Question
I am a 39 year old female in fairly good health. about 8 years ago I woke up feeling very sore and stiff. this went on for several days followed by fatigue. I finally went to my doctor and he ran some blood tests and informed me that I had rheumatoid arthritis. then he said you dont actually have it, your a carrier. so it cleared up in a few weaks and I was fine. so now years later I wonder if it will strike again at any time. sometimes I really worry about this because it can make you very sick. so what gives, do I need to be on guard the rest of my life?      thanks for any info you have

Answer
I'm not sure what your doc meant by a "carrier," but if you're having new symptoms, please make an appointment to see him again soon.  If you're not experiencing any new symptoms but are still concerned, call your doctor's office for further explanation.  They'll be happy to get you more information.