David Linton autoimmune disease fundraiser

Today I have updated the status of David's struggles with RA and issues related to this incurable autoimmune disease.

I received a couple of suggestions about this go fund me post from a family member and a friend in regards to the info provided and so I have decided to update this post.  

Around March of this year my husband David Linton was complaining about pain in his feet on a daily basis and he appeared to struggle when walking.  Many of his friends noticed he was hobbling rather than walking and several people suggested he had plantars facitis.  He tried doing some stretches he found on line but they didn't relieve the pain.  At about the same time he noticed his hands were swelling to twice their size and were in constant pain.  After a couple months he went to the doctor who said he agreed that he had plantars facitis and thought he probably had carpal tunnel.  We finally got him in to see a doctor for carpal tunnel who sent him for some tests to confirm a rating for the carpal tunnel and he was told mild to moderate and they scheduled him outpatient surgery for his right hand first.  On the day of his surgery the surgeon canceled the surgery and sent him for another evaluation of the hands and he was told they were moderate to severe which made more sense to us because he could not even turn the door knob to come in the house, could not drive without being in pain, and was only sleeping a couple hours a night if he hung his arms off the bed.  During the time all of this developed and he was diagnosed with moderate to severe carpal tunnel we still thought he had plantars facitis in his feet.  He had a hard time focusing on anything other than managing the pain. Finally he went for surgery for carpal tunnel in the right hand and when the surgery was done his Doctor told me that he also removed a knot or nodule from his elbow and sent it in for testing.  He told me he did not think it was cancerous but he was expecting it would come back as an autoimmune issue.  When Dave went back to have stitches removed from his carpal tunnel surgery he was told he has Rheumatoid Arthritis which would also be the cause of the pain in his feet and that he did not have plantars facitis.  Since the diagnosis he has developed several more nodules on his left elbow and both knees and in just a couple of months he has periods of days that he can barely walk.  This is a 2 to 3 month period of time that he went from a highly skilled mechanic that was freakishly strong to a guy that can't put on his socks, put his hands in his pockets, turn a doorknob, cut up his food, or even drive a vehicle without being in unbearable pain.  He suffers with pain in his hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet on a daily basis and it is worse depending on the weather.  He has not been able to work since September 7th and doesn't qualify for unemployment because he can't work due to the Rheumatoid Arthritis and he hasn't been approved for disability yet as it is a lengthy process with an unbelievable amount of paperwork that just keeps coming.  He has already been told it is not likely he will ever be able to return to the work he has done as an extremely skilled mechanic in Jefferson County and for the last 17 years at HiTech Automotive in High Ridge, MO. David is a very proud man and has resisted my request to post our situation until recently because of having been denied unemployment and still not approved for disability which has caused serious financial issues along with medical bills and expenses.

We have come to realize he has a long road ahead in learning to live his best life possible with this disease and the added medical expenses that will be the new norm so any donation is appreciated very much.  

Here is information on what Rheumatoid Arthritis does to a person over time.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that mostly affects joints, such as the wrist, hands, feet, spine, knees, and jaw. In joints, RA causes inflammation that leads to:

• Pain.
• Swelling
• Stiffness.
• Loss of function.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder because the immune system attacks the healthy joint tissues. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body from infection and disease.

RA may cause you to feel unusually tired, to have occasional fevers, and to have a loss of appetite. It also may cause other medical problems in the heart, lungs, blood, nerves, eyes, and skin.

Treatments can help people with the disease to lead productive lives.