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goodgirl · 08-08-2010, 10:05 AM

Good Luck Fungus. I did find my first swollen lymph node in my clavicle. I just got home from the doctors and sat down at the desk and put my hand on my shoulder and happen to find it. Then felt 3-4 more going up my neck. So I checked the other side and had some there too. Plus some in my upper arms which did hurt. Neck ones did not. I went back to my specialist for Rheumatoid Arthritis and he ran test to make sure it was not cancer, blood test and a CT scan of the neck and chest. Everything came back indicating it was not cancer. They were swelling and shrinking for a couple months. Now I just have one left that swells and shrinks off and on.

For me having it be symmetrical was a strong indicator that it was the RA. RA can cause inflammation in the lymph nodes or they can react because I am flaring.

I also want to note I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis my first year at 32 years old. But after the first year it was changed to Rheumatoid Arthritis which does run in my family. Bone spurs are common with RA too. Osteoarthritis usually will just hit one side of your body at a time, where with RA when one hand is stiffening up the other does too maybe not as bad. Shoulders, knees, ankles, etc. When it hits one side it hits the other. If you have not seen a Rheumatologist which most see patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and many other forms of arthritis. Mine does see patients with Osteoarthritis too. I would recommend seeing one, if it is RA and not Osteoarthritis, there are medications that also help stop or slow the disease. One of the medications is methotrexate. They found it put people with RA in remission, they found that out when people with RA also had cancer and had to be on methotrexate.

I do hear horror stories on the RA board at arthritis.org. of patients stuck with terrible doctors or not being able to find a good one. I feel lucky that my sister was already seeing the one I see now. He went to both Harvard and Yale and does do a lot of research. He is a wonderful doctor. I have had enough shitty ones in my life to know the difference.

08-08-2010, 10:05 AM
goodgirl Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Behind the monitor since 1988 Posts: 1,680	Good Luck Fungus. I did find my first swollen lymph node in my clavicle. I just got home from the doctors and sat down at the desk and put my hand on my shoulder and happen to find it. Then felt 3-4 more going up my neck. So I checked the other side and had some there too. Plus some in my upper arms which did hurt. Neck ones did not. I went back to my specialist for Rheumatoid Arthritis and he ran test to make sure it was not cancer, blood test and a CT scan of the neck and chest. Everything came back indicating it was not cancer. They were swelling and shrinking for a couple months. Now I just have one left that swells and shrinks off and on. For me having it be symmetrical was a strong indicator that it was the RA. RA can cause inflammation in the lymph nodes or they can react because I am flaring. I also want to note I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis my first year at 32 years old. But after the first year it was changed to Rheumatoid Arthritis which does run in my family. Bone spurs are common with RA too. Osteoarthritis usually will just hit one side of your body at a time, where with RA when one hand is stiffening up the other does too maybe not as bad. Shoulders, knees, ankles, etc. When it hits one side it hits the other. If you have not seen a Rheumatologist which most see patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and many other forms of arthritis. Mine does see patients with Osteoarthritis too. I would recommend seeing one, if it is RA and not Osteoarthritis, there are medications that also help stop or slow the disease. One of the medications is methotrexate. They found it put people with RA in remission, they found that out when people with RA also had cancer and had to be on methotrexate. I do hear horror stories on the RA board at arthritis.org. of patients stuck with terrible doctors or not being able to find a good one. I feel lucky that my sister was already seeing the one I see now. He went to both Harvard and Yale and does do a lot of research. He is a wonderful doctor. I have had enough shitty ones in my life to know the difference.