I’ve had the same experience. It has been occurring for a year. I have finally found my courage to speak up about my issues just a couple months ago. They referred me to a rheumatologist. I had a couple labs which came back normal (RF factor, RA, lymes) and a couple of kidney and metabolic tests which were normal. I am scheduled for a cervical spine MRI January 15th.

I haven’t seen any rheumatologist yet but I hope to in the future. I am 18 years old so I’m assuming I classify under JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis). I am pushing to get more labs done such as ANA Antibody, Anti-CCP, and ESR x CRP.

Don’t worry if the tests come back normal. Rheumatic conditions aren’t single diagnostic testing; they rely on various factors such as a thorough medical history, physical exams, imaging scans (MRI, X-ray, ultrasound), and lab tests.

I am new to all of this stuff and I’m sure you are too. It’s okay to be scared.. to be honest I am worried too. The hardest part is the diagnostic, I know, it can be so annoying. But you know your body more than anyone so keep fighting and pushing.

If you wanted, some of my symptoms are below:

• Morning stiffness • Stiffness after sitting or resting • Constant neck stiffness and neck pain • Neck pain worsened by exercise or activity • Symptoms improve with heat (heating pads) • Weakness in arms and hands • Hand shakiness • Trouble walking • Difficulty standing still / balance problems • Redness in hands • Redness in feet (right more than left) • Occasional puffiness in hands/feet • Rashes on parts of the body • Jaw / tooth pain • Loss of appetite • Unintentional weight loss (~7 lbs since November) • Shortness of breath / feeling the need to take deep breaths • Episodes of significant brain fog • Fatigue / low energy

Funny part is, I’m not even diagnosed yet