Stubborn Family Member - Symptoms
Hi, I am trying to research RA for my Mother who refuses to admit she may have RA? She is having swelling in her ankles, knees, wrists, and lower back pain is severe when getting up and down and takes a minute to straighten out. Extreme weakness, cronic fatigue, I would describe her symptoms when they first started as flare-ups this has been going on for more than 7 months. Does this sound anything like RA or is it worse Cancer?
Hi,
!
First, you are a good son for looking out for your Mom and being proactive about learning what may be going on with her. Second, we can't provide medical advice, for your mom's safety. That said, her symptoms could be related to any number of conditions. Does she see a physician on a regular basis? I ask because a simple panel of bloodwork would be a great place to start when trying to figure out what's going on. Also, her doctor would know her medical history and her current health and would be best positioned to help your mom figure out what's going on.
I wanted to share some basic information on various types of arthritis. You might see that one sounds more like what your mom is experiencing than another -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/types-of-arthritis. In my family, my father-in-law deals with gout and it can be very painful for him.
I love that you care about your mom and goodness knows our parents can bristle at the idea that we might think they might need some help from their kids. It's a weird position to be in, for all members involved!
If you need help brainstorming ways to talk to your mom about this, please feel free to let me know. I'm happy to help. If you feel like you've got that handled, great!
And, you can remind your mom that there are some great treatments for most forms of arthritis, so there's no reason to suffer!
I hope this helps and don't hesitate to reach out if you have more questions or concerns about this.
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
I know exactly what you are going through. My mom is getting older and she clearly need sto go to some doctors and she not only is being reluctant but she also is in flat out denial when it co es to certain things. Ironically, though, I am the one with the RA and she has other issues and I’m sitting here trying to parlay three decades of RA medical experience into diagnosing what is probably wrong with her! Your mother’s symptoms are things that I have certainly experienced in my years of illness, but it’s difficult to diagnose anything over the internet, unfortunately. A rheumatologist will be able to determine what, if anything, is actually going on. Please let us know how it goes! Keep on keepin’ on, DPM
