starting to get symptoms help with getting things in order

[chars098]

Hi I am 25 five years of age. I started to get pain in feet and I was working. For two months I worked on my feet not realizing what was happening. Now about a month ago now I had my knees swelling first then I had sciatica one night and then i had a small pain in my arm. I had swelling from my fingers and just started to get some kind of other tingly feeling in my ankle. To be honest I've been only getting worse. I've been reading about fish oil and different kinds of things bought some today. I've gone from eating meat to almost vegetarian diet with fish. It looks like I'll have to stay on that by the sounds of it not that I mind vegetarian food is yummy. I haven't received any diagnosis yet but I have all symptoms it seemed symmetrical the swelling which I had maybe not at the same time but it seemed to attack in same places on both sides. I've been taking garlic to reduce swelling and that glucosamine stuff. I've gone off taking voltaren I don't think it was that helpful it just came back swelling when I went off it. I feel ok but I can't wait to see this rhuematologist. What I want to know is what blood tests should my rhuemy be looking at and what kind of drugs are available? I just started getting the symptoms I want to know from what I've described is mine mild moderate? I work in IT and I generally do a lot of walking and carrying computers in schools. I don't know what I'll have to do to adjust it's very difficult but my partner is helping out for a little just until I see rhuemy. So with ra will I be able to do this kind of work much longer? It's not as bad as some work places. I do enjoy it especially when I thought I was invincible. IT seems to be sitting on your bum most of the time depending on where you work but maybe I'll have to work in a call centre or something. I'm doing some yoga now and riding on the exercise bike everyday if possible because I've heard it helps. I do wake up with pain and I heard when you sleep that is when it is most active. I always wanted to dance too some hip hop I was planning to start in a month or so but now I'm not sure. Should it be ok? I didn't really want to retire early either but apparently everybody seems to retire early because it gets too much. I've heard that you can get food allergy testing as well. I think I am allergic to some foods which I will bring up with the rhuemy. I've been doing alot of research looking into science and treatments and what's currently available today I live in Australia. Is there a website or subscription place where I can put myself on if there is any new research or breakthroughs or new drugs. Has anyone seen those collagen 11 capsules just reading about them is there any success there? I would like to not be on drugs. I'm a interested in alternative therapies if possible but if it has to be drugs then I don't have a choice really. Also for years I haven't had much milk in my diet calcium so I think that could have been one of the triggers however once someone told me I had an allergy to milk. Are calcium supplements good then with treatment for this too? I've also heard most people with ra have genetic predispositions my grandma had rhuematic fever but that's as close as I get to any genetic factor and I had a blood test when I was little and I was anemic women can have iron deficencies too. I had a gp do some blood tests on me recently also. They turned up positive 160 titer something or other. I had a positive ana test too with a rhuematoid factor of 22. Would anyone suggest taking out hospital cover before diagnosis? I've been told to do it quickly now before any diagnosis. If I do come back from rhuemy I need to know what he's prescribing is right. If anyone can give me advice I'm new to this and I don't want to be in pain or have this condition define me. I've made a promise to myself that nothing is going to change. It really helps to find others with these symptoms and diagnosises and to be able to talk about it. I really like my wine too. I would still like a glass of wine every so often. Is that possible? Do you get fatigued? I just slept from 7.00 till 1.00 in the night. I don't think I'm feeling fatigued as much although I am getting sleepy again and it's 4.00 in the morning. Are there any suggested remedies for fatigue? I was looking and someone said green tea I'd rather it be natural. I'm trying to eat but I have a reduced appetite too I've noticed. Anyway I hope someone can help because I'm tired of seeing it from a doctor's point of view or from somebody who is perfectly healthy so what do you think. Sorry about all my questions I just want to get as much information as possible as I would like to feel that there is some hope.