title: Living with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1999 when I was 27 years of age. I was lucky in some ways - my diagnosis took place in the emergency department of my local hospital. I had presented there with intense pain, swelling and tenderness in my left hand; less so in my right hand. I saw a rheumatologist immediately, without the usual waiting period for an appointment with a specialist. The rheumatologist who diagnosed me that day has subsequently been my doctor for almost 12 years.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johns
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications