RA genes

You know... I'm very afraid and aware about Sam having joint pains. All 3 of us have had joint pains growing up. Bro apparently grew out of it. Sam is still 'growing' out of it, or so she hopes and thinks. She still complains of the occasional knee, hip or ankle pain, and i always insist that she reports to me if she does have any of these so that i can have a look at her joint. (I know i'm no doctor, but am trying to spot any swelling that may give an inkling of what may be wrong.) I spotted Bro's knuckles, and his 2nd and 3rd MCPs(index and middle big finger joints) are unusually large. I asked him, and he is adamant that he doesn't have any joint pain. Whether both of them are keeping mum about it, i still have this nagging concern that might be suffering in silence.

Granted that i might have it worse since my immune system started attacking most of my other joints, i'm still afraid that they too might suffer, though on a smaller scaleRA. Sam refuses to be like me- being subjected to medications and routine blood tests, something she hates... But i always tell her- it's either the needles and meds, or disability in the long run. Can't have your cake and eat it too right?

*sigh* Nobody deserves to get this. Or so to speak, nobody deserves to be chronically ill. It's too much pain and trouble. And i pray and hope that if i ever have kids in future, that they will never have RA.