HELLO, Newbie with Fused SI, etc:
Isn't this just a bit too fast?
Regrettably, no; AS is highly variable and can accelerate under the wrong conditions.
What can I do to slow this down?
Diet. Antibiotics. Exercise. Prayer. Biologic drugs. In that order of efficacy.
Is it normal to have fusing, burning, etc. all on the same half of the body with AS?
Absolutely; AS is usually asymmetrical.
Does AS make your knuckles larger?
Yes, but it is usually a temporary inflammation and most often restricted to toes; AS can result in “sausage digits” due to long-term untreated inflammation.
Why do my shoulders crack when I move them? Is this 'normal' for AS? Or is my entire system beginning to fuse or whatever it is called?
The noisy joints are called “crepitus,” and this a sign of synovial deterioration that will first lead to very slight hypermobility and then inflammation of the bursa could intervene with eventual thickening called “fibrosis” that often leads to fusion, or in the case of shoulders sometimes rotator cuff tears, adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, etc. Yes, it is normal for AS and a very common peripheral complication.
AS is a patient-participation disease that requires near-constant attention and effort by those of us with this affliction. Interest Yourself in Your own health as much as any vocation or avocation/education and You will never regret the investment of Your time and labor that will have benefits both immediately and far into Your future.
HEALTH,
John
