Hi all,I may not post much but i come and read all posts and get information from you all,But todayI am sat here in shock this morning,at christmas i found out my cousin has also been diagnosed with RA as the family knew i had it i got an e-mail from her asking me for information.
Thats good i hear you all thinking and yes it is the first people i told her about was NRAS great support and information and lovely people who understand.
Then the next line in the e-mail was how long have you had RA the doctor told her that it will go away after a few years for most people !!!!!!!
WHAT i wish it did ,how can a gp say that or am i wrong and it will go away i really wish i was wrong i am so fed up with peoples attitude to RA i just want to give up and say yes ok you got me there is nothing wrong with me i sit in the wheelchair for fun i cry with pain for fun have my joints replaced one by one and i inject myself everyweek because i have nothing else to do !!! I have told her to go back and ask for a referel to hospital asap explaining mine is so agressive because it wasn't diagnosed early enough and treated ..
sorry for the rant
geraldine

hi i am meeting with her at the weekend so hopefully will find out more,i understand it was from a blood test.I presume showed RA markers my Gp years ago was the same "you have arthritis live with it " until i changed doctors and the first time i saw him he told me i think you have RA and refered me to my rhematologist..so i am not sure

I couldn't have put it better myself Julie. Geraldine - You need to ask for a referral to rheumatology asap. Good luck.

Sheila x

(biting lip imagining me, in wheelchair 3 kids and long suffering husband turning up to hire scuba gear for trek now explaining I'm going to be fine in a year!!!)

I don't think it's very hard to educate gp's on the basics

My cousin is a gp
In her 7 yrs training as a dr and 3 more yrs as gp experiential and clinical and examined training they did 2 afternoons on rheumatology
She opted for 3 extra modules because of the interest she has

But thats shocking isnt it
2 afternoons!

I hate the low level of education on it- especially when one says why are you in the chair? Your hands aren't too bad... Ha! Then they start looking at my notes
I have a few quick quips now Inc 'oh yes the wheel chair is the latest fashion accessory'
And
'how many 35 year olds do you know with hands like mine?!'

They are used to old people that's why

Ignorant idiots. It's their Arogance that eats at me. The ones who 'know it all' and won't simply care enough to listen.

Mostly hospital dr's I find although a few gps too

My original gp wouldnt take a blood test because I was too young at 20 to get ra... I though I was going mad in the end. Over 1 yr to diagnosis which came through a newly qualified locum who immediately saw the ra
Bloods immediately positive

I have to say nras have made awareness a lot better.

Jenni xx

thanks for the replies i wrote the post because i was so fed up with myself and as you say doubt my own sanity at times,and hearing debbie just took me back to the very begining again trying to convince my GP something was wrong.as you say there are good ones out there mine now is excellent and i would not be where i am now without him.Having talked to debbie last night it seems she tested as Ra is in our family and had a lot of symtoms i had years ago and it struck a cord in her brain ,
But hey i love the idea of scuba diving always wanted to do that but a walk in the forest with the dog again would be my wish. Debbie now has the info and i will keep in more regular contact with her and hopefully will join NRAS as i get lots of help just reading peoples posts not commenting all the time but i know there are lovely people here that understnd and help with good tips thanks all xxx

Hi Geraldine,

Like the others have said, some GP's need educating in RA. You were right to advise you cousin asap to her Rheumatology clinic. The sooner she starts treatment the better the outcome. Keep your chin up it wont always be this hard. Once you are properly established on the tablets which suit you, things will improve.

Take care Lorna