When I tell people I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, I get one of two reactions. Either they are surprised by how young I am OR they say "Oh yeah, I have Arthritis too". Which, yes the may have Arthritis, but they haven't a clue the difference between the two! As most people age they will develop some form of Arthritis this is true, but the pain and symptoms of your ordinary run of the mill Arthritis is much different than Rheumatoid.

At the age of 36 I started to develop some "strange" symptoms. My hands would suddenly swell for no known reason, or my thumb knuckles would suddenly be having pain. I began going to the doctors, and every month I would have new symptoms. I would see the Nurse Practitioner as I really liked her friendly bedside manner, and how she took her time with me. She thought perhaps I may have Fibromyalgia, but I didn't have enough of the check points. When my wrists began to ache unbearably she sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who said I had carpal tunnel, told me to wear braces on my hands and gave me a shot of cortisone. The pain increased, nights were horrible, I could hardly sleep and when I woke up in the morning I could barely move. More Doctors visits, MRI's, and blood work. They just didn't know what it was, they were giving me anti-inflammatory, but still my fingers looked like sausages. I could not completely open nor close my hands. Everyday tasks became impossible! A full tube of toothpaste became a challenge to squeeze using both hands. I dropped things often, and holding a coffee cup with one hand was unheard of for me. I began to look like a ninety year old woman, slightly hunched from the pain, taking steps one had a time, so that both feet were always on the same step while I held to the banister for dear life!

The day came when I could not get out of bed by myself; my partner had to assist me, while I screamed in agony. You may think I am exaggerating, but I assure you I am not. It was the scariest time in my life as well as the most physically painful. And all the while, I hadn't a clue what was wrong with me. The unknown was frightening; at times I was convinced that I must be dying of some horrible disease because surely this kind of pain was abnormal!

When at last the pain seemed to be such a burden that I wasn't sure I could go on for even one more day, I went to the doctor's office and broke down. In tears I cried to the Nurse Practitioner "You have to help me, please! I cannot take another day of this!" She brought the doctor in, who simply took one look at my hands and told me "I suggest you find a good Rheumatologist, as you have some kind of connective tissue disease, good luck, they are hard to diagnose". I left his office feeling confused if not a little devastated. Still overwhelmed I went to work with the news. My Human Resource director had a Rheumatologist she referred me to, but I had to wait yet another month in pain until they had an opening.

Any one that has Rheumatoid Arthritis knows that a handshake can be a scary experience, because more often than not it is a painful one. So as the doctor entered the examination room and held out his hand, I tentatively took it, ready to pull back in a flash. His first comment to me was "Well if that isn't a Rheumatoid Arthritis handshake I don't know what is". I was shocked! WHAT? Did I hear him right? So I said to him "You're going to diagnose me on a handshake??" He looked over my paperwork, my blood work and examined my hands, he said "This is what I do, I know R.A when I see it" and then he proceeded to tell me the good news and the bad. The bad news was there is NO cure and Rheumatoid Arthritis CAN be a debilitating disease that progresses and can cripple. The good news was it was treatable, if treated aggressively the disease could be slowed to almost a complete standstill.

He prescribed several medications including prednisone (a steroid), which I had been told by friends, not to take as steroids are bad for you. My Dr. assured me that it was only short term and a low dose and would help me to feel better immediately instead of in six months when the other meds kicked in. After a horrific night of pain and no sleep, I gave in and took the steroids. People at work laughed at me the next day as I RAN around the office shouting "Steroids are AWESOME!" I felt like a new person! One that could move! Without pain!!

I was slowly weaned off the Prednisone in time for the other medications to kick in. That was seven years ago, and thanks to the medications I take I can function like a real life human being, a forty-three year old human being, not a ninety year old woman!

Tags & Keywords : Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pain, Diagnosis, Life with