Re: Re: PC needs cleaning and A prayer

[Guest guest]

THANK-YOU CLORA for the awesome prayer. i was not in a car accident, don't know

where that came up from..

my arm is o.k. not healing the way i would like it to but i guess i just have to

hang in there. let god do his work. god bless, melyndagamez

[ ] New here....

>

> Hi, just wanted to introduce myself--I just joined after being

> 'tentatively' diagnosed with RA by my Internist.  I've got an

> appointment with a rheumatologist, but not till Oct. 31st. 

Basically

> I went to my doctor after suffering a couple months of

> near-debilitating fatigue, coupled with general achiness and joint

> pain that almost felt flu-like.  I was also having minor chest

> pains--still not sure what that's about (except maybe stress!).  The

> joint stiffness/pain mostly seems to come and go, and it mostly

seems

> symmetrical (as in, both wrists/hands hurt at the same time) though

I

> have had one entire arm hurt and not the other.  I also had a weird,

> unexplained 'bump' under the skin near my left wrist, but it went

away

> on its own after a few weeks.  Standing on my feet all days leaves

me

> in tears by the day's end, my feet/ankles hurt so bad, and the next

> day I can barely walk.  I've also had problems all year with really

> severe eye inflammation and dryness that my eye doctor couldn't

really

> explain, but now I wonder if it's related. 

>

> So....she ran a bazillion blood tests, and the Rheumatoid factor

> apparently came back normal (it's listed as RA Latex Turbid, if that

> means anything to anyone!), as 3.0 IU/mL. 

>

> But my C-Reactive Protein test came back high, 5.2 H mg/L, which I

> guess indicates an active systemic inflammation (though I don't

think

> it's *that* elevated, since apparently the 'normal' range runs up to

> 4.9).

>

> Lastly, the bloodwork tested positive for CCP IgG Antibodies, at 9 H

> U/mL (I'm told greater than 5 is considered 'positive').

>

> So....basically I don't know what to think.  Neg. RA factor, but

pos.

> CCP IgG.  From what I've researched, the CCP antibodies

can 'predict'

> RA before it's actually developed, and it does look like I already

> have some inflammation going on.  I also read somewhere that the

> positive CCP test can indicate what will be a more erosive form of

RA,

> so they sometimes recommend more vigorous treatment. 

>

> Right now I'm mostly baffled, not sure what my diagnosis will be,

and

> wishing I didn't have to wait so long to see the Rheumatologist.  In

> the meantime, I'm just taking Advil when I need it for the joint

> pain/stiffness. 

>

> Oh, and I'm 39 (and already falling apart!).  And to make matters

> worse, I'm the mom of two small kids, which keeps me crazy busy, AND

> I'm an author (with book deadlines looming!), which means I'm very

> worried about losing mobility in my fingers (I need the to write!).

>

> Anyway, enough whining.  I'm glad to have found this group, as I

think

> it's fairly likely that I've got some sort of RA. 

>

> ) a 

>

>

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