Thank you for sharing your back ground, Mrs. D. I'm sorry that your knees never recovered enough for you to bowl, and that you were not able to fully enjoy your son's infancy. Maybe a knee replacement would be a good thing, given the absence of RA?

I know I probably sound to you like a whiner or someone stuck in self-pity, and to some degree I am. I want my way! I want to get back to my old self! And, oh yeah, I'm scared silly that it'll get WAY worse than what it is now!

I placed a $100 order for vitamins the other evening based largely on your recommendations.

I am wrapping my brain around the fact that this may be it: medicate, tolerate. Eat well, take vitamins and pray.

My rheum. appt. is August 8. My rheumatoid factor screen came back negative but not sure what value there is in that, or what ANA is. Now that I know that he will do the autoimmune stuff, I'll start calling for a cancelation spot. Something for me to do besides feeling sorry for myself.

Thanks again.
Happy vacation,
Kris