I feel for you. It is a scary dx but this is a great group of people. I haven't been on the forum long but there are some that have been here for years now. They are a great resource for information.
Welcome to the group.

For me, my feet had been causing awful pain for a long time. My hands were also giving some problems, but I didn't mention that to the orthopedist....Saw an orthopedist who referred me to physical therapist. After several sessions, trying different things, with zero help, she asked the orthopedist to refer me to a rheumatologist. When I got the diagnoses I was relieved, believing I was going to start feeling better soon.

That may have been "slightly" optimistic on my part. It took time. 3-4 months on methotrexate gave zero relief. Then, biologics were added. That is when I did get relief, and fairly quickly. It took a while to find the right biologic for me. The first five helped either my hands or my feet. Now I am on one that helps both. It isn't perfect, but it is good.

May I offer advice? You need to go straight to a board certified rheumatologist immediately. That's who should be managing your treatment. I hope this has been set up for you.

Too, the rheumatologist is going to be a lifetime medical provider. If the "fit" isn't good, find another one. I went through 5 of them before I found my prince.

Don't delay treatment. And don't let what you read scare you. For the vast majority of RA patients the disease is manageable and can go into drug-controlled remission.

Get copies of all your labs.

Thank you everyone for your replies, warm welcomes, and advice :) I'm glad to have found a supportive community at daily strength.

Hi Jessica, Of course so sorry you had to look for a RA support group but so Glad you found this great group... you will learn a lot from this group and they can be very helpful. If you have any questions about meds and/or tests you have done...just ask away. I am sure someone will help you. Or vent when you need to. Just remember we are not doctors, just folks that have had RA experiences good or bad. I have had RA for a very long time and I still have learned a lot from this group and glad that I found it too. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

RA isn't a death sentence although it will undoubtedly cause some adjustments in your life. So there is nothing to be scared of. Most people find some kind of drug regimen that works to relieve most of the symptoms and allow you to function more of less normally. You will probably be referred to a Rheumatologist at some point. Look forward to helping him or her find a treatment for you and explain the actual risks and benefits. That will change your outlook a great deal.

If you read all of the lawyer-mandated disclosure statements that come with most of the drugs out there you may be alarmed, but the risks are statistically low compared to the effectiveness of the treatments. The worst part for most people seems to be related to the cost of RA drugs and the hassle of working with insurance companies.

Don't be afraid. I got Ra between my first and second babies who are now 40 and almost 38. If you asked them, they never missed out on anything. Yeah, they had to learn to be a little more careful when mom was really hurting or needed surgery but all in all, they had a normal childhood. And now I have grandchildren.

I've worked most of the time and only retired on disability 10 years ago...not due to Ra but from breaking my neck. Had nothing to do with Ra.

You will have to adapt a bit and learn to take meds that maybe scare you but the new meds are amazing and may even put you into remission. Listen to those who have fought this disease and not those who fill your head with weird ideas that big pharma is trying to stop you from curing yourself through food. If food worked, Ra would have been cured a few hundred years ago....long before a single pharmaceutical company existed.

Bad days are bad days and we all have them and so does everyone...but we all have different reasons for our bad days. Come here and complain...we "get it". Many don't. Anyone asks why Ra is different from OA(osteoarthritis, the arthritis of trauma and aging) you can tell them this...OA cripples, RA kills. Plain and simple. The arthritis of aging does not affect organs and Ra can......another good reason to get on Ra meds and stay on so you can prevent organ involvement.

Lots to learn but don't be afraid. We are here to educate and support you.

gentle hugs.....................Jen

Welcome to the group, but not to RA. I second California's comments. The sooner you see a rheumatologist, the sooner you get treated. The sooner you hit the disease hard, the less chance you will have of developing severe RA.

I did not have that happen for me. I was sero-negative, and it took me 2 years to get a diagnosis. But then, the feet were already badly deformed, and my rheumatologist says I have the worst case of RA he has ever seen.

This disease is scary, but you can have a good quality of life. I was even able to go back and get a Master's degree, when the disease was under control. I also got into exercising, and was riding a bike 30-35 km. In 2013, I rode 2000 km, in a short, northern Alberta summer. And that is with very bad feet!

I also play flute in church and I'm taking Intermediate Greek for fun. I was all done with children when I got RA, but now I have 4 grandchildren, so the fun is starting all over.

Please feel free to post and ask questions, to to vent. We are here for you!

Jessica, with your suitcase of autos' you know the importance of following Dr's orders, meds, etc. The other thing you have to fight......we all have to fight......is to not let the six inches between your ears become a black hole and suck you into depression. You can handle this, you will handle this. To quote author Frank Herbert (Dune), "Fear is the mind killer. It is the little death that brings total oblivion. " Fear does not exist without your permission. You can do this, you will do this!

I agree totally with nonighshades' comments. Fear is a killer.

Arm yourself with all the information you can learn about RA......what you don't understand, we can help with. Knowledge is power, and once you truly understand your disease you'll gain a sense of control over it. It's the "not knowing" that's the scary part. This journey doesn't have to be down a rabbit hole.

Soon you'll know more about your disease than your doctors [other than your rheumatologist]. You'll understand that the first year is almost always the toughest and once you get beyond that it gets easier.

Thank you everyone for your kind replies and welcomes, advice, etc. :)

I was just diagnosed, and it was a relief to me. I now know what is going on and can be more proactive about it. I told everyone I am going to control it for as long as I can rather than have it control me. One of my best friends mom had it. She was in her 70's and still up and moving about. Thinking about her, I can see staying active is a big help along with the medications. I just found out my aunt has it also. She swears by methotrexate, she told me she feels she would not be able to walk or use her hands without it and it has worked wonderfully with her.

Ginny