how did you

valval

OK so how did you start with arther?
me i started with bits of me swelling and burning, feet , hands, knees, joint on sternum(had damage it while pregnant) pain in between times and weakness, feeling exhausted (did not even think this was part of it lol) kept going back to doc got the wear and tear, weakness in this area so on and so forth. till got good doc who did bloods and saw inflammation raised but even then had to keep going back till was in tears one day and told her truth on how bad it was then she asked if wanted to see rheumy not looked back since

so how was it for you just nosey val

jillyb1

Gave birth to my second child and by the time I got home 2 days later ; in absolute agony with swollen ankles and struggling to walk . Knew what it was as had cared for my late mum with same , ( in her day the only treatment was copious amounts of soluble aspirin ! ) , went to doctor and asked for tests which doc was not keen on as I was ; " only 25 so obviously not RA " . 30 years later and still wish I hadn't been such an always right know it all ! Anyone else had their arthritis brought to light by giving birth ? Jillyb

dreamdaisy

April 97. My left knee started to swell. DD

valval

hi did keep fit for years but got less and less fit could not understand it sprained wrist (well that what i thought it was) lump on right hand bad feet just able to do less and less and took longer and longer to get over it lol already posted this but it gone off into cyber space some where lol

tkachev

After the birth of my 2nd son in 1999 I was walking badly and my jaw went so that I couldn't eat. But this all cleared up quickly and was back to my usual hyper self. After 2 months I took the boys to a gym club, I went on the trampoline and my left leg felt odd and strained. Then my legs turned to jelly and I was shaking, went home and my knee flared up, the other followed within days and couldn't get out of a chair.My chest followed so that I felt crushed when trying to sleep.
I have another son 15 months older and often wonder why R.A wasn't triggered with his birth.
I also developed painful tennis elbows in 1991 and wonder if that was the real start to my problems.
I have never had trouble with my jaw since.

Elizabeth.

joanlawson

About three years ago, I was having new flooring done in my kitchen when I tripped over a pile of tiles and fell very heavily onto my knees, especially the left one. They both swelled up, and were very bruised but I thought they were alright. However, I had badly torn the cartilage in my left knee, and damaged both. After that, OA set in, and it also started in my right ankle. It's difficult to know whether I would have developed OA anyway because it runs in my family, but the fall seemed to start it off.

traluvie

Mine started as pain in my finger next to my thumb, odd pains in wrists and other parts of my body.. i work as a hospital housekeeper my hands were constantly scrubbing lol.. come september my right hand was swelling and the pain was in my arm and shoulder so i went to GP.. She said i was too young fro arthur and that the pain and swelling was normally symetrical.. i was having pain in my left but not as bad as right.. she signed me off work for 2 weeks believing it was repetitive strain injury.. By the time i went back i had swelling in left hand 2 and pains in my shoulders and ankles.. she then referred me to rheumy, who after thorough investigation confirmed RA in wrists, elbows,ankles and hind feet and OA in knees and thumb tips....

lindalegs

Mine started the same as Jilly and Elizabeth the same day as the birth of my second child :shock: It was a major flare and we were taken back into hospital to get my joints working again. :roll:

PamieAFC1903

For my right shoulder it was because I fractured it when I was 9 years old.

My knees, elbows and wrists is because of my Hypermobilty Syndrome (which I am still waiting to be seen about).

julie47

mine started day after giving birth too.
Wondered what was wrong with my feet as they never swelled during pregnancy and now all of a sudden couldn't get my shoes on.
My fingers and knees were swollen too. Walking was so difficult and I could barely use my hands. I asked my gp what was wrong and he said a bit of rheumatism get on with it.
As it got worse I wanted more tests. Eventually I was diagnosed with RA.
I was 25 when I had my child (only child) now I am 38 (in a few days)

