Goodbye, Streisand Hands

My dear friend Colleen has always said I have Streisand hands, probably because of my long, slim fingers. I never really thought Barbra Streisand's hands, but they seem nice. I never really thought much about my own hands, either. I was flattered, anyway.

Now that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is beginning to destroy my knuckles, my hands don't look like Barbra's anymore. They still look pretty normal (on a bad day, they start to look a little like this), but they hurt frequently (even holding my 4-year-old's hand can be painful), and I'm fearful of what's to come.

I'm 33 years old. I was diagnosed with lupus / mixed connective tissue disease about 3 years ago. I started seeing a rheumatologist, who takes my blood for tests several times a year to monitor my condition. Last year, my blood began to test positive for rheumatoid factor. For the last several months, the pain in my hands has been noticeably worse. I've begun to confront the reality of not being able to do things I've always taken for granted, such as holding a paintbrush or roller for this weekend's project of painting my son's bedroom.

Right now I'm learning a lot about RA and treatment options by reading Good Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis, published by the Arthritis Foundation. It's a great book that clearly explains what RA is, how it works, and the different medications and treatment options available.

My intent is for this blog to be a place to explore my feelings about RA, talk about how it's affecting my life, collect internet resources of interest, and to record my experiences, for myself or others.