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...

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RenneG 12/19/2009

I am still waiting on a firm diagnosis in January. I am curious to know how others were physically at the time they were diagnosised. I started waking up every morning with stiff fingers. I have trigger finger in my right ring finger and most of the stiffness is in the palm of my hand through the knuckle and first joint of all fingers on both hands. No detectable redness and maybe just a hint of swelling on my palms. My feet hurt and my left elbow has been in pain for months and my back flares from extremely painful to mildly so. I don't have any deformity, swelling or redness. Just stiffness and pain but at this point it has been mostly tolerable with my feet and back making me most miserable when waking up and trying to get moving. Does this sound like your experiences?

deleted_user 12/25/2009

I'm fourteen, and I have prettty severe RA. Severe fatigue, constant pain in all of my joints. I started diagnosis at 11, and got diagnosed probably three months afterward. I'm in 9th grade, but I haven't done PE since the sixth grade. I can't sit in desks because my hips, knees and back hurt. I can't sleep the way i want to because my shoulders hurt in the morning. I have constant pain in around my breastbone. I have a rheumatoid nodule on my right pinky finger, and now my fingers are starting to turn out. I can't walk for longer than fifteen minutes and I can't sit for longer than fifteen minutes.. it's a constant battle..

deleted_user 12/26/2009

Now 26, I was diagnosed at 14 after I developed nodules on both wrists and puffiness and swelling in both hands. It took about 4 months. Didn't have any other joints involved for almost ten more years and now every joint wants in on the action. :) There are lots of diseases that have similar symptoms but the treatments can be widely different. If your doctors take their time, they are more likely to get it right and you won't spend years trying to fix something else while progressively getting worse. Best of luck on your journey!

deleted_user 12/27/2009

I couldn't move. Sausage fingers. My neck felt broken. Pleurisy. Couldn't lift my shoulders. Couldn't put my elbows on a table. Jaw hurt to open it. fingers were sensitive to the touch. skin burned. Couldn't bend my wrists. blurry vision at times. hoarse voice. Toes couldn't handle a light blanket on them. Couldn't roll over in bed. Bottoms of feet hurt in the mornings...felt like walking on rocks. Severe knee pain. Constant pain everywhere. swollen ankles. hair loss. extreme fatigue. rashes. Yes, like pearl said, it felt like I had been hit by a truck...literally. I'm sure I missed a few things but you get the picture.

deleted_user 12/27/2009

I had pain in various joints for 2 days and then it would disappear. It wasn't symmetrical, it would be left hand weak and achy for 2 days then disappear and jump to right knee, ther for 2 days then left wrist and so on. I was diagnosed with RAbecause I asked my primary to check my ANA because my mom has Lupus and my sister MS, but I thought if anything I had fibromylagia. Boy was I surprised!
Since I was diagnosed on 9-11-09, my hands are stiff every morning and I take advil 800 or 2 aleve and I feel better as the day goes on, rain and snow are the worst, the day before I hurt.
Good Luck and stay positive
Christine

ahhhsushie 12/27/2009

I broke my foot no clue how (stress fracture) and it kept swelling up they thought I rebroke it and would send me for xrays then my other foot started doing the same thing then my hands they would be so swollen it would bruise after dealing with that for over a year my shoulder started swelling and they finally decided to do blood tests. They did the ana and RF first. ANA was fine but RF was super high so they did the anticcp which was off the charts and I finally got my diagnosis.
Has your Dr done these blood tests? hopefully you firgure out whats going on and that its NOT RA!
hugs!

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