Dr. Sue Zieman riding on her scooter, named “Bella,” in Le Baux, France. Zieman, 47, of Bethesda, Md., was able to enjoy a May vacation in France thanks to the scooter that helps her get around despite painfully swollen joints and tendons. She has a mysterious form of inflammatory arthritis that attacked suddenly two years ago and isn’t responding to treatments.
(AP Photo/David Rickerby)LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer
WASHINGTON – Dr. Sue Zieman can almost set her watch by her disease: Twice a day, she gets a fever and the already arthritic joints in her arms and hands, legs and feet abruptly, painfully swell even more. During the evening flare, even the tendons in her feet puff up, rope-like worms just under her skin.
The rest of the day, her joints are so stiff that the once robust Maryland physician frequently uses a scooter to get around. Just shaking hands hurts the 47-year-old.
Inflammatory arthritis is disabling Zieman but exactly what kind and what caused it to attack suddenly is a mystery. Nor do her fellow doctors know what treatment to suggest next. She’s tried all of today’s arthritis medications with little relief.