The Things You Learn

Last time I saw my internist, we were talking about the pain I have in my hands and other joints.


We were both examining my fingers and she was pressing on the knuckles (which hurt!), and I told her I really didn't understand why they were so painful when I haven't ever noticed any redness or swelling like the rheumatologist kept asking me about.


So she told me that was the difference between, say, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. With RA, you get the visible swelling, redness and the skin can be hot to the touch. With Lupus, you get the same amount of pain, but nothing shows on the outside.


I have to say, sometimes I really wish something about this illness showed on the outside.


The other funny (odd) thing during that visit was when she went to examine my ankles. I didn't know there was anything wrong with my ankles, although my toe joints had already begun to hurt. But man, she pressed on two sides of my ankle and I almost jumped out of the chair.


I guess I have ankle pain to look forward to because when she did the same thing to my elbows before I'd noticed anything wrong with them, they started aching badly within the next couple weeks. *sigh*

Life goes on.

Just a few more days before I see the hemotologist. And I better not get another round of stomach flu to make me postpone it again!!