Not yet diognosed but scared

Aitch
Aitch Member Posts: 2
edited 28. Mar 2014, 12:19 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi,
I am 33 and at the moment undergoing tests for RA, I have swollen joints but not all the time, usually in the evening and i feel pain all over my whole body. I have a strong family history of RA (3 generations i know of as we cant go further back) I am awaiting results from blood tests and MRI scan, I am scared if the results show Ra but im also scared if they don't! I just don't know what is happening to my body and im terrified. Iv had to give up my business and looking for office work so be easier to do, but just dont know what my future is. Does anyone else feel/felt like this? what happens if my results don't show anything? what happens next? And if they do show RA, does it get easier? My Dad isn't well so cant go to him with all my concerns. Feel alone, my boyfriend tells me to stop reading about it till I know, but easy for him to say as not waking up every morning in agony!
Sorry to go on just scared and would like some advice xx

Comments

  • Barbieg
    Barbieg Member Posts: 40
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    You have come to the right place, I'm sure lots of people will be offering you advice. I can tell you I was diagnosed with RA ten years ago, but once the medication kicked in I have lived a relatively normal life. There will always be good and bad days, but things are never as bad as we imagine. Welcome to the forum.
  • petals
    petals Member Posts: 217
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Aitch,

    The feelings you describe sound very familiar.

    The pain you experience with the onset if RA is quite alarming and the thought of living with such pain for the rest of your life is very scary indeed.

    Thankfully, it doesn't need to be like that. There is an arsenal of drugs at hand which can make a huge difference and can be very effective.

    Most of us on here have a little moan now and again but its not like that all the time. Once your symptoms are under on control you simply adjust your life and try to make the most of what you can do.

    Working with RA can be hard though. I have had to change my job and I have also cut my hours. Initially I was quite angry about that but now I quite enjoy being home 4 days a week.

    Try not to panic, having RA is no picnic but its not the end of the world either.

    Good luck, I hope you get a quick diagnosis one way or another.

    Petals x
  • crabby85
    crabby85 Member Posts: 40
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hiya, like you i was (am) in constant pain & went to the doctor for tests. The Rheumatoid arthritis test actually came back negative for me but apparantly you can still have the disease without it showing in your blood yet. They diagnosed me by looking at my joints and the fact my blood tests showed inflammation more than once in a row.

    Im still having tests even though im being treated for RA!

    Hope you get some answers and on some good painkillers x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    At least with that family history your concerns should be taken seriously by the doctors. RA does run in families (most auto-immune conditions do but there is no guarantee that they will turn up, my parents dodged the genetic bullets they so thoughtfully passed on to me) I am the first in my family to have an auto-immune arthritis - lucky me! :lol:

    I began with a fat left knee, seven years later I was given the tentative diagnosis of 'inflammatory arthritis' (there are around 200 different kinds so it can be difficult to pin-point the exact one) and nine years later that label was changed to psoriatic arthritis. The meds, however, did not change, they all overlap in the conditions they treat. I am shortly starting my eighteenth year of it all and yes, my life has changed in ways I never envisaged but it's taught me a great deal about patience, adjusting, being sensible in asking for help (my reasoning is why waste what precious 'energy' I have in doing things that others could do for me?) and making the best of what I have.

    I firmly believe that the earlier one can begin the meds the better the outcome could be. I began with far too little, far too late and am now in a bit of a mess but no matter, I can't change things. The meds sound scary - what is more scary is what may happen if you don't take them. Arthritis is life-changing and can become life-limiting but it's not life-ending. Humans are flexible - well, our joints might not be but we can adjust to all kinds situations and, in this day and age, we have the meds and aids to help. That, however, does not mean that it's all OK. It isn't, far from it. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello again, Aitch, we're nearly a week on from your post, how are things going for you now? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello and welcome to the forum
    I have OA at the min and I am always tried so just try to keep going ..if you are not sleeping maybe you need something for that, but pain in itself can cause the tiredness..like DD says its been a week now since you first posted I hope you come back to us ..it really helps to talk to people that understand..
    Love
    Barbara
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    Hope you are going to come back to post.
    I cant help you with RA...I have OA but pain is pain.
    I also have spinal problems.
    I can understand you being scared of the results but I find once you get the results {OK mine is OA} you know what you have and you learn how to manage it and cope with it.
    I think its a lot easier once you know.
    If you have got results come on and talk.....I'll not be able to help from the RA position but loads of others will.
    Most of us find that its better to talk on here than to burden our families more.
    Love
    Hileena
  • HannahT
    HannahT Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Aitch,

    Welcome!

    I am in a similar position as you. I also joined this forum for advice and comfort as I suspected I had some from of arthritis. I learnt a lot from everyone here. Lots of great advice and tips on what to expect at GP appointments. Not to be afraid to ask for more information from the GP. Not to feel afraid of requesting a referral to a specialist if your GP is not really understanding of your situation.

    You are not alone Aitch.

    H
  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Aitch, As everyone has said your in the right place for plenty of support and advice. We all must have felt the same as you when all the pain started and not knowing what was wrong. If you have any questions just post them and someone or many people will try and answer them for you. Welcome to the Arthritis forum family!
  • Kitty
    Kitty Member Posts: 3,583
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Aitch,

    I was diagnosed with RA 28 years ago, at the age of 36. I had 5 children, the youngest aged 3. For about 6 months my GP struggled to find a drugs combination that worked for me, then when my ESR rose to 85 he referred me to the rheumatologist. Bingo! He put me on a drugs combination that really made things easier. I was on that combination for 13 years, during which time I worked part time in various local schools and rode a bicycle everywhere. Although I'm not on different drugs, I'm still reasonably well, but additional health problems have impacted on my general health. So the future - while not necessarily rosy - is manageable. Good luck xx

    "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." Robert A Heinlein