I saw the rheumatologist today and won't know anything definitive until I see him again on Sept 10th. I hate to wait that long, but I don't want to take off work to go earlier as I'm new to my school.
His differential diagnosis included RA. I was disappointed that my referring physician's office didn't send the bloodwork results as they said they would, nor did they call back with them in the hour+ that I was there.
I'm past my initial depression over the likelihood of RA, but I'm anxious to see results. Then again, I'm not so anxious. If denial would actually accomplish anything, I'd be all about it!
Hi David, shame that you have to wait for those results. It's always a bit of a waiting game with this stuff - bummer!!Yes it is a struggle to balance the job and health. I hate to take time off for appts too, but it really is necessary.
You will find that getting anything from one office to another is difficult. I will go fetch it myself if I really need it at another appointment.
I used to get angry with the office staff. But they are drowning in paperwork, much of it useless. They don't get paid very well. They take a ton of crud from people. So I quit being an angry loud mouth and I just go over there and fetch what I need from them. (I try to have my primary close to work to make this easier.)
It often takes time to get a dx, but that does not mean you have to be left untreated. When you see your RD on 9/10 ask for treatment, even if you don't have a dx. I'm troubled he didn't at least prescribe an nsaid, this time. After all what is really important is to get feeling better soon!
This is how we do it at my RD's.....I go for my blood work a week before my appointment, which is every two months. I have a card that I take to the lab, which is just a mile or so from my house, and that tells them what tests to run. They send a copy of the test results to me and to my RD and when I get there for my appointment, my fresh test is in my folder waiting for him. It's a good system.Of course, David, It can't really go that way yet for you cuz it's your first appointment. I hope these days go by fast for you, maybe they will with school starting up and all. You'll have alot of other things to be thinking about and doing.
Welcome David
Yeah, I'm taking mobic, though it doesn't seem to offer much relief, but I'm suffering more discomfort than pain, which isn't too much to complain about.
Regardless, I'm glad that things are underway as opposed to me ignoring them and suffering more in the long run.
Luckily, there's a teacher in my wing with RA who already has helped me know what to expect with the doctor and told me some of her own experience.
I am curious how many people out there have parents, granparents, or children with RA. My wife and I don't have children yet but want them in the future. Her grandmother, though, has RA, and if my initial diagnosis proves correct, then that's genes from both sides of the pool. Makes me wonder about having kids.
David, waiting for dx is stuff a difficult time and can take a while. There seem to be major lessons in patience, assertiveness and persistence involved in this disease and similar like it.I was very inpatient before RA........Now I have patience in abundance because you need it. You have to wait for appts., you wait for callbacks, you wait for labs, you wait for diagnoses, you wait, and wait, and wait. Patience and being proactive will help you deal with the medical systems that in place. Like Marian stated, the physician's offces are overwhelmed with paperwork and for the most part with patients.
My father had RA but it was fairly mild. Lindy
[QUOTE=davidvc04]Thanks, everyone.
Yeah, I'm taking mobic, though it doesn't seem to offer much relief, but I'm suffering more discomfort than pain, which isn't too much to complain about.
Regardless, I'm glad that things are underway as opposed to me ignoring them and suffering more in the long run.
Luckily, there's a teacher in my wing with RA who already has helped me know what to expect with the doctor and told me some of her own experience.
I am curious how many people out there have parents, granparents, or children with RA. My wife and I don't have children yet but want them in the future. Her grandmother, though, has RA, and if my initial diagnosis proves correct, then that's genes from both sides of the pool. Makes me wonder about having kids.
[/QUOTE]
David, having kids and passing it on was one of my first questions. I was told (and have read) that there likelyhood of getting it was slim,and that they have a higher chance of not getting it. I'm the first in my family to get it(thankfully it's mild) so i can't say there's a genetic component. We have 6 beautiful children. I wouldn't let ra keep you from having kids b/c they 'may' get it. That's no way to live. Besides who's to say that they won't have even BETTER meds in the future. They've already produced some outstanding drugs to slow or halt the progression, so it's not a death sentence.
Welcome to AI David. I don't think I've had a chance to say hello yet. Glad you're here.
My Grandmother and several of her children suffer from many different forms of OA; but no documented RA in our family that we know of. Course my Grandmother had "OA" that effected so many different parts of her body I wonder if they had the correct dx. Guess they did; but it's strange.
I wouldn't worry about passing it to your children. Not so much that you avoid having children anyway. I have two children and they have brought so much joy into my life that I can not imagine not having them. Neither of them have RA to date; but that's not to say they won't one day.
Let us know how it goes with your doc. Look forward to seeing you here more often.