help again

I wrote earlier in the week.  I just needto ask some more questions.

I have swelling just under both my knees and just above my ankles. Both my shoulders hurt. My right upper outer arms throbs.  It looks as though it is getting worse.  I also have swelling and you can see it from myleft lumbar around to my flank.  It is a bulge.  My doc thinks perhaps I am having a muscle spasm.  Anyways,, I am very stiff and can hardly get up from a chair, when I do I can walk ok but the swelling below my knees really is starting to hurt.  Both sides(flanks) feel bloated and after bowel movements the swelling and discomfort in the back get worse.   I had bloodwork done and it was normal except for an elevated RA factor of 24.  I know that its not that elevated, but something seems to be going on in my body that has turned my body against me.  I have had several pelvic surgeries within 12months for fibroids, adhesions, endometriosis etc so my body prob. has been inflammed and just can't take it any more.  My question is, could this  be rheumatoid arthritis or another form of it.  I had a bone scan and it showed swelling in my arm and also some poss going on in my facet joints.  Could I have an infection that is getting worse causing this, I now am going out of state once again because the doctors here just can't seem to figure this out or even try.  All this started after pelvic surgery and it has snow balled from there.  I am truly scared now that my body is being eaten away by whatever... Just wanted to see if this could be RA, I know when the body has alot of trauma it is poss that you can get autoimmune diseases.  Thanks...

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Hello - thanks for asking your question.

The normal range for rheumatoid factor is less than 20.  There are several disorders associated with an elevated rheumatoid factor.  They include the following:

Rheumatoid arthritis