When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2012, I was scared. I didn’t know much about RA and as it turned out, what I knew about it was mostly based on myths. How could I have arthritis at the age of 42? I had a lot to learn and so did my family and friends, who would ultimately be impacted by my having RA. I’m not sure how I “got RA”. This has been debated a lot with my doctor and with my family. I felt joint pain and just felt like I had the flu for a very long time. I was exceptionally tired all of the time, feverish, and absolutely exhausted after doing laundry or taking a shower. I went to my primary care doctor with these symptoms starting in 2010 and she sent me to specialists like a cardiologist for my rapid heart rate and fatigue, an allergist for my shortness of breath, and a neurologist for my migraine headaches. I think my co-workers and maybe my family started to think I was a hypochondriac. I was wondering that, too! Only my symptoms were very real and they were getting worse. I tracked what I ate thinking it was the spicy or fried foods that made me so bloated I looked like I was about to go into labor. My fingers would swell up like sausages and I hobbled to the bathroom each morning, taking a good five minutes to stumble from my bed to the bathroom. Some days it hurt too much to even get up to walk. My primary care doctor suggested I lay off fried, fatty foods as well as stress and see a massage therapist for the constant back and neck pain. I was treating each symptom as an isolated problem and no one I sought treatment from connected the dots…until I met my rheumatologist.
After two years of doctor-hopping and missteps, I finally found answers. The rheumatologist took my blood for the first time in March of 2012. I learned about my elevated SED rates and CRP levels that showed inflammation. After a more intense blood workup, I discovered that one culprit to my inflammation was gluten. I started a gluten-free lifestyle by May of 2012 and within weeks, my headaches and rapid heart rate, and severe intestinal problems were gone. Unfortunately what remained were my constant fatigue, flu feeling, joint inflammation, and overall pain. Through blood work, my rheumatologist found that at some point in the past I had come in contact with the H. Pylori (Helicobacter pylori) bacteria. This bacteria might have brought out my RA but we really can’t be sure. I have learned quite a lot over the last few years, and I hope by sharing my moments of trial and error, I might help someone else.
Here is a helpful article to read:
http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/PageServer?pagename=autoimmunity_rheumatoidarthritis
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