Well, after 8 wonderful, pain free months in "remission" the RA is back with bells, whistles and indeed fireworks!!! It was just fantastic whilst it lasted and I will always be thankful for being able to revert to a bit of normality in my life, if only for a brief period of time.

Now, here is the puzzle!! As some of you know, I have been more or less bed bound (what horrid words) for around 3 months now - food poisoning, twisting my leg badly on a loo run and then a chest infection. My knee is huge and my hip is now joining in as well. My bloods have been dicey for a few months (ESR high 90's, CRP 76 last month) and I had fondly assumed that this was due to the chest infection. Wrong!! I saw Dr Vas on Wednesday and he confirmed the RA is back. What I want to know is why it has chosen to re-appear in a knee and hip which have been replaced? I am also wondering why I bothered to have them replaced in the first place if we are now back to square one? There are a lot of joints which are still "au naturelle" so this has really got me thinking. We are increasing the meds and if no joy, will look at other options. Because the joints have been replaced, I can't have a jab.

I am also so depleted of Vit D that my Parathyroid hormone levels are through the roof (120 odd - should be less than 65) and the replacement globs of vit D have shoved up my blood calcium levels. Hey-ho, I'm sure it will all come out in the wash!

Take care, everyone, and have a good weekend - and thanks for letting me have a moan!
Love Jeanxxxx

Oh Jean all that pole dancing has clearly not been good for you! I find it so frustrating trying to analyse what's going on but the RA in replaced joints seems really strange, not that I really know much about it. I saw my step mother last weekend (RA for 35 odd years) and she's having terrible trouble with a replaced hip as well, she thinks it was sparked off by a fall on a cruise ship in The Bahamas, oh yes she's certainly making the most of life! So maybe your tumble on the way to the loo has been the culprit? No answers just bags of empathy and maybe a joke, hmmm. A friend of mine always wanted to be run over by a steam train. When it happened, he was chuffed to bits! Apologies for bad taste in jokes.
Take care
Sara
x

Oh Jean, I m so terribly sorry to hear the latest, it just makes you want to swear - so frustrating to say the very least. On the positive side, as its " gone away " before there always the possibility it will happen again, hopefully soon.
Can understand where you are coming from with the new joints, does seem a difficult one to understand.
Thinking of you.
Love Julia x

Jean

I am so sorry to hear that the dreaded RA is back. It certainly is very good at playing hide and seek. I think your immune system obviously ramped itself up to fight off the food poisoning and chest infection and when it had got these under control, decided to move on for more "fun" and decided your "joints" would be an ideal candidate. I am completely flummoxed how it can attack a replaced knee and hip. Surely there is nothing there anymore to attack unless it is muscles and nerves.
It really is a very sneaky disease. It would play the villain perfectly in an pantomine

Let's hope the increased medication gets it more under control as I am sure you want to get on with your life.

Take care and I will be thinking about you.

Jackie
xx

Oh Jean-I've been away for the weekend so only just catching up. How very weird this all is eh? I remember being SO thrilled for you when it seemed to have disappeared.
Who knows though, a least you know you CAN go into remission so it may happen again.

Hi Jean. Sorry the old evil one is back. Hope this flare up doesn't last too long....As much as I love Neddy I knew the bare back stint was over enthusiastic although the outfit was amazing.

Sheila x

Hi Jenny - so sorry you are also in bed!! I have been expecting to hear this after all the stress of the past few weeks.

My calcium levels are high because I have had to have huge doses of Vit D and this is one of the side effects. I am having weeklybone profiles at the mo. so they can keep a close eye on it. I have hyperparathyroidism (phew!) which is caused by severe vit D deficiency and I have had all my levels checked and the condition confirmed by an endocrinologist/pathological chemist at Wythenshawe Hospital. It's actually to do with the parathyroid glands and not the thyroid itself. All very confusing for a bear of very little brain such as meself! They are taking very good care of me - my rheummy is very much on the ball and I was with him for 45 minutes on Wednesday.

Take care xxxxxxxxxxxxx


Thanks everyone for your encouragement and sympathy - wish it came with tea and buns though!

Hello Jean, I'm sorry to hear your news, I read Jenny's coments and it reminded me that with each new illness the damed RA has a flare. You would expect that we would be used to it all by now but we try not to think about it I think. I hope that you can get back on track You rest up and take care. Glenys x

Hi Jean,

Bit late joining in here - just back from a day with the two little angels (Ha!) I`m sorry the RA has returned with a vengeance. I have no idea why it should attack replacement joints - it seems as if it is totally indiscriminate, and just fires off its weapons in any direction, laying waste to anything in its path.

You`ve had a horrible 3 months, but I`m glad you are being well looked after. You really will have to stop using damp poles for practice sessions - you know it always affects you afterwards.

Take care,

Kathleen x

Hi Jean sorry to hear you have been so poorly, and the ra has flared itself up again, who knows why these things happen.

Take care

Bevxx