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New RA diagnosis at 38

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 5/11/2021 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hello ,

I have been dealing with depression and anxiety my whole life and weight problems ( ±7/8 pounds that I made into a mountain ), i have decided to become healthy, change my relationship with food, stop being guilty when indulging and only eating organic, no red meat etc , JUST AS I WAS STARTING TO HANDLE AND MANAGE MY DEPRESSION,AND LOVE AND ACCEPT MY BODY , I GOT THE RA DIAGNOSIS AND NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM DEVASTATED , THE BODY I JUST learnt to love , I feel like it hates me, its attacking me, I love to walk for hours, love life despite years of depression and now i feel like this is almost a death sentence, like I'm gonna spend my life running against time to prevent further damage, for the first time in my life yesterday i sais i no longer want to live, i wanan eat healthy to be healthy not cause my body attacks itself , i don't want a daily reminder of the disease, i never take medication and now it is inevitable , I am only 38 , how do you deal with this ??? please because i no longer want to live I am broken sad
Posted 5/11/2021 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Stella, I am quite sure it was a shock to get the RA diagnosis, you obviously had some things going on to get the diagnosis. I am assuming you saw a rheumatologist that did the testing to make the diagnosis. What is the drs plan of treatment for you & how active is the disease. There is a wide variety of medications available to treat RA & people are able to lead a productive life.

You are obviously a very strong person to have turned your life around with the eating habits, losing weight & making yourself healthy! Do not let this diagnosis derail all of your hard work or let RA define who you really are. Take some deep breaths, educate yourself about RA online at reputable medical websites, be careful where or what you read, the internet has a lot of inaccurate information. Consider getting yourself some talk therapy, this can be very beneficial too.

Take care.
Posted 5/12/2021 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi susie ,

thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me ,.
I went to see a chiropractor because of a stiff neck and I told her i have pain all over my body , especially when I wake up and put my feet on the ground and can't move my hands till i take a hot shower, i thought it was because I started using the rowing machine for the first time in years and because i just started working out again but when she saw that I haD the exact same pain symmetrically she recommended blood work for RA factor sad((( I thought it was just a disease that old people get and I was like its ok I'm getting it 20 y earlier ill adjust I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS AN AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE i thought it was dûe to tear and wear sad I'm already dealing with lifelong depression that i barely started to manage but this has thrown me off rails sad( I'm scared of the medication ,its side effects , i hate medication i never even take advil sad I'm scared it ll alter my life quality daily forever, its all I think about , i feel less like a woman, i am single and wondering if id ever be with someone , if they d be with me and handle this .... again thank you , best
Posted 5/12/2021 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
Stella, a chiropractor is not qualified to diagnose someone with RA. There is not one single blood test that can determine someone has RA. Most GP's do not diagnose RA, they will refer the patient to a rheumatologist for a complete work up to make a determination. If you really want to know what is going on start with your GP & ask for a referral to a rheumatologist.

Take care.
Posted 5/12/2021 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you i did get blood work for rhumatoid factor and inflammation marker ans awaiting my appointment with a rhumatologist sad
Posted 5/29/2021 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Stella,
I know exactly how you feel, but I can tell you that your life is NOT over because of this disease. Yes, you'll likely have to start taking something for the pain and issues, but with the right meds for you - you can live a happy and healthy life. I have had one form or another of arthritis since I was a child. And I have all of the same issues you listed.
You've come so far on your journey - don't let this stop you from living your life. Your change in eating habits is a very good step to handle this disease.
There are so many new medications out there that actually stop the progression of the disease. If one pill daily or a shot every week puts you in remission and you can get out of bed daily without pain - then wouldn't it be worth it? That's just my take on it - work with your doctor and don't let this ruin your outlook or feel like your life is over. It truly is not.
Take care.
Posted 5/30/2021 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
CaMama,

I cannot stress enough how appreciative I am of you taking the time to write back to me and reassure me .. i am sorry you ve been dealing with this since you were a child but the fact that you took time out of your day to write to a complete stranger to lift their spirits up is a testament to your kindness and strength . Thank you soo much 🥺❤️
Posted 11/10/2022 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
I know it's been a looong while, but how are you doing? Did you find a good doctor that helped you find the right medication?
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