Rheumatism- does it feel hopeless?

[MushMonster]

My DH had a very quick and intense onset of rheumatism since this January. He is only 61. Used to be a plant operator. Now he barely can walk a few paces with crutches and cannot use his hands for fine movements, like cutting up food.
It feels really draining and dark. At times I do loose all hope, to be honest.
He has a rheumatologist now. Taking medication. Inflamation going down. But mobility wise, no improvement. We do know that the medication can take a while and you may need to try more than one.
But every day feels like a struggle.
I really need to hear positive things from those who reached remission. Or who are recovering. Just now feels like that is impossible for us.....

Rheumatism is a bit of a broad term, but assuming it's an auto immune arthritis, then it's a bit of trial an error to figure out what works.
My dad had rheumatoid arthrits and Ankolosing Spondylitis and was on an absolute cocktail of drugs... his started early and was pretty bad by aged 40... he had to have several joints fused in the end for pain control and was on so many meds. BUT he kept moving , kept walking as much as he could and absolutely refused to let it beat him... he was a stubborn git!
A good physio is a must, and also probably some anti depressants to help with the feelings that come with chronic illness... but don't give up hope!

Rheumatism isn’t really used as a diagnosis these days. Has he been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis or another inflammatory type? As above poster said, it can take a while to get the drug combination that works but there are some very good biological drugs that are a game changer. Unfortunately, you have to go through the cheaper ones first. It took me a while to get the right drug for me but they make a huge difference. Tell him not to hesitate to get in touch with the rheumatology department between appointments if he is struggling badly as sometimes a steroid injection or other intervention can help a lot. I have a dedicated nurse but also a general email for the other nurses so can usually get some help quickly.

It is early to know which type exactly. And the doctor has not gone into any further detail at all. They really do not tell him much, even after a long tyrade of tests. He just mentioned a possible second drug and steroids on his second appointment. He will be back to see him in two months.
Did the steroids help you? With pain, swelling and movement?