Yesiree! I've been checked from head to toe.

Two CT scans. Several MRI's. Colonoscopy. Hysteroscopy. Many many vials of blood over a 2 year period. XRays. Ultrasounds. Accupuncture. PT. Massage. Neurologist. Ophthalmologist. Rheumatologist. Gynecologist....

What they all say is ~ and I'm paraphrasing ~ "Wow! You're in really good shape for how crappy your blood work looks and how many diseases you seem to have!"

I just think rheum. issues are by nature somewhat bizarre. I feel blessed that I'm not as sick as my sisters and that so far I don't have MS, which three other people in my family have been dealt.

But, back to the LDN for RA question: why not? It's on the list of diseases it's used for, it's cheap, and it's not dangerous. I just recommend NOT taking it during the day.

and maybe by taking the LDN, you'll avoid developing MS since that's the one disease that LDN seems most impressive for......i've watched the youtubes, read some of the clinical studies.

Ahem... I haven't exactly admitted it in exactly that way to the doctor yet. Um... sort of sidstepped the questions about lupus.... I just don't want to get poked and prodded anymore this year, and it's periodic....

I tell you people way more than I tell my family or my doctors.

I get random fevers that seem to come in periods of stress, but again... almost flat inflammation. I wonder if there's something underlying that CAUSES inflammation in ADDITION to pain? And then the chronic inflammation causes joint damage? That might be why my joints are in such good shape. Just an idea. I really am not trusting doctors as much as I used to. And I'm in a crappy mood tonight.

Maybe I should go to bed even though it's 7:40... that makes me feel so ridiculous when I do that.

The pain doesn't cause the inflammation - the inflammation causes the pain! And causes the joint damage. My joints are still in good shape but I haven't had RA for all that long - approx three years. Also I've got the inflammation under control now with methotrexate, prednisone and celebrex. So I'm hoping to avoid joint damage.

My grandmother's hands and feet were horrifically deformed - that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I still puzzle about why inflammation doesn't show up in blood tests for some people. It's very odd I think.

very recently i found a nice simple explanation for why it doesn't show up for those of us with enthesitis as our primary inflammatory site: a reference said that the entheses are primarily avascular structures.

I know people with RA who don't have high levels of systemic inflammation and RA is not a disease of the entheses.

well that certainly is more puzzling!

New rules for EricaK. No more reading KickAS in the early AM. Now I have "avascular" stuck in my head. No blood to the area. AVASCULAR AVASCULAR AVASCULAR...

what you need is a good tune stuck in your head instead......may i lend you "midnight train to georgia"! that's what's been stuck in my head all day today!