Diana, welcome to KA!
Your story is so familiar to many of us here. I should have been diagnosed in 1991/92, when I was in full AS flare (including 18 months of iritis). I am HLA-B27+, but they didn't test for that routinely back then and since I had no damage showing on my xrays, I wasn't diagnosed. Until 2001, when I was in the midst of what I now realize was a 5 year flare. This time they tested for B27, as there was definite damage showing on my xray, and it took less than two months for me to be diagnosed. Ten years too late, to my mind, but I have to think that I handled it better now than I would have back then.
I hope you can get on one of the biologics. Many of us have had wonderful results with them. And please do check out the diet forum. Again, many folk here have had good results with eliminating or lowering their starch intake.
Look forward to talking more.
Hugs,
