Comments on: Is There a Typical Rheumatoid Arthritis?

By: Gail

Gail — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:35:07 +0000

I would love to know why I went to the ER 3 times in side of 2 months and was diagnosed with Bursitis and once they thought I had torn something in my shoulder from toting a heavy purse. I had an Ortho tell me I was sleeping wrong, and causing neck and shoulder pain. Should have been sleeping on my stomach with no pillow. A NP at my PCP told me if I lost weight and exercised I wouldn’t have as many aches and pains. But not one of them took blood work to test for an RF factor, CCP or SED. It took getting a nodule on my elbow for a new Ortho to do blood work. It came back with a normal range SED, neg ANA, but my RF was 463 (reference was less than 30) and my CCP was 67.8 (reference was less than 20). I should have been an easy one to diagnose years ago, but everyone was blinded by the fact that I am 75lbs over weight. Now I have so many symptoms my Rheumy says most of them are not related to my RA. I think what does she know, I’ve read hundreds of patient stories and many others have similar symptoms to me. I guess that’s why it’s called practicing medicine. We just have to learn to educate our doctors too.

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:00:48 +0000

Chelsea, I shortened the quote, but the link is there so people can read it. Whether or not there is a typical pattern (more likely a number of patterns) for RA, I just wish that clincians and researchers were aware it so that all patients could get needed treatment. All of my humor & sarcasm on the matter aside, that is all I want: patients to be treated.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:44:30 +0000

Came across a bit on the evolution of RA and probably why there isn’t a typical RA and why it might be so difficult to define (read the whole paper linked). In a paper discussing how “natural (positive) selection” is associated with complex biological (and autoimmune) diseases.

“RA has been found to originate from Native American populations from the Green River region in west central Kentucky. There are verified cases of RA in this population as far back as 6,500 years ago. No signs of RA were found in 63 archaeological sites bordering the original area in central Kentucky, where it was originally found [7]. Yet, there is documented spread in America over time. The first evidence of RA outside the original “catchment” area occurs in western Ohio about 1,100 to 800 years ago. At the same time, virtually no incidence of RA in other parts of the world has been found towards the end of the pre-Columbian era in 1785. This suggests that some environmental factor, perhaps a microorganism or allergen, might play a critical role in the cause of RA …”
From the paper: Extreme Evolutionary Disparities Seen in Positive Selection across Seven Complex Diseases
Found at this link: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0012236

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:58:30 +0000

Thank you Charlene. I hope it will.

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:58:04 +0000

Yes, it is frustrating. Does she use paper plates because the others are too heavy to hold and carry and wash? I got rid of heavy dishes & pans. Actually, I eat with my hands a lot to save some pain.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:07:00 +0000

P.S. I hope your new medication is working for you. That is hard to have so much pain for such a long time.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:04:31 +0000

First, thank you, Kelly, for the wealth of information that you have made available to me. I can do some research on the internet, but not even close to what you have done. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Stress, lack of sleep or enough down time during the day, the weather, too much or too little activity can all make it worse for me. I have DIP problems, too, and have found that using lighter pots and pans, light weight plates, plastic bowls, etc. really does help. We also help our plates from the stove over 99% of the time, and that helps a lot, too. My daughter, who also has RA, uses paper plates almost exclusively now and sometimes plastic forks, etc. The important thing is to do whatever you can to help protect your joints. On the inside, we are still the same people that we always were; we just have to do things differently now, and unfortunately, some things not at all anymore. That is so frustrating.

By: Pamela Montgomery

Pamela Montgomery — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:45:01 +0000

Good Morning Kelly -

I went through several topics to see which one this question would fit in the most, but I guess this is the closest – or I am too tired to look more!
Last week I had one of the worst weeks I have had since my diagnosis. It was one of those weeks that I cried often and said “I can’t DO THIS anymore!” (like I have a choice!?!?)

However, what was brought to my attention by a supervisor at work – after some others NONunderstanding issues – that I seem to have a pattern – The 3rd week of each month – or roughly every 30 days – is when I seem to have a full week of ROUGHNESS where I miss 3 or more days of work (yeah I have FMLA but the LOOKS I get are always fun to deal with)

Does anyone else have a “pattern”? There are other days in between (almost all of them) but that week out of each month seems to be horrendous. I have had a hysterectomy so it is not ‘that time’ unless it is a ghost cycle………..

I would like to know your thoughts about this – I see the new Rheumatologist on the 11th since my guy has left the practic. Not sure what to expect. She is ‘female’ and I have had female docs before – and have found they are either very understanding or much LESS understanding thinking we should be ‘tough’.

Thanks as always and hopefully I can make it back to see your answer when I get finished with work today………

Love to the whole Warrior Clan and our “Kelly the Bruce”

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Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:30:09 +0000

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By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:49:16 +0000

Catherine:
Wow is right. I will keep your words in mind as I try to convince some people that I am not the only one in this postition. Glad to hear you found a good doc!!