Have you seen a rheumatologist? If not, that has to be the first step, so you can get a diagnosis and a treatment plan. If you do get diagnosed with RA, it's important to treat it early and aggressively to minimize the damage to your joints. I understand your fear of the medications, but remember that they're not your enemy - there are tools to help you keep your body as healthy and strong as possible. Without them, your joints can become so damaged that it will reduce your mobility and cause serious pain issues in the future. With them, you can continue to need a fairly normal life.  you need to ask yourself what that is worth to you - what are you willing to risk to keep your life going more or less the way it is now?

And yes, the drugs have side effects, many quite manageable, others interfere with your life to such a point that you need to try another medication. The good news is that there are so many medications on the market these days that it is quite likely you'll find one that will work well for you with minimal side effects (see my post on managing side effects for more information). You may also want to check out a post I wrote called Better Living with Chemistry about that struggle to accept medication.

There are a number of programs out there that can help you financially we're getting the medication you need - Lisa Emrich recently wrote a post with a thorough list of these programs. However, as I mentioned earlier, your first step has to be to get a rheumatologist. If you can't afford one, contact your local city government who may be able to refer you to a free clinic or doctors that charge on a sliding scale.