Skip to Accessibility Menu Skip to Login Skip to Content Skip to Footer

New to This Illness

Lgolds's avatar image

By Lgolds

1 min read

I've recently been diagnosed with RA, and I'm still grappling with the news. This isn't my only chronic illness, so adding a new one is quite upsetting.

Recognition of symptoms

All of the symptoms I've been experiencing—fatigue, foot pain, ankle pain, knee pain, shoulder stiffness, red, puffy, painful fingers, and overall body pain that sometimes brings me to tears—made me realize that something was amiss; this isn't my normal.

Dealing with multiple issues

I was diagnosed with scleroderma Sine in 2021 and have been undergoing treatment for its associated conditions like pulmonary hypertension, obstructive lung disease, intestinal issues, GERD, and Raynaud's syndrome. Initially, I attributed my joint and body pain to new manifestations of my scleroderma, but it turns out to be more.

Learning to live with a new diagnosis

Now, I'm learning how to cope with this new diagnosis. Unfortunately, the prednisone prescribed for it is causing intense stomach discomfort, despite taking it with food! I hope to figure it all out soon so that I can return to the physical activities I enjoy.

The puffy, red fingers was key something is wrong

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The RheumatoidArthritis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.