I found your site this morning 1:42 a.m. because I am doing what I see often...getting no sleep because of the pain...but I don't know how folks tolerate being on the computer for very long at all...the pain in the hands afterwards. I am a 47 year old elementary school principal. Three weeks ago my doctor told me my RA panel, which he ran just and to quote "let me take some blood and run some screens to see if you have some type flakey arthritis, which I doublt". I had gone to see him for what seems the zillionth time in the last few months. That particular day I was in tears (again) but this time I was sooooo honest. I told him, "I am NOT suicidal but I don't need depression med (cymbalta) upped (again)...I'm not suicidal but i SWEAR I can not live with this pain!!!! I can not function!!! I am failing my classes (within two to three years of having my PhD in Ed Leadership completed and rather than all "A"s I'm getting Incompletes when I BEG for them (an feel so stupid and like a slacker, all my cohort and professors knew me pre-RA)!!!! and I'm going to lose my job!!!! I have 307 kids that I try to hug, educate, walk (WALK...ugggggg) play with (another bigger uggggggggg, play....ugggggg) and I can't make it from my car to my desk without hurting BAD...I can't sleep at night it feels like an electric fence wire turned as high as possible keeps zapping my heels and my archs and now my wrists and my shoulder (over year ago told my rotator cuff was just worn..now I know different), my knees get hit with pain so spontaneous so overhwelming that they, of their own accord, head toward my nose as auto reaction. While I'm typing this my knees (mainly left) hit the bottom of the desk (more rapidly the longer I stay)...my fingers slow down...the heat of the pain expands. I had a partial laproscopic hysterectomy 2 years ago sept...So drs keep saying it's menopause and hot flashes...I feel like I have been Nuked...the burn and tingle (sorta like Niacin used to make me feel when I was in my 20s)...Anyway,,,,,the worst part? GP refered me to rheumatologist then another then another...they all say they can't see me for min of 3-6 months and when the dr and nurse tell them how bad I'm hurting they say "no on DIES from RA"...all I know...6 months ago I started feeling tired ALL the time..(for all my life I needed sleep to "catch" up...but I went to bed avg of 2 am and up by 6am and go and go...so bout once a month I'd catch up on some ZZZZzzzZZZs during that weekend)...so for last 6 months it's "all the stress of the job and my dad dying and getting remarried and having a school board member that harrases me into a lost suit (which they settled, cause I have no skeletons in the closet and do a darn good job). I'm bright, was, know my stuff with education and will learn about it if I haven't already learned about it, have die-hard work ethic, run a farm with my husband (who also works like heck at "day" job), etc etc...but I have gone from weighing 165 when I married him in nov 2008 to 185 june 2010 to 259.2 tonight....did I mention I hurt sooooo bad and it's aweful...seriously, everyone I've spoken with says the meds with make it tolerable, and I might even get some of my old self back, etc, BUT when you can't get in to the dang rheumatoid specialists what do you doooooo?????   order meds from mexico, shoot yourself, become a "dope head" on pain meds (which to me make me feel in lahlah land and others just think your a doped up slaker (kills me to lose my reputation for being such a hard worker). I am still a hard worker, now I just work at breathing, walking 10 feet (can barely stand on my feet, 5 months ago I was fine, woke up one morning and couldn't stand on my left the bottom KILLED me...outta the blue...there it was), pouring a glass of ice water,,,,,all of it...MAJOR effort...can't see dr. rheumatology cause they won't get me in, can't sleep, trying not to steadily panic, feel dang sure alone with others understanding what I don't even understand myself, have a beautiful basement, can't go down cause then I gotta take hour to come back up, walk in rooms can't remember why I went in em, been doing a lot of "circle turning" lately, losin days at a time (missed assignment at school due sunday 19th cause I thought it was 17th, went to church for first time in 3 weeks cause I could get out of the bed, and wrote 6/17/2011 on the pastors morning and evening power point outline of sermon...problem? was the 19th...so lost those 10 points AND respect of the 3 cohorts on my team...I just want the pain to end...but who doesn't, right? sorry to babble on and on...but I feel like I'm dying and I can't get in to see a specialist who could put me on meds (hopefully) to help me get better so I don't end up a shell...thinking on it...my eyesight went from perfect to couldn't see to read at all..see fine far off...was told that was due to anesthesia and hysterectomy, too.....hmmmm  I just won't help before it gets worse..the speed at what the pain has become in just 3-6 months...how will I make another 3-6 min to see specialist? I won't.   thanks for tolerating a hurting a lady...S

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

7/14/11 12:02pm

I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to answer - I was on vacation and away for while. I'm sorry you didn't sign up for the site so I could send you a private message  for so you could know when I answered this.

 

I have a number of suggestions for you, so if you come back to check here, please register for the site - it takes only a minute or two - and send me a private message.