Comments on: Well… RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis)… or NOT?

By: mudworm

mudworm — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:52:10 +0000

Hi Dr. Jeanne, keep the theories coming and one of them may well turn out true. Yes, I showed the pic to the doctor on my camera. Not sure if he could see well though on that tiny screen. Good point about eating gluten-free. I recently just heard about Paleo Diet, which is a bit more than just gluten free. I have started looking into it. Then I read some “Success Stories” on the site and got motivated. However, sweets are my achilles’ heel. It doesn’t help sitting right above the best bakery in the area five days a week though.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:07:13 +0000

Thanks for the blog postings Mei. I can’t believe how swollen it was. Did you show the doctor that picture?
Everyone should know you are back to climbing in the gym and back to kicking my butt. I’m waiting for your clearance to ride Coe, because I want to go with you.

A new theory just popped into my head. (readers – I thought a bug bite, pinched nerve, now this) A coworker talks about eating gluten-free, and how eating wheat wreaks havoc on her body. I googled gluten/joint pain, and it sounds like it is even possible you had a food allergy, that it can cause joint pain. Think of what you ate that day and the days before.

By: Alison Chaiken

Alison Chaiken — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:26:52 +0000

My doctor also commented that my creatinine level was high. Reading up on creatinine, I see that a high level can be related to either kidney malfunction or recent muscular stress. I know which choice I’m picking!

Taking good care of yourself as an athlete is more complicated as we get older. We pay much more attention to diet and exercise than most people, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to understand what your body is trying to tell you.

By: mudworm

mudworm — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:14:37 +0000

Among many possibilities that my podiatrist listed after seeing no stress fracture, one was gout, but he said if I did have it, I would be the only pre-menopausal woman who got it. It seems to happen mostly in men and sometimes in post-menopausal women. My labs show high RA factor and very C-Reactive Protein, etc. From reading, my understanding is there is no simple criteria that a physician can use to decide if some condition is arthritis and which type (among 100+ types). It takes time… I’m reading the Paleo Diets for Athletes, and I would think it’s a good thing that your body is alkali because the muscle wastes are acidic.

By: mudworm

mudworm — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:03:41 +0000

Close, but not yet. I’ll get it clean. Hopefully sooner than how long it took you. (No, I’m not competitive!)

By: Roy

Roy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:03 +0000

I hope you brought fireworks to celebrate.

By: Roy

Roy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:59:33 +0000

Ooo. I hope you weren’t bragging about cleaning it. I hope I didn’t let any cats out of bags, etc. It isn’t easy. It took me a long time to do it. It seems like there is always something to throw you.

By: Alison Chaiken

Alison Chaiken — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:48:53 +0000

So sorry to learn that you are still laid up, Mei. Is there any reason to suspect rheumatoid arthritis? I feel compelled to mention that my brother has had problems with gout, even though he exercises as much as you and me and is a vegetarian. Recently I had a routine physical for my new job and was told that (squeamish alert) my urine is unusually alkali. Could that be related to gout, I wonder? Or sports drinks? The physician told me that in most ways (e.g. HDL cholesterol), I am one of the healthiest patients she’s ever seen, but I do wonder if lots of exercise can take a toll in unusual ways.

By: mudworm

mudworm — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:07:40 +0000

Oh, BTW, I did ride on Guy Fawkes Day, so it’s not all bad.

By: mudworm

mudworm — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:48:18 +0000

Ahh… there is someone there who will keep me honest. I was so close to cleaning Anza/Jackson. Oh, so close! It does take a lot of focus to ride it in one shot without any goofs, doesn’t it?