This was, apparently, one of the top searches that landed someone on my blog…
Seeing that, it got me thinking… Now that I’m a sage old veteran of hearing that news (Has it really been almost 2 months already). I don’t think that having made it through this far, even if I had it a year before I was diagnosed, makes me much of an expert, but I can SO relate to the sentiment of the search.
I had been having aches and pains when I finally got the gumpshun to go to the doctor (I guess my first piece of advice if you have made that kind of a search is… go see the doctor… don’t try to go it alone… don’t guess. If you have ANY way to get to the doctor… go… they know things that help). My PCP… or the stand in for my PCP since SHE was out on maternity leave and wasn’t back in the office regularly yet… made concerned noises at my lumps and bumps and swelling and bruised colors… and sent me for blood work.
“It will take about 48 hours to come back”
yeah… the next afternoon I was sitting at my desk at work when the phone rang… it was the doctor’s office (I have them programmed into my cell phone so they show up as Doctor… not a great omen). Sitting at your desk alone with dozens of people less than 3 feet away… and lots of people in and out of your cube farm is not the place to have the nurse tell you that you have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Not being able to really talk to anyone when you find out isn’t great either. They gave me the name and numbers of In Network Rheumatologist I should call.
I don’t remember much about the rest of that day… but I do remember that the sentiment expressed in the search and in the subject of this entry was what was running through and through and through my mind…. I have arthritis (not only arthritis, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis… yes, there is a difference in kinds), help me.
You are not alone.
I’m guessing that phrase probably ran through all of our minds (or most of us anyway) at some point.
Read books. If you can find one at the library, read it, if you have to break down and buy one at the book store… it is agreat investment. Don’t stress over some of the things you read on the internet. No, there are no miracle cures. There are no cures… there are only currenly treatments. They can be quicker to work or they can take a while to work…
Find someone to talk to. If you can’t find anyone “real” to talk to… reach out to support groups or reach our to one of us who blog… we are not necessarily the font of all knowledge, but we are going through what you are going through and we can at least understand what you are going through… sometimes that is really what you need… that and someone to tell you that it is okay to buy a dog brush if it is designed better for your hands and use it on yourself (I bought one at target yesterday because it looked easier to use, and it is…).
A Figment Of Fitness 