It all started with a feeling of weakness in my ankles

2016, I was walking in the house after a log day of rounds in the hospital. I am a family physician and I was used to my feet hurting after a day seeing patients as I always wear sensible high heels ;) It subsided after a few days, so I ignored it. a few weeks later I had a low-grade fever and my hands and feet were popping and crackling. That subsided, I decided I might need to have my RA tested. I wrote the order to go to the lab and out of fear I did not go. June 23,2016. After a year of numbness, hip pain and what I thought was carpal tunnel syndrome I finally went to have my annual physical and had my RA factor tested. My labs came back normal all except my RA factor, which was 37.7. I knew it I said to myself as I looked at my lab results. I still waited another 3 months before I saw the specialist. So here we are today. I saw him Friday and had a chest x-ray and now I am on Medrol(steroid) I am on this for two weeks and waiting on my additional labs and making a plan. Since I saw the specialist the weekend was hard, pain fatigue and the sadness of knowing my life will be changed forever.