After long silence

[Guest guest]

Hi all. Probably time I stepped out of de-nial and started thinking

about treatments again.

When I was diagnosed (3 years ago ~~?) it was by symptoms. I was

told I was -- I think -- serum-negative (? is that right, at the time

I thought she said Zero negative..... ). I haven't had any RA

specific bloodwork since then. My rheumy is convinced that aI never

had Lyme disease, but had RA all along-- if she's right, it's amazing

how much relief I had from the heavy antibiotics treatment I got back

then (5 or 6 years ago). Before going with the RA diagnosis I was

given a choice of treating as if it were Lyme with a heavy antibiotic

2-year protocol or treating as if it was RA. I had a lot of pressure

to go with the RA and to this day I'm not l00% sure that I didn't

make a mistake or that I don't have both going on.

In the meantime my husband died of unsuspected and undiagnosed

Babesia.

Feb. 11 2008 I had surgery to remove a large rheumatoid nodule on the

outside edge of my left foot. Almost a year later, we are still

trying to get that 100% healed. Until it is healed, I'm not on any

medication at all. My wrists are terrible, particularly my left one

and I have been alternating between flares in my left and right

shoulders. Since last Saturday, it's been my left and the pain

level has been jaw grinding and debilitating-- I've hardly been able

to sleep.

I was on Enbril for a short while (year -- year and a half) but it

was very on and off as I could never stay on it for more than 2

months without getting an infection somewhere.

I suppose that when I see her in February, I should ask to be

retested And to have it explained more thoroughly to me. I feel like

I'm just letting myself slip through the cracks and becoming non-

functional. Besides, it hurts. Advice welcome..Thx