Newbie here

[Guest guest]

Hi Sama,

Welcome to our wonderful group! I'm sorry your suffering SO much. I

would kick your doctor to the curve, and find another one who will help

YOU feel better. Your the patient, so you can fire him any time.

Take care, and hope you can find a new doc soon,

Tawny

>

> hi everyone - i'm sama, from the uk. i don't know if i have RA,

because my doctor flatly refuses to send me to a rheumatologist, as i

did not show rf last time i had a blood test.

>

> every morning, i am as stiff as a board, it takes me an average of an

hour to two to get going, and it is bearable while i am moving. by

evening, i am in tears.

>

> my left hip, ankles, knees, and my elbows and hands are absolute

agony. sometimes, i look as if i have sausages for fingers!

>

> i don't quite know what to do now. i joined here for support, and it

looks a very friendly group.

>

> i have had osteoarthritis for many years, following a rotten car

crash, but this stiffness is demoralising me to such an extent that i

feel tearful all the time now. my lower spine is twisted, and it gives

me constant low back pain, too.

>

> blessings,

> sama

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome Norma. I was symptomatic in grad school also. Now I am on Enbrel and

expecting our third child. My son Tommy was also exposed to Enbrel through the

pregnancy and he has done great. In my experience it has controlled my symptoms

very well and allowed us to build our family. I work full time, exercise, and

am pretty much normal except for the Enbrel shots. Before Enbrel I had problems

walking very far and I felt very sad and tired all the time. The Enbrel worked

at the end of the first week and reduced my morning stiffness and gelling down

to nothing. I hope you find a rheumatologist who can be a good partner in

managing this disease. I would encourage you to speak with him/her about

whether you are a candidate for an biologic medicine. For me, it has been life

changing. Kate F

________________________________

From: nid0715 <nid0715@...>

Sent: Sun, May 16, 2010 7:33:04 PM

Subject: [ ] Newbie Here

Hi, my name is Norma Iris, I'm 32 y/o and I have RA. I was diagnosed 9 years

ago when i was finishing my second year in dentistry. So I think most of you

know what I feld that day. I couldn't walk, close my hands,I had fever everyday

for 2 months, lost 29 pound(My weight when I was diagnose was 89 pds) My whole

life came cruching to my feet I was 22 and was going to live with pain the rest

of my life. All my life I all wanted to be a was a dentist(I know it's weird)

and my dream was slipping away. My rheumy put me on MTX and a high dose of pred

and three month later I was back in school. I finished my doctorade and I

practice dentistry since 2004. I was on remission for almost 5 yrs. When back

in tx in 06, then remission late 07. When on plaquenil on 1 yr ago because I

wanted to have children, my husband too. But last month has been a nightmare,

the flare-up is worst than ever. I cry my self to sleep every single day. The

pain is unbeareable,

and work is like torture somedays. No one in my family really understand the

condition nor the pain that I am feeling. I think they think that I am

exagerating and that frustrate me more. I joint the group to see if I can find

some comfort and undertanding from people like me. Go figure my 2 sisters are

MD's and they don't really know what is RA in its core. Tomorrow I will see my

rheumy for the 3rd time in a month to see what are we going to do next.