Most of y’all know or have read about my journey with type 1 diabetes. Now I’ll tell you how my immune system screwed me over again with rheumatoid arthritis.
In 2014, I started to have sharp pains in my wrists, finger joints, toe joints and elbows. Not even plain ibuprofen could get rid of them. Off to the family doctor I went, and he gave me prednisone pills, but my blood glucose went high! He also gave me Celebrex to help with the pain.
The pain continued, so he did some blood tests and referred me to a rheumatologist. He diagnosed me with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis–that is, rheumatoid arthritis that does not have the rheumatoid factor. It happens in 30% of all people with RA. He double checked to see if I also had lupus and gave me Plaquenil, methotrexate and later Humira. The Humira quit working after six months, so in May 2016, he gave me Enbrel, and my joints feel almost back to normal! I still have little pains, but Tylenol takes care of that!
My craft projects keep me busy, but they help with the joint pain and stiffness. I encourage all of you with a chronic disease–I now have four since being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knees back in May 2016 and diabetic neuropathy–to learn all that you can about the illnesses you have and not to be afraid of learning big words and medical jargon. Y’all can do this!
Pebbles
Oklahoma
Submitted 10/08/2016
Read Pebble’s diabetes Power Story here: https://www.fightlikeagirlclub.com/pebbles-fight-like-a-girl-story-diabetes/
The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
Dear Peebles. Yes, I too believe that too many people are afraid of a diagnosis. Learning all you can is so important. Keep fighting every day.