood Sugar LONG

Thanks Sue, I was sent to a rheumatologist a few years back.

He said my nodules on my feet were bunions and that I had

osteo. Well, here's my story. Any or all of you are welcome

to tell me I'm a hypochondriac and I'll be happy to go away

without having RA.

When I was in my low to mid thirties, I lay awake one night

just crying and groaning that my knee was killing me. When

I woke up the knee was huge, hot and so painful I couldn't

bend it. X-husband took me to the Naval hospital in SD,CA.

The conclusion was that I had a 'cold' in my knee. Hmm . . .

never heard of such a thing. Growing ever stiffer over the

years, I had no more episodes so frightful and so figured that

I was just imagining it.

My mother had a SEVERE case of RA. She died at 56 from the

weakness of her immune system from all the treatments they

gave her from the 50s to the 70s when she passed.

Then about ten years ago, I developed this extremely painful

(made me scream out in pain) nodule on my right little finger.

Hot, swollen and ever growing. That's when I saw the rheumatologist

at the Veterans Administration hospital in Portland OR. He said

that since it was only on one side, I didn't have the RA factor in

my blood it could not possibly be RA. When I showed him the

nodules on my feet, he said they were bunions. Hey, bunions

hurt and have to be removed . . . well everyone I know that has

bunions has had surgery to remove them. None of my nodules

hurt. Within a few months the left side of my hand on my little

finger started flaring like crazy.

I was overweight, though not at my highest, diabetic and so my

chronic fatigue was blamed on that and the fact that I have

Anxiety Disorder with Depression. (Which comes first the chicken

or the egg?)

I started searching for nodules in the places that are medically

noted. Elbows, yes, wrists, yes, feet, yes, sides of big toes, one

toe deformed already and heels on the inside about an inch in

on both sides.

When I had my WLS they biopsied my remnant stomach and my

gallbladder, both chronically inflamed. Hmm . . .

I am so tired that a trip for the day about 45 min. from where I

live will put me in bed for about 48 hours. I am always exhausted.

I had my PCP just test my C Reactive Protein and my SED rate

and am waiting for the results. I have a friend that had my WLS

who also has RA and recommended it.

Currently I am taking (for pain): Methadone, T3s, Valium. I take

Celexa for my depression and anxiety but the Valium serves both

the pain (muscle relaxant) and the anxiety. I feel like a total

loser and I can barely clean my house to much less than my

military housing trained standards. It's a pig sty. Sigh.

I'm here to learn. To search for answers and I would love to

put my 25+ years worries about RA to rest. I don't want to

have it. I just fear I do. I have so many symptoms.

Hugs,

Dew

> >

> > My blood sugars were immediately under control when I had the

> > surgery. No insulin immediately after or since.

[Guest guest]

Let us know what the results are. It's so frustrating sometimes trying

to get a diagnosis.

Sue

On Thursday, September 14, 2006, at 12:48 AM, Pacific NW Dew wrote:

>

> I had my PCP just test my C Reactive Protein and my SED rate

> and am waiting for the results. I have a friend that had my WLS

> who also has RA and recommended it.