PMR diagnosis and anemia

My PMR was diagnosed first, but I have been slightly anemic for many years. Since there are no specific tests to diagnose PMR, which doesn't show up in blood work, your anemia will show up first. PMR is often diagnosed as anemia in the beginning because low grade anemia is often listed as a symptom of PMR but is very common in many other chronic diseases. To use a euphamism, when doctors hear hoofbeats, they always think horse before they think zebra.

I was diagnosed after 10 years of "complaining" about pain. First I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome. I had crippling hip pain, hand pain and spontaneous tendon tears. My long bicep spontaneously tore as did my rotator cuff three times. They ran the SED and CRP tests and found them severely elevated in March '19, but did nothing about it for years. Then last year I found PMR in my research and BEGGED for another CRP test. My theory lit the light bulb in my PCP and she started me on 20mg prednisone. It worked! I spent 3 months painfree and suddenly I wasn't slightly anemic anymore, I was severely anemic, developed kidney disease (stage 3), pulmonary hypertension and heart failure with premature ejection fraction. I had to come off prednisone quickly. I also required 5 iron infusions. My anemia is better, but I'm still slightly anemic. A full year into PMR, my hands blew up and I couldn't use them this holiday season. An MRI was ordered and it turns out I DON'T have PMR, but Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is RA that doesn't show up on bloodwork.
In a way I feel vindicated for being blown off by doctors for years, but my most dominant feeling is devastation in knowing I will be in pain the rest of my life and there is absolutely nothing I or my doctors can do to stop it. They can slow the joint deterioration, but since I'm already crippled, slowing it won't stop the progressive pain involved.
Terri