Juliepf x

valval

did not realise so many were caused by giving birth it very interesting sorry to those of you who had to cope with this at a time that should have been special

lupin15

Ummm i am not sure use to do loads of running and walking. After chemo i did not have the energy then started, put my back out. Had lower back problems from then. Had bone dense test done which showed thinning. They kept close eye on me because lower back pain can indicate the cancer has returned so have to be careful. On one of my routine xrays they noticed a change and said i needed to be referred to the specialist for arthur. (never seen one yet.) Came as a bit of shock as it was never mentioned that it could happen...not sure whether it is due to treatment or i am just greedy!!!! :lol

dreamdaisy

Oh tink, I think I have to disagree. Any form of arthritis is an aberration, a bane, a curse, a damnation, an evil, etc etc etc, it's not a competition to see whose is worse - they are all foul and we all struggle. DD

barbara12

I had a bad back after an accident when I was 10...this got much worse when I was in my 30 after ....yes you guessed having my sons...I went to the gym for nearly 25 yrs when I got a twinge in my groins....ignored it.....my knee started to hurt...ignored that for over a year....went to gp and found out the knee pain was referred from my hip.
Had physio....went back to gym....hips got so bad I stopped going....so my back has now gone worse then ever.
Another thing I remembered was having lots of rheumatic when I was young.
Barbara x

caterina57

20 years ago (25th April 1991) My mum and I were in the garden and decided to do the first grass cut of the year, It was a beautiful spring day, but before we started mum said she would make us a coffee and bring it down into the garden. When she brought the coffee I made to go to her but couldn't move with searing pains in my back mum had to phone my sis ( two bus rides away) to help get me into bed phoned dr who gave painkiller and muscle relaxant I had spasms all the time only way I could describe as cramp but everywhere. I was in bed for 6 weeks.

Five years later I moved house and changed Dr he asked what was wrong with my back and said I didn't know - I had still had pain all this time. He sent me on the spot for xrays which had detected the degeneration, in fairness he warned me it could not be cured and would get worse. I have had pain ever since in varying degrees but it never goes awa. My most recent Xray has shown severe degenration and OA, they wont even give me physio because they are frightened it may compromise the spinal cord. They were amazed I was mobile as I was

My Neck problems were triggered following a serious accident I had on the M1 an Hungarian lorry driver didnt see me and hit me in the second lane though I may have got the spondylosis anyway.
Cath

lindalegs

valval wrote:

did not realise so many were caused by giving birth it very interesting sorry to those of you who had to cope with this at a time that should have been special

It was extremely hard coping but it was still special Val because we had our babies.

mellman01

Spent 3 years being B-S'd off by my last GP who kept telling me it was gout, in the end got so bad I saw another one in desperation and that was it, got it confirmed and the damage was done by then, also spondylosis of the neck was confirmed same way, said useless GP kept on calling it rye neck then I went to another GP in the end and it was then confirmed by X Ray, hey only took 25 years to get it diagnosed so that's why I have little faith in Doctors these days.

NinaKKang

Touch wood, I've always had amazing doctors:

I had carpel tunnel syndrome for short periods after my girls were born which was treated with painkillers quite well. A couple of years ago I went to my GP and asked for the same painkillers because I thought the CTS was back. He told me straight off that this sounded like arthritis and referred me for blood tests. I saw the rheumatoid consultant at the hospital about 4 weeks later and was put on MTX.

Last year, my consultant expressed concern about my low iron count and I made a flippant comment like "Oh, my iron count's always been low". He wasn't very impressed and said it was one of the symptoms of caeliac disease. I was sent off for blood test and called back in two days later. Basically, the specialiest said Do you want the good news or the bad news" and (not actually pausing for an answer) he went onto say "The good news is we won't have to stick a camera down your throat on the end of a stick-like object. The bad news is that, in a healthy person, this count should have been between 3 and 5. Yours is 235. You are definitely a caeliac which is why we won't be putting any cameras down your throat.

Up until a couple of years ago, I visited hospitals and watched and waited from the sidelines as my sister, who has cerebral palsy and also RA, got prodded and poked about and asked personal questions while I gently teased her and made light of it. Now it's me who is in that position. Funny how things turn out, isn't it? I never used to pay attention to what I ate and couldn't swim, I loved aerobics classes. Now I swim twice a week and do pilates. Gentle exercise...

At least I'm always armed with a book or magazine, hospitals can be boring places...

