I do not know if there are other possible diagnoses or not, but your situation is very similar to mine, and I have been able to stop the damage to my fingers with meds prescribed by my rheumatologist.

Katie,
Did they diagnosis you with Rheumatiod?

I have forgotten how many hundreds of possible diagnoses there are in the field of rheumatology.

RA, OA, PsA.......long list.

You need a great rheumatologist who can rule out differentials.

You want to do that soon. Once damage is done, it's not reversible.

I guess I just need reassurance that this is not in my head. I see the turning of my fingers, but have a fear that the MD will say it is nothing to treat or be worried about.

Find a good board certified rheumatologist.

Take a look at WarriorGirl's avatar [her hand].

You're doing the right thing, taking photos. I've done do weekly, and I was able to show my rheumatologist the progression over time - and also to show the difference two different meds made.

My 'canary in the coal mine' lump changed the way my fingernail was growing in because it was pressing on the nail at the point where the growth actually starts. Several weeks after starting Humira the new nail growth was normal again. I switched from Humira to Stelara a few months ago for a variety of reasons, and now the lump is larger and the nail is 'dented' again. So we'll probably need to re-evaluate at my upcoming appointment.

I was initially diagnosed with RA and then it was changed to PsA even though I do not have a single bit of skin involvement. I asked my rheumatologist what the reasoning was behind that, and she said the lines can be blurred, but that she felt that the Stelara might be a good choice for me, and it was more likely to be approved by my insurance company if my diagnosis was psoriatic arthritis and not rheumatoid. She said if I needed an exact name, it would be "undifferentiated autoimmune disease".

It is absolutely not in your head. When I went to my family doctor and showed him my lumpy finger, and the slight turning I was seeing at that time - even with no other symptoms, and thinking I was feeling good, just maybe a little tired - things started rolling very, very quickly. And I'm so glad that we moved that fast.

So the Rheumatologist is thinking Osteoarthritis. I had blood work done, but the results won’t be back for a week or so. My question is can Osteoarthritis be symmetrical? I have the exact same fingers on both hands turning and swelling. How do I get the MD to determine if it is seronegative RA?

I don't believe anyone can successfully argue that OA is NOT assymetrical.

What are your CRP and ESR levels?