Infections & Traumatic Episodes

[Guest guest]

About 3 years ago (before I came down with RA) I got a really bad staff

infection in my arm from a cut I received at work. I went to the nurse

and she supposedly cleaned the wound, etc. I spent almost 7 days in the

hospital with my left arm swollen to almost twice it's normal size. It

was red and had a raging fever. The doctors were somewhat at a loss as

to why the anti-bacterial IV's weren't working. Finally they put me on

the strongest med they had at that time. It finally started working. It

seems that shortly after this infection I came down with RA. I have

heard that sometimes some illness may just activate the RA, lupus, etc.

Has anyone had this experience? I have heard this about MS also. My

young neighbor had a baby and about two months after having her baby

she was diagnosed with MS. It was sad, she couldn't even hold her own

baby.