Hi,
I found this forum tonight whilst researching RA & Lupus on the Internet - at this moment in my life I havent got a proper diagnosis of whats going on with me, is it RA or Lupus, can it be both, I would appreciate if you read through the below and gave me your views... 
I am 36 years old female, no other health issues than a mild PCOS.
My late mum had RA her entire life (since she was a child).
For 10 years I have had "problems" with my left knee, all of a sudden it was swollen and painful and this has been coming and going for a long time, I have also had pain in my ankles for the past 5 years and have found out I buy flat shoes and not highheels anymore.
End November 2006 I got an eye infection and went to hospital, Pink Eye diagnosis, i soon developed a cold, with sore throat, fever, and a very bad cough that I still have now in April. I got two sets of antibiotics during December but I still had the cough. I also developed bad joint pain and at one point so bad in my "bad knee" I could hardly walk, I thought I had got a DVT, and went to hospital were they ran bloodtest twice and confirmed DVT, an ultrasound confirmed the day after that I didnt have a DVT.
Then we started to investigate if it could be rheumatic.
My doctor (GP) took a bloodtest for Rheumatoid Factor and it was negative, then I was sent for an xray of my knees, confirmed OA - Osteoarthritis. They left me there, gave me painkillers and told me to "live with it". (Arthrotec75)
I didnt like that attitude and diagnosis so I arranged to see a Rheumatolgost privately and have for 5 weeks done the following:(I know I dont have all info needed, values etc)
Bloodtests, negative RF, positive SLE (Lupus), ANA - think that was negative, I had high platelet count (I cant remember the rest) bloodtest also showed I had 3 viruses in my system one was Parvovirus that I had at some point in my life
I had an xray of my chest (cough) which was fine
Isotope bone scan - didnt pick up much, wear and tear of joints, nothing significant
Synovial Fluid from knee - yellowgreen, no RF, confirmed inflammatory joints
On the 30 of March 2007 my rheumatologist said he was going to treat me for RA and Lupus, I asked what he thought and he said RA and said I could be a seronegative (my mum had RA) and gave me Plaguenil, he also wanted to give me a Cortisone shot in the bum but I said no. I am seeing him again in early May for further bloodtests and review.
What are your views on this?