Hi Everyone,

Thought I would say hi! I have had RA for nearly seven years after being diagnosed at 14 years old. I am on steriods, methotrexate and leflunomide - and currently facing decisions regarding a hip replacement/resurfacing.

Wish I had found this site sooner, initially RA was scary at 14 - but now I have come to terms with the fact that its not going anywhere, so I have to learn to live with it, and am lucky that I have such a fantastic consultant who has got it under control - apart from a damaged hip and an unattractive limp!

Anyways, nice to meet you alll

Francesca x

Hi Francesca,

Welcome to the forum, but sorry you were diagnosed with RA at such a young age!
I consider myself "fortunate" not to have started with it till I was 51.
I am 61 now and take mtx and Humira.
Good to hear that you now have it in control apart from your damaged hip, and hope you get the hip replacement soon to get rid of the pain.
Looking forward to getting to know you.

Love, Doreen xx

And a warm welcome also from me in West Yorkshire.
I'm 59 and have had RA for about 3 years now, currently on Humira and MTX.

I hope you're also slightly mad because there are some really strange folk on here (naming no names!)

Hi Francesca,

Welcome to the site, I was diagnosed in May 2010 and joined this site almost immediately. The help and advice I have been given on here has helped me enormously, practically and emotionally.

I am Anne, 50 and on MTX .

All the best.

Anne x

Hi Francesca


Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you had RA at such an early age. I have only recently been diagnosed in October this year but have suffered various symptoms for some time. I am 54 and live in North Devon with my partner on his farm.

I found this site almost straight away and have found it invaluable. Everyone has been so friendly and supportive, and helpful, I would have been quite lost these last few weeks. I have just (last week) started on Methotrexate and I am hoping this will stop these awful swollen hands and knees and painful tows and elbows and everything else this god awful disease is doing to me. I have struggled because I have to still go out to work, being my own boss and not being able to afford to employ anyone else. So things have been tough but as I said this website and the lovely people on here have helped.

Hope you get somewhere with the surgery. Keep in touch

Julie x

Sorry tows!!?? Toes!

Hi Francesca, welcome from me too.Your among friends on here. I'm also waiting for a hip replacement, there's one or two of us on here waiting for these opperations.
This'll be my second one, my sister's had three.
Hope you get the ok for yours pretty soon, it'll be so life changing.....no awful pain !!

Take care, Kathleen

Hi Francesca. Welcome to the forum. I'm Sue. I was diagnosed just over a year ago and have found this forum invaluable - for advice and to have a moan. Good luck with your operation.
Hugs
Sue

Thank you for all being so nice :). And Rose, mine was not well controlled for about three years, but my consultant promised me that one day he would findthe right coctail and I would live a normal life - and he was right.

Ok, having a hip replacement at 21 isn't all that normal, but actually apart from that I still am able to do everything that I want to.

Try and persist with it, when its bad its horrible, I know - my mum had to dress me and put me into bed at fifteen, but now looking at me you wouldnt even know. So try and keep positive knowing you will get there in the end. :)

Francesca x