In other words, age, gender, nationality, none are "immune" from suddenly and unexpectedly to hear the words, you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and/or Osteoarthritis, which often plays into one another.
Honestly, I had suspected some type of autoimmune illness with me, probably 10 of more years before even really getting "tested" for them. In fact, it was my current PCP, who had just moved to our community from East Texas, and he is as sharp as a tack. I was one of his 1st patients, and from day one I was "hooked" with him being my PCP. AFTER, I already had several arthroscopic surgeries on both shoulders, my left carpal tunnel surgery, and the went through two total knee replacements, along with all of the various reasons I had been in to see him.... he told me he was going to run a huge "battery" of lab work on me. Some of it may take weeks to get back but I already had mentioned "autoimmune disorders" even before we began the lab work.
both of us were right, when those somewhere around 18 TUBES of blood they took from me finally were all processed, the findings were a direct autoimmune issue(s)...
From there it was a whirlwind of finding a Rheumatologist, and my 1st one, Dr. Rosenstock in Duncanville, as elderly as he was, turned out to be one of the best Rheumatologists I saw back then.
He was about 80 plus years old, and in fact, had a stroke not long before I went to see him. But, he took a very good once over of me, and told me, my toes, and fingers/thumbs, and other places especially where joints were showed signs of damage. He also told me I had Raynaud's, and I had a "hyperflexibility" of my joints, which also causes joints to be "over used" because they tend to go further back than a joint that is normal. I felt I had "undifferentiated autoimmune connective tissue disorder" and felt like as time went by I would be diagnosed with Lupus, RA, Sjogren's and so forth.
He was correct. But, as much as I appreciated him and truly felt he was an awesome physician, he was "old fashioned" and did not believe in "biologicals". In fact he still gave "gold injections".... which were used for a long while before many of the other meds became to help with these AI illnesses.
So, I went through an emotional, mental and physical battle trying to find a good Rheumatologist, and it took going through about 7 before the right one finally appeared. He has been taking care of my RA now for about 7 years or so.... and in actually my PCP takes care of my Lupus, mainly due to him being right here in town a few minutes away, and he can see me immediately when I am having a bad Lupus Flare....
I went through almost a grieving process.... first I was so totally forlorn, then I did not want to believe it was true, and then I was just angry about all of it.... insurance, doctors medications, pain doctors, then surgery after surgery all due to the deterioration of my joints due to RA/Lupus and osteoarthritis... and yes to boot, I have osteoporosis, which adds to the "fear" of all of it.
In time, and at times, first I kind of settled into the fact I was chronically ill, and in chronic pain.... yet I still fear certain symptoms and so on, just to me having several very critical times within the time of being diagnosed with RA and so forth....
I had hoped with time, I would regain more "life", more energy, more things that truly would make me happy, yet, I can day I am "not full of life" as I once was.... and all too often days are a struggle in one way ot the other.....
