Before diagnosis joint issues
When I was young I seemed to always have a joint that hurt. My knees, wrists and ankles seemed to be injured very easily. I was diagnosed with TMJ also.
I was diagnosed around age 40 with RA. All the other problems happened on and off my entire life. What I want to know is if this is typical of people before RA, or just me?
Kellie, it's a pretty common story for RA patients to have a long history of dealing with related issues for years before being diagnosed. It must be part of the way the disease progresses. Personally, I had a case of severe eye inflammation called uveitis five years before RA diagnosis. The eye doctor asked me about joint problems which I thought strange at the time. I had two ankle surgeries before diagnosis (and a third after diagnosis). It's not just you!
Thanks for answering. I am actually concerned about my daughter as she seems to have joint issues also. Maybe not as much as I did, but kids now don't spend as much time doing physical activity as we did. She is 13 and seems to have knee issues like I did as a kid.
I wonder the same thing as I have one child who is having foot problems on both sides and another who tends to get something like Raynuads syndrome which is related to RA. But we probably need to not worry while keeping an eye out.
Now 71, I've had joint issues since age 13 and was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis and Primary Lymphedema. That means my entire life has been spent in chronic pain. I managed to live well and do many good and fun things until my shoulders began hurting a number of years ago. I spoke to every doctor I saw about it, but nobody paid any attention. Late last year, I saw a Rheumatologist for symptoms of Lupus. Unfortunately, bloodwork showed RA with the shoulder joints already fused with muscle loss. Nothing I've ever known compares to this physical and emotional pain.
