*creaks*

It's become rather obvious that I am in the middle of a major arthritic flare up.  This comes hot on the heels of my sister's diagnosis (sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis, same as me, Mum, our aunts, Mum's grandmother...)  I need to go back to a rheumatologist.

The depressing thing about being sero-negative is that the rheumatoid factor doesn't turn up in blood tests.  So I'm constantly faced with explaining to sceptical doctors that no, I'm not a hypochondriac (er, in this case), I have a family history and a recorded diagnosis.  Why yes, I am awfully young to have arthritic symptoms!  Shall I tell you about the orthapedic surgery I had to have when I was seventeen?  (Ten years ago this June 21!)

The good news is that the managers at work have been really supportive -- I've asked to be put on the registers for the next few days, as my knees are fine when I'm standing, but hurt when I'm walking or sitting.  And I'm not in unbearable amounts of pain -- I'm just constantly uncomfortable, which is very tiring.  Impossibly tiring.  Stupid chronic illness.

*sleeps*