Can anyone give hope to a newbie?

January 9, 2008

Can anyone offer hope to someone who has just been diagnosed? I have

finaly recieved a diagnosis for what has been going on for so long. I

have been poked and prodded, tested and molested and finaly they say

that I have PA. At first I was relieved to finaly know I was not

crazy and there really was a name for what was wrong with me. Then I

started to do research because well that is what I do, find the

answers and fix it. That was a little depressing, but there was still

light at the end of the tunnel, oh wait no it is the express train. I

had all these dreams of moving out West to the mountains and hiking,

hunting, horseback ridding, and just living with the love of my life

that I finally found after so many years. I feel like the ground has

fallen out from under me. We were so close to our dream, we were

going out in the Spring to scout for a location to move, now I am

afraid to move or change anything. If I go what do I do for

insurance? Start all over finding new doctors? What if the climate

makes it worse? Everything I read on here makes me think this

nightmare will never end. Does it ever get better? Oh my road

here: " P " since I was a baby but no one ever said it was they just

told my mom it was dry spots put lotion on them, " A " since I was at

least 22, that was the first time I had and xray, swelling in my

legs, hands etc sent me to the doctor but no one put it together till

now and that was by accident. I am 40 now, so how long I have had it

I don't know. I have had joint pain as long as I can remember,

sometimes worse than others. Doctors never took it serious, thought

it was depression or something untill I just stopped complaining. Now

I am afraid it will just get worse and never better. Everything I

have read on here sounds like I should prepare to be in a wheelchair

or worse. Is there someone out there that can give me some hope?

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