My Story

[Anne-Marie]

At the beginning of October 2006 I felt unwell, nothing specific exactly just unwell, I saw my GP who said I probably had a virus and it would resolve itself in due course. Approximately 1 week later I developed a pain in my wrist after lunch. As the afternoon wore on the pain got progressively worse. I began to wonder if I could have broken it but hadn't taken a knock or fall. By 5pm redness appeared and I saw the Doc that evening believing it to be an infection of some kind. The Dr. thought I had gout and sent me home with some anto-inflammatory cream and tablets. The pain got worse and worse as the evening wore on. I finally managed to sleep and awoke in the morning pain free. Fantastic., until after lunch again when my wrist started again but in a slightly different place. Again the pain got worse as the afternoon wore on and it became red again. I saw the Dr. again that evening (a different one) who thought I had an infection so prescribed antibiotics. There was no way I could drive to the Chemist as my hand was too painful so decided I would have to wait until morning. By morning the pain and redness had gone. Fantastic again. After lunch the bottom of my foot hurt and I wondered if I had stood on anything earlier. As the afternoon wore on the pain got worse and worse. I could not get to see a Doctor. By 3am the pain in my foot and leg was horrendous. I awoke my eldest daughter (I was a single parent looking after 7 kids.) I begged her to help me with tears streaming down my face, I thought I had a blood clot ot something. At 6am I telephoned my Dad who came round and took me to the A&E department. They ran bloods, ruled out gout but I had high inflammatory blood levels. They gave me a shot for the pain and sent me home telling me to make an appointment with my GP. This was Saturday morning so I had to wait until Monday to see anybody. The pain continued like this for six weeks with no let up, one joint after the other on a daily basis. My GP thought I had reactive arthritis and it would resolve itself. After six weeks I suddenly had no pain and believed the GP to be correct in his diagnosis. It was such a relief to be pain free and to beable to change a nappy on my little one. Four weeks later the pain returned with a vengeance, attacking different joints on a daily basis horrendous pain each day only this time it would attack several joints in one go. I did not know what to do with myself. The worst attack I had was 11 joints at the same time all at level 10 pain-wise. There was no let up and I finally got to see a rheumatologist who believed it to be reactive arthritis. After my 2nd visit to the Rheumy he suggested I come in to his hospital for a weeks rest and that it would resolve my problem because he now thought it was stress related having learned I was a single parent with so many kids. I couldnt go in because I had no-one for the children. I contacted Social services who told me to get help from family and friends. This was impossible as all of my friends have their own families and mine was rather a large addition. Anyway I felt totally patronised, dis-believed and basically wonderd if I was going mad. My Rheumy finally discharged me. After 4 and half months of constant pain I contacted a Homoeopath who recommended a dietry change. After 3 days my pains went form level 10 to level 3ish and have stayed that way ever since apart from the odd day. I changed my rheumy and after running an anti-CCP blood test on me DX Rheumatoid Arthritis. I haven't been able to take anti-inflammatories so have used topical creams and co-codamol 30/500 and oramorph when neccessary. I tried Sulphasalazine in January this year but didn't make it one week because of mouth soreness and breathlessness. So here I am now having learned a little about the AP. I managed to persuade my Rheumy to allow me the chance to try it and see, considering I had already been 2 and half years without treatment just to see. I got the go-ahead spoke to my GP who was willing so today is my first day on AP. 100MG Vibramycin MWF. I am hopeful and very grateful to this site as it gave me both information and the confidence to approach my Dr's. with medically backed-up information. Thankyou so much.

Anne-Marie.

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