Well, not exactly a pain in the butt....but yet...

“A rheumatoid nodule is a local swelling or tissue lump, usually rather firm to touch, like an unripe fruit, which occurs almost exclusively in association with rheumatoid arthritis. Very rarely rheumatoid nodules occur as rheumatoid nodulosis in the absence of arthritis.”
-Wikipedia

Well, that’s true but it’s a real pain in the butt as well so to speak….

I developed one on my left long-finger just a short while after I was diagnosed with RA. It didn’t bother me much at first, it was when it grew larger it caused problems, besides the increased pain. I have now noticed that I’m beginning to develope more nodules on other fingers, they are still small but I’m afraid they’re going to grow larger and become the same problem as the one I have now.

It's not just the constant pain because of the location right on the joint, it's small things like writing with a pencil, get a firm grip of things, button my clothes and (you'll probably think I'm being really vain and superficial now) getting my rings on my fingers. I have always worn a lot of rings and I feel almost naked without them now.

All the things you do with the help of your hands and fingers and that requires fine-motor skills, has become difficult and in worst cases impossible, not just because of the nodules but due to arthritis in general, and it creates a lot of frustration and sorrow.

This is just one of the side effects of RA, and isn't seen as much of a problem among doctors or in medical care, it's just a benign and harmless "lump". At least that's my experience of how it's seen, but it really creates problems for me both professionally and in private.

I thought I would end this “bumpy road” with some facts about rheumatoid nodules:

• The most common locations for them are hands, fingers, knuckles and elbows but with time they can also show up on your vocal cords, lungs, heart and other organs. If you’re confined to a bed, you might get them on places where your body touches the mattress, heels, the back of your head, your hip or tailbone.
• These bumps can be as large as a walnut or as small as a pea, some are doughy others are firm. They usually don’t hurt unless there’s an underlying inflammation or they’re close to a nerve.
• Rheumatoid nodules don’t give most people with RA any problems. It’s OK to leave them alone if they aren’t causing trouble. But if they hurt or make it harder to do daily activities because they put pressure on nerves, limit movement, or are in sensitive locations, talk to your doctor.