My right foot/ankle has hurt the worst right from the beginning of being diagnosed with RA 10 years ago.  It was always the first area of joints to begin hurting in a flare-up, and the last joints to stop hurting after a flare.  As the years went on, my right foot slowly but steadily got worse.  The last couple of years I don't think I've gone a day without it horribly hurting.  Now, if I have a couple of hours in the day where it's not hurting real bad, I'm happy!  I pretty much walk with a cane almost every day.  Sometimes, on really bad days, I have to crawl to the phone if my cane isn't handy... because walking on it just isn't an option.   Anyways, I recently went to a podiatrist.... who ordered x-rays, then an MRI.  Today I had an appt to discuss the MRI that I had done last week.  He showed me all of the areas where the RA has destroyed the joints.  I have 2 large cysts that are in the bone... he said the cysts are "rheumatoid tissue"... basically the RA taking over the joints.  In his own words he told me, "You're screwed." ..... the silver lining in this cloud:  I am going to have surgery done on my foot in May!  He will fill the cysts with ground up bone matter, and I'm going to have a few plates and screws/pins in my foot.  I'll have to be off of my foot for 2 whole months, which will not be easy having 4 boys (ages 12, 10, 10, and 2).  But my mom just decided last month that she is retiring this summer (how perfect is that?!) and she is more than happy to help me in any way she can.  She said she would come over when my hubby goes to work (he works 2nd shift), she'd stay here during the day/evening, and take my lil guy home with her at night!  I am just so excited that there is a SOLUTION to this pain!  My doctor told me that after this surgery is done and I am all healed, I should have NO PAIN in that foot!  Can you believe it?  No pain? I can't even imagine!  I'm on Orencia, and it is working great everywhere except for my foot.  So if my foot didn't hurt, I'd feel great!  Which means in a matter of months, there is a great possibility that I will feel great!  Wow!  It's just unimaginable to me!   I'm kind of afraid to hope for the results that the doctor seems confidant of.... but I can't help but to shout, "YAY!!!"