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...
Well I finally got my insurance figured out as I transitioned out of the military and managed to get a referral to Rheumatology! Unfortunately, the doctor they referred me to is rated horribly online and the past two weeks I've tried calling and speaking to a human only to get nothing in response. Called my insurance and got the referral transferred. Called the new doctor and then got an appointment but not until April 14th.
In the mean time I moved out of Colorado where I felt like I was dying to warmer Phoenix which has helped me a bit until the past two weeks. While Humira was making me feel great and Plaquenil wasn't really doing anything, I have now reached the point of nearly doing a complete 360.
I can barely walk more than a hundred feet before I have shooting pains in my back and hips all the way down my feet and sometimes causing numbness and pain. I officially can't carry anything weighing more than a coffee cup (as I sadly learned while playing with my goddaughter). I'm getting frustrated after fighting for so long for a referral and having to wait even longer although I do understand that processes are processes.
I guess it's just fighting the local older folk for close parking spots, sending my husband to shop, and constant hot baths to try and relax. I've at least reached the point in life where I can ignore the looks from everyone when they look at me dirty as a 23 year old using the electric carts in stores to shop so that I can get it done in twenty minutes rather than an hour and a half struggling around a grocery store.
Anyone have any recommendations to combat pain, had any experiences similar to these, or just any words in general?
In the mean time I moved out of Colorado where I felt like I was dying to warmer Phoenix which has helped me a bit until the past two weeks. While Humira was making me feel great and Plaquenil wasn't really doing anything, I have now reached the point of nearly doing a complete 360.
I can barely walk more than a hundred feet before I have shooting pains in my back and hips all the way down my feet and sometimes causing numbness and pain. I officially can't carry anything weighing more than a coffee cup (as I sadly learned while playing with my goddaughter). I'm getting frustrated after fighting for so long for a referral and having to wait even longer although I do understand that processes are processes.
I guess it's just fighting the local older folk for close parking spots, sending my husband to shop, and constant hot baths to try and relax. I've at least reached the point in life where I can ignore the looks from everyone when they look at me dirty as a 23 year old using the electric carts in stores to shop so that I can get it done in twenty minutes rather than an hour and a half struggling around a grocery store.
Anyone have any recommendations to combat pain, had any experiences similar to these, or just any words in general?
How long ago did you move? Is any of this from schlepping and unpacking boxes? Rearranging cupboards or closets? The novelty of the move wearing off? Rainstorms moving through Arizona? As we all know, there are a lot of ups and downs with RA. Some of them have explanations, some just are what they are. Hope the worst passes.
We just moved about a month ago and initially I was feeling better but then it seemed the pain returned more aggressively to the point where even holding a pen hurts. Luckily I'm retired I guess... I had great help moving in with family and my husband so I haven't had to do much physical work not that I could anyways.
I'm hoping this is just a bad flare up that will end sooner rather than later. It's really depressing to feel like I'm fifty years older than I really am. Definitely makes hanging out with friends who are my age exhausting and miserable :(
You could also get the regular doc to go ahead and run your blood work for the usual stuff...anti-ccp, crp, sed rate, cmp, cbc, and whatever else you normally get.
That will give you a picture and might make the visit in April more productive (I'm sure you'll do blood work again but you'll have some numbers to get your started instead of just chit chat).
Good luck!
First one - since you seem to have gotten much worse since the move, maybe the move itself triggered it - as in stress. I know for a fact that if anything happens that is out of my regular daily routine it throws my RA into fits. And I'm talking about the slightest change like yesterday going to my doc appointment (70 miles round trip & 4 hours out of my routine).
As you've said getting in to a Rheumatologist is tough. It took 5 months for me to get my first appointment and that was with the closest on which is 90 miles away.
The suggestion of seeing a regular doc (PCP) is a good one - get one locally to see regularly. My PCP takes care of my pain meds for RA plus everything else. A Prednisone pack sounds like a very good idea for you right now also. There is also another med that really helped me while waiting to see the Rheumatologist which was Mobic (Meloxicam). Took away almost all the inflammation and pain for 2-3 months which was a godsend that helped keep working for a while. It is not a pain med but one to reduce inflammation.
Without my PCP I would have been SOL... you know what outta luck... He really saved me during the early days, and even then it was pretty miserable. The biggest help was...
His support. He knew right away it was RA, and said so repeatedly. (I had to go through 3 rheumys before I found one willing to treat me, I'm seronegative.)
Prednisone.
Good luck to you... it really does sound like it's hitting you hard. I have to wonder the same things that Alto did. You'll find you can't do what you used to.