(no subject)
Just got back from the rheumatologist.
It's official- I have rheumatoid arthritis. I have probably had it since I was 16, seeing as though that's when the pain started. She confirmed my suspicions about it spreading to my knees and was pretty much horrified at how swollen my knuckles/wrists were. They gave me a shot of steroids for some immediate pain relief and put me on methotrexate (super potent medication for RA) and some pill steroids while reducing the Azulfidine to 2 pills a day.
I... don't entirely know how I feel about this. It's like I'm glad to finally have an answer but RA is degenerative. In the pamphlets and stuff she gave me it says that 50% people who get it before 30 are unable to work in 10 years and are far more likely to become disabled. The average onset is between 30-45. I'm 18. That's about half the age of the average patient. Basically it's downhill from here.
Luckily we caught it really early and we have time to prevent it from getting way worse. So I guess that's good.
I dunno. Just. Yeah. Taking it all in I guess. I go back in on July 13th plus blood tests two weeks prior to see how the methotrexate/steroids are doing.
Gonna go lay down or something. I'm tired.
It's official- I have rheumatoid arthritis. I have probably had it since I was 16, seeing as though that's when the pain started. She confirmed my suspicions about it spreading to my knees and was pretty much horrified at how swollen my knuckles/wrists were. They gave me a shot of steroids for some immediate pain relief and put me on methotrexate (super potent medication for RA) and some pill steroids while reducing the Azulfidine to 2 pills a day.
I... don't entirely know how I feel about this. It's like I'm glad to finally have an answer but RA is degenerative. In the pamphlets and stuff she gave me it says that 50% people who get it before 30 are unable to work in 10 years and are far more likely to become disabled. The average onset is between 30-45. I'm 18. That's about half the age of the average patient. Basically it's downhill from here.
Luckily we caught it really early and we have time to prevent it from getting way worse. So I guess that's good.
I dunno. Just. Yeah. Taking it all in I guess. I go back in on July 13th plus blood tests two weeks prior to see how the methotrexate/steroids are doing.
Gonna go lay down or something. I'm tired.