
Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I agree with SCCarly, early and aggressive treatment is the key. I've heard the first six months are critical in avoiding deformities on the average.
Lynne
hugs,
brat
I agree you definitely need to see a rheumatologist and get the right treatment.
Lynne
I have had RA 20 yrs and I have deformities to some degree, deviation and gnarliness! in all my fingers except my pinky ones, For some reason they are playing nicely! but considering things I can still grip not too bad, the fingers overlap when I make a fist, but I still can grab. My thumb base hurts and my wrists hurt after a while of holding something. I still can type for short amounts of time. I can still play piano for a short time.
Visually you can clearly see I have arthritis in my hands, but really they are not as bad as doctors had predicted long ago and somehow things are remaining stable, not getting worse. So I have a reasonable grip and some dexterity.
now someone else's hands maybe far worse and are not able to do all kinds of things.
I think my knees are far worse than my hands but for someone else it may the other way round.
I would try not to compare and think what happens to one person is surely going to happen to another or to yourself.
For any wonderful reason you may go into remision, you may find a solution to stop the progression.
Hang on to that hope.