Today is the day I found out about my condition. I am 38 years old and have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I know that my mom has it, my grandmother had it and now I have it and it's going to be quite the ride. Over the last 6 or so months I knew something was wrong, but it's to the point that sometimes the pain is debilitating. I felt like a freak going into work with a swollen leg, tensor bandages on my wrists, unable to write because the pain in my hands was so excruciating. Then there was the shoulder pain. Wow!! It felt like someone had charlie horsed my arm so badly that there had to be a major bruise or something..but no! Visibly, nothing was wrong. Some swelling in the hands, knees, but nothing on my arms. Have you ever tried to sleep when moving hurts so much?? Then comes the pain meds. Tylenol, Motrin, Naprosen, nothing..then the beloved T3!! Well take 2 of those babies and you are flying high!! Until you come down then the pain is still there and now you are left with a stomach ache AND severe extremity pain. Oh the joy.
So anyway, I promised my mom I would go to the doctor. I felt stupid going in and saying that my body hurts..It felt like whining. But I did it. She sent me for 14 different blood tests, including RA Factor, CBC, TSH. The RA Factor came back positive. And so my journey into the RA world has begun. I'm a little scared, nervous, anxious. I am being referred to a Rheumatologist and then I can go from there. Until then, I am on Celebrex and Tylenol EX until they figure out what else they can do. So grin and bear it I'm guessing...
