I would suggest you return to your primary care physician or GP or even a rheumotologist and have some blood work done, the point being to discern IF you have arthritis and which type you may have. Please do not presume that because your orthopedic surgeon was less than professional, that the diagnosis is faulty. Arthritis is a serious condition, so please apply some follow-through. It is also a lifelong condition, one that can be controlled to some extent, but one you need to grab control of early, if you can.
Unfortunately there is treatment only -- no cures yet. But there ARE effective measures. There is a ton of information on the 'Net about arthritis and some good message boards too. However, the Internet and message boards are NOTdiagnostc tools. They are information tools (the vast majority of it commercial) and opinion tools. They are fun and informative to read but without appropriate diagnostic exams, they should not be the determinant of how you proceed. If you even suspect that arthritis is involved, please find and work with a physician that you like (not everyone of them is a jerk), have the appropriate tests done and begin a course of treatment that suits you personally as a patient. Take is slow and carefully. Good luck -- it's often a manageable condition.
spider-tl014.proxy.aol.com 18:10:34