Hi Jessiqua, I came to your journal from the link you have on your Flickr site. You are one of my contacts. I have enjoyed reading your journal, but was sorry to hear you are having these painful arthritis-like symptoms. I just wanted to say something on that. I haven't read your journal entirely, so don't know if you touched on this already, but did you ever get tested for Lyme disease which can have these same arthritic symptoms? I don't know if you travel in areas where there are ticks that carry this disease, but the tick is so small, in many cases as small as the period at the end of a sentence, that the actual tick often goes unnoticed. I live on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of southern MA, and we are a hot bed of tick diseases here, with Lyme causing incredible problems for people if the disease has gone on for a while, especially in people who don't get the classic symptoms in the beginning, like a rash. Arthritis-like symptoms are common with it, especially later in the disease. I had Lyme twice, and never got the rash, fever, or any of the more common symptoms, but it was caught early nevertheless, more by accident than anything else, because I requested a blood test.
Sorry to go on so long here on this, and perhaps you have already looked down this route, and have moved on to other possibilities. If not, I would think it couldn't hurt to have your blood tested for Lyme, just to rule it out because some of the symptoms you have, one can have with Lyme. I think the standard test is the Elisa, but that one is not always very accurate. I think the Western Blot test is more accurate. After reading parts of your journal, I just felt that I should mention it, in case it hadn't been considered. It is treatable with antibiotics, but it is better if it is treated as early as possible, before it causes more serious damage. If you are not in a Lyme area, the doctor might think it wouldn't be necessary, but Lyme is so prevalent now all over the country, that it is something to consider with those symptoms that you have. Here on the island, because of the tick problem, and so many people getting it, they often just treat for Lyme now when someone presents with flu-like symptoms, or an unexplained rash...a sort of better safe than sorry approach, where there is this high probability. In early Lyme, the drug of choice is the antibiotic doxycycline.
Thank you, "Iseult" for the suggestion. I am not sure if it Lyme disease just because of some of the other symptoms associated with it that seem pretty severe, (can't think of them specifically right now, though.) It has occurred to me, though that maybe this is an infectious type of arthritis...who knows. What's making me feel that it is actually Rheumatoid is that it is in my hands/wrists and ankles/feet - the symmetrical pattern (affecting left and right side of body) is characteristic of RA. However...I have been to the east coast frequently visiting my sister (in VA) and I spotted ticks in/near her home a few times. Really unsure...but I do hope to get to the bottom of this soon. Thanks again! I am glad you are Lyme-free!
I came to your journal from the link you have on your Flickr site. You are one of my contacts. I have enjoyed reading your journal, but was sorry to hear you are having these painful arthritis-like symptoms. I just wanted to say something on that. I haven't read your journal entirely, so don't know if you touched on this already, but did you ever get tested for Lyme disease which can have these same arthritic symptoms? I don't know if you travel in areas where there are ticks that carry this disease, but the tick is so small, in many cases as small as the period at the end of a sentence, that the actual tick often goes unnoticed. I live on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of southern MA, and we are a hot bed of tick diseases here, with Lyme causing incredible problems for people if the disease has gone on for a while, especially in people who don't get the classic symptoms in the beginning, like a rash. Arthritis-like symptoms are common with it, especially later in the disease. I had Lyme twice, and never got the rash, fever, or any of the more common symptoms, but it was caught early nevertheless, more by accident than anything else, because I requested a blood test.
Sorry to go on so long here on this, and perhaps you have already looked down this route, and have moved on to other possibilities. If not, I would think it couldn't hurt to have your blood tested for Lyme, just to rule it out because some of the symptoms you have, one can have with Lyme. I think the standard test is the Elisa, but that one is not always very accurate. I think the Western Blot test is more accurate. After reading parts of your journal, I just felt that I should mention it, in case it hadn't been considered. It is treatable with antibiotics, but it is better if it is treated as early as possible, before it causes more serious damage. If you are not in a Lyme area, the doctor might think it wouldn't be necessary, but Lyme is so prevalent now all over the country, that it is something to consider with those symptoms that you have. Here on the island, because of the tick problem, and so many people getting it, they often just treat for Lyme now when someone presents with flu-like symptoms, or an unexplained rash...a sort of better safe than sorry approach, where there is this high probability. In early Lyme, the drug of choice is the antibiotic doxycycline.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
-Iseult (Flickr ID)
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