I'm a 60 year old mother of 3 daughters and grandmother to 7 beautiful grandchildren.   I've always been told I had arthritis by my mother and doctors and felt the pain in my joints and back often.  I've taken celebrex or mobic off and on for the past 4 or so years.  Sometimes it helps with flareups, but not always.  I've taken ibuprofen for best results during the day and sometimes night.  I had rickets when I was very young and evidently I had anemia alot because I can remember taking 'liver shots' once a week and I hated them.  I also had a few episodes with anemia basically when I was pregnant or getting ready for surgery - I had to 'build up my blood' before surgery.  But......this is the first time I've been DIAGNOSED by blood test with RA.  Terrific elbow pain, redness and swelling causing my hand to hurt causing me to go for a doctor visit.  He ran all kinds of blood tests on me and my c-reactive was a little high and my RA was 19.  I don't know what that means but I know the pain I'm having and it's not fun!  He put me on Celebrex and suggested using low doses of pretnizone (sp?) during flareups.  I think I want to go see a rheumatologist?   My 82 year old mother is soooo cripple with osteoarthritis and scoliosis and I don't want to end up like her if at all possible.  I want to know what can be done if anything to not get so crippled.  Any suggestions will be appreciated.  I'm anxious to get on the message board and chat with other.  God bless you all!