Hi! I am very thankful for finding this community.
I was living with my son and his wife in Nevada, and began having trouble with one of my fingers and vision would get blurry off and on. I went to the doctor and was told the finger had a touch of OA and basically that I needed to learn to live with it, that it was something that just happens as we get older. I started having various other symptoms, unrelated to arthritis, and was always told there was nothing wrong. My daughter-in-law believed I was just trying to get attention, and there was a domestic violence situation and I went to a homeless shelter for a few weeks, and ended up here in Delaware. (all of this turned out to be a blessing in disguise)
Since in Delaware, the doctor here discovered I had an under active thyroid, which was causing my other symptoms and we got that all under control. (no more high blood pressure…woohoo!)
She also sent me to the rheumatologist due to the sausage like finger, inflammation in the ligaments and tendons in both ankles and wrists, and the inflammation in my lower back. She started me on 15 mg MTX right away, after a couple of months of no improvement upped the dosage to 20 mg MTX along with an Nsaid. Yesterday, I went to see her and my condition has gotten worse. It is now affecting 12-15 joints, inflammation in my ankles is worse (1/3 of my heels are numb with little to no feeling). I have started 50 mg Enbrel weekly along with the 20 mg MTX and the Nsaid.
Hopefully this will do something. I am exhausted from the constant pain and discomfort, and at risk of losing my position at work due to my inability to perform some of the required tasks.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this group, it is good to know that I am not alone in this battle.
Welcome! I’ve only been here for a few days but still 
I’m so sorry you went trough all that! And I’m glad you found a good doctor! I really hope the meds will kick in soon!
Just being in pain is exhausting… but then the PsA adds to that by making you even more exhausted…
Thanks Cynthia.
I’m guessing people have other things to do on the weekends here 
during the week there was more activity.
Welcome aboard, @bobbiandboys. Glad to hear that you managed to find a doctor who was able to diagnose you after what sounds like a rough time.
From what I understand from reading here (not personal experience), the biologics are something of a godsend once they start working, so fingers crossed that they do the trick for you.
Feeling you on the exhaustion and the decline - it’s the absolute worst to feel tired all the time.
I’m curious, how long was it between the first visit of “get over it” and the doctor in Delaware?
First “nothing wrong appointment” was Dec 2014. First rheumatologists appointment was Sept 2016.
My PCP here in Delaware looked at my finger that was progressively getting more swollen and painful, and did blood work checking for RA. She prescribed Misoprostol and Diclofenac for the inflammation. Blood work came back negative and the finger continued to swell. Then the ligaments and tendons in my ankles started to flare up, along with lower back pain.
A nurse from the hospital next door to the drug store I work at came in, she seen my finger and said “oh you have it too”. She suffers with PsA and told me to mention it to my doctor at my next visit. And finally, three days later a referral was made.
I wish I knew that nurse’s name so I could thank her!
By the time I seen the Rheumy I could barely walk due to all the inflammation in my ankles and heels. She examined me and said seven major joints were inflamed including L5\S1 and side joints. Started me on MTX right away. My visit with her last week, she said now at least 15 joints are involved.
Sorry for going on and on. I havent really had any one to talk to about all this and frankly it scares me.
Don’t worry about going on and on about it - pretty sure that’s what these boards are for, after all. I’m in the same boat as this place has been the first conversations I’ve had with other sufferers.
Sucks that it took so long for you to get diagnosed, but I’m given to understand that’s not an atypical situation.
Whine away bobbi. we live for it here. and welcome!
You keep going! As Dilorenzo says, that’s what the forum’s for. And sometimes posting & discussing makes things clearer in your own mind, much more so than just thinking about it all on your own.
Hi bobbiandboys, and welcome! Yes, sometimes the place is quiet and other times we’re all gabbing at once!!! Glad you found this place–everyone here has a unique story, but we all have that one thing in common with so many of the same icky symptoms.
I hope Enbrel works for you–I’ve had really good luck with it for 2.5 years now. Beware, though, your back and feet/ankles may have sustained some damage. I didn’t realize the stiff back I always had led to some yucky lower back problems that actually flared up a couple months after Enbrel took effect. The thought is that I felt so good when my back stiffness completely disappeared, I must have overdone it, not knowing my back was damaged. I really don’t know what triggered the back problem, but it hasn’t been right since. Same with my feet…and there are quite a few people here who have those same problems because of PsA damage. So, it’s good you’re on Enbrel and hopefully you’ll start feeling better soon.
Hang in there!
Thanks everyone! I’m pretty excited, a few days after my first Enbrel shot, I am noticing improvement. Ankles aren’t as inflamed and I actually have a little feeling in them again. They feel very fragile though. So I walk very carefully and ordered a pair of compression ankle sleeves.
@Grandma_J thanks for the advise on over doing it. I really have a bad habit of doing that the minute I feel better. I will definitely think twice.
I have similar fragility, but with my SI joints. I think I did enough damage prior to starting biologics that they can’t take much now.
I’m new here, (just joined tonight) but wanted to say hi, I’m in Delaware too
Welcome Beeham!
I also have the fragility in my SI joints and S1/L5 vertebrae. Standing and sitting are sometimes unbearable, and I have to lie down to get some relief.
Where in Delaware? I live in Lewes. Moved here about a year and a half ago and absolutely love it.
I live in N Wilmington and work in Middletown. I’m jealous that you live at the beach! I just moved about a year and a half ago as well, and though I had to look up Delaware up on a map because I had no idea where it was, I love it here now.
bobbiandboys, same location in my lower back! Yes, continue to be careful with lifting…I avoid anything over 20 lbs. I used to easily lift the 40 lb. bag of softener salt and carry it to our basement. No more–never! I do lift some of our grandbabies, two of whom are getting out of lifting range–they’re 22 and 19 months and both weigh around 25 lbs. Whenever I lift anything heavier than 20 lbs. my leg goes numb and there’s a little nerve pain in my butt. Icing a few times helps, but the fear of a disc blowout or whatever it was that caused my extreme disability for a few weeks keeps me very cautious! (I had an MRI 3 weeks after the serious pain subsided and there were a few bulging discs and one major protruding disc “impinging” a nerve–I think that was the culprit and the pain had already improved so I don’t know how much worse it was when the pain was unbearable…too painful to even think about laying still in an MRI tube for 45 minutes, that’s for sure!).
I am sooooo glad to hear Enbrel is working already for you…it worked really fast for me–which isn’t the case for most people. Hopefully, there will be less and less pain!