Nina XX

PS - thanks for starting this thread, really interesting.

katie5

i have OA - it started in my neck, left shoulder used to burn and i was in agony I was only 21yrs ( 1991) went to doctors had x-ray nothing showing had physio.

over the years the pain got worse and spread to my feet, lower back etc - went back to doctors who referred me to physio at hospital and was told I had x-ray in 1991 so didn't qualify for another as i was only young and just need to sit up straight.

hubby was not happy with this and paid for me to go privately for consultation - had x-ray and confirmed had Osteoarthritis of the spine, sclerosis of the scaroiliac joint and suffer from hypermobility syndrome. when i went to see my GP afterwards he said to me "do not choose disability you have pain but its a good pain" - thought my hubby was going to snatch him over the desk.

I,ve been let down badly by GP - go to a big practice and never see same doctor twice. I'm just deciding to change doctors and seek the help i need as now i have it in my hips and hands.

God sorry for the moan

Katie x

tkachev

mellman01 wrote:

Spent 3 years being B-S'd off by my last GP who kept telling me it was gout, in the end got so bad I saw another one in desperation and that was it, got it confirmed and the damage was done by then, also spondylosis of the neck was confirmed same way, said useless GP kept on calling it rye neck then I went to another GP in the end and it was then confirmed by X Ray, hey only took 25 years to get it diagnosed so that's why I have little faith in Doctors these days.

Hi Mellman. Is it OA you have?

Elizabeth

frogmorton

Back issues Val as a child getting worse as i got older

finally went about 8 years ago and had it fixed.

All seemed well very like you this and that which always 'got better' or came back...

Until a few years back my knees hips and ankles all swelled over night and l was stuck in agony. Gp was pretty good referral to rheumy straight away despite neg Rfactor. He diadnised inflamatory arthritis and am fine on hydroxy and a few other bits.

Am doing pretty good still and count my blessings

More recently have had neck issues which is OA cervical spondywatist as mell calls it. This is pretty dreadful too - hot esaring pain which doesn't let up :sad:

Still life is good

Love

Toni xx

valval

do have neck probs not got name for it but had bad fall over a year ago and put arm up to stop head hitting corner of wall not the thing to do also did not go hospital just took pain meds was in enough pain from arther could not face the waiting about a big mistake (was arther caused me to trip)

dreamdaisy

I like the attitude frog - despite the pain you can still spot what makes life worthwhile. I must admit I have lost that (currently) tho I expect it'll be back sooner or later.

I think, Tink, you were having a rough day and it showed - we all get rough days when it does all seem unbearable, and that is, quite simply, because it is. I have to admit that I do occasionally envy the OAers - they get lovely, shiny new joints and life gets better for a while: for us auto-immune bods that is not necessarily an option (our joint damage is different in some ways, perhaps) plus the fact that our bodies actively attack us, something which is way beyond our control - and the meds are vile. Doctors may trumpet the fact that we all live longer, whoopee-******* - doo - more time to have OA, more time to have RA and PA etc. but fundamentally we all face the same problem: there is no cure. We all struggle. DD

valval

dd you also sound as if you are having a bad time of it as you say we all go through this and go through very rough times but we also have the better times to look forward to do not give up spring around the corner then this awfull damp will be thing of the past. the meds might be bad but life with out them would be worse will in my case could hardly walk with out let alone turn taps off go around a supermarket etc we have lots to be thankfull for. well i have sure many of you feel the same life might not be as we would wish it but could be so much worse val

jillyb1

This has become such an interesting discussion , Val , so interesting to discover how everyone began their arthritis journey . Surprised to see how many people found their arthur after child birth as I did ; I was told by my rheumy that it is very common for it to emerge after stress and trauma , not the best way to describe welcoming a much loved baby into the world is it ? Jillyb

tonesp

Funnily enough the pain and stiffness started in my left leg I gradually got worse and then started to get better.As the left improved the right started to hurt and stiffen up A couple of times before i had had tendonitis so I thought it was that My GP treated me for it It was only when a second doctor sent me for X Ray that I was diagosed with OA