Greetings everyone!
I am a new kid on the block and I am sooo excited about finding this forum.
My GP has sent me to a Rheumatalogist because of my PAIN.
(I believe he has thrown his hands up, with me!)
I was sooo excited to be going to where surely, I would find help. Well, not so! As soon as she walked in, she asked me point blank, and not with a nice voice ...
"Why are you here today!"
I have always felt nervous just going into a doctors office so, I froze up!
She was in there a total of 8 mins and out she went with orders of some XRays. I told her of my pain and where it was (pain even in my butt bone.) She told me right off that I didn't have RA.
I can hardly use my hands and they are even beginning to curve, I can hardly get up my stairs and the bones in my FEET even hurt! I was told 15 years ago that I have fibromyalgia but over the last 5 years, I have gotten to where I almost DIE with pain!
My GP has put me on Darvocet and Neurontin but after 5 hours, I can hardly get up from a sitting position once more. Tears just ROLL down my face from pain!
She put me on Daypro 3 weeks ago and now my feet and hands are swelling pretty bad. I have an appt with her again on Monday and I am sooo disgusted at the way she treated me (the cost for that few minutes was 0.00)
I told my husband, this time I am going to stand in front of the door and MAKE her just LISTEN to me, before she runs out!(not!)
My GP has TOLD me that I have arthritis so, can someone please tell me IF all of this pain is merely coming from my fibro? And, WHAT kind of questions do I ask her, real fast, as she runs out the door! *I believe* there IS help out there but don't know WHAT kind of doctor to see.
{{{{help, please!}}}}Ask for to see another rd if you are not happy with this next visit. Drs have bad days just like everyone else, but if she is not listening to you or doesn't show any interest in you as you are talking then you need to find another rd. Your gp should be able to send you to another. I know it is daunting to go to the dr and they act like a jerk, but here is a few things to help get your point across to the dr as to what is wrong. Make a list of all the ailments you have been having, difficulty getting up, joint pain in the morning that lasts well over 20 minutes, etc. Put down what meds you are taking and how they are affecting you. I know it is hard to talk to a dr at times but if you write down all this info, even write down questions you want to ask the dr, this way you don't forget to ask, it will help you with talking to the dr. I hope this helps and please let us know what happens, remember you can go to another rd if you are not happy with this one. meme
Welcome aboard and keep coming back. There is a lot of good information and support here and a great place to vent when you need to.
Good luck. Rox
You might do well to bring a friend or family member with you for moral support. Also, when the doctor first walks into the room you need to tell her, "I have always been a little nervous at the doctors office and last time I was here I don't feel that was able to really talk to you about my symptoms. I have a list of things that I want to go over with you and some questions that I have." This lets her know exactly where you both stand and gives YOU control of the conversation. It is also important to ask specifically why she is ruling out RA. Good luck...also read some of the other threads on this board, there is other good info about visiting the doctor.
Crunchy that's good advise too......as well as everyone else here.
I tend to like Meme's best though. Get a new doctor. Not every doctor is so unkind and so matter of fact with us. My first RD was awesome and dx'ed RA the very first visit without even seeing my blood work; which was negative when it finally came back. She even called me two days later to see if what we had tried was working.
There is a list of criteria for dignosing RA and only one is positive blood work. If your doctor dismissed you that quickly on the fact that your blood work was negative she isn't worth seeing a second time. I'm not saying this doctor needed to dx you with RA....it could be any number of things; but for her to be that rude and uncaring says alot about the treatment you can expect in the future.
If you do indeed have RA or another condition simular the relationship with your RD will be a very, very important one. You'll want to find one that you are comfortable with and one that will listen to you and let you take an active role in your treatment. One that shows no respect for you on the very first visit isn't likely to be any different 10...or 20 years down the road. Find one you'll be happy with long term. It's very important.
http://arthritisinsight.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=517&am p;PN=1
That is a link to a thread we have here in our newly dx'ed section. It's a list of criteria used to dx'ed RA. Take a look at it. Even discuss these criteria with your doctor maybe. The more you know about what's going on the better off you'll be when you see the doctor. Once they learn that you know what's going on they tend to give you a little more respect. The majority of these doctors do not have time to sit and explain everything we need to know to us. We have to take an active role and make suggestions to the doctor. Quite often my doctor will try what I suggest because he knows I've researched the subject and have a good handle on what's going on with my body.
Welcome to AI...We're glad you're here. Don't give up. Things will get better.
Barb~I do not like the sounds of this doctor at all!! Her attitude is likely to be the same as time goes on and if she's dead set that it can't be RA without positive blood work she's an idiot.
A doctor worth a flip will be able to determine that there is a problem early on. They might not understand exactly what it is....but they will continue to work with you to come to a solution. The fact that she was so, so rude to you the first day you met is a horrible sign. Most doctors want to talk a while and get an idea of who you are....and what's been happening and for how long. They do not blow you off in that manner.
Glad to hear you are feeling stronger mentally. That's going to be real important.....and so is your faith. I have loads of health problems but my faith gets me through everyday and helps me to look forward to tomorrow.
Again; We're glad you're here.
Take it from someone who has delt with several Rheumatologists, YOU PAY THEM FOR THE SERVICE AND DIAGNOSIS! I had one RD that when I walked out of the office, the bill was well over 0.00 I was appalled! HE was rude, talked in my face almost pushing me towards the wall and told me all this was in my head. The second time I went I took my sister in with me and his assitant came in rather than him. His assistant has since left the practice. I will not ever go back to him.
I travel many miles to see my RD, he works with my internist. It is workable but not the best situation, I have about given up on all this RD and Rheumatoid stuff. I am so sick of prodding these docs for answers, asking questions that are never answered an dwaiting forever for an appt. I surely wished my Internist could take care of all my needs including RA.
You have to ask yourself: if I were to hire a plumber or someone to work on my car would you put up with the same results as you recieve from your RD? If not, find another one, that is what I would do.
Badbones, Welcome. Now you have me curious? Did you ever get a satisfactory diagnosis and are you being treated for RA?
I love your name, bad bones, before my ra dx, I thought it was my bones - lol
You are your only advocate, whether it's at your job, at your doctor or at your school. You have to be actively aware and involved in your health.So true, there are many terrible docs out there but there are also the wonderufl Dr.'s...I will stand up for my RD any day, he is fantastic an dthe best thus far. I travel 3 to 4 hours to be treated by him.
Ahhh and thank you so much for the welcome and conversation. I was DX with Cystic Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1991, seems so long ago as I writ eit now. I have tried nearly all the meds but Kineret and Remicade. Enbrel worked best but as you all know, if you do not have insurance, you do not get to get it. I have applied several times for the Enbrel Assistance and after nearly 1 1/2 years I recieved the document to fill out to apply.
I can put this all in a seperate post.
I do not work unfortunately because I do have a degree. I am in Michigan where the unemployment rate is the very highest. I help my mom out an dmy 17 yr old daughter lives with me. She was abused by her dad and stepmom, and many more things happened to her as well.
I take pain meds, but they rarely work anymore, my bones have been x-rayed and there is damage. :( I feel so old some day! Thus my name,,,,"bad bones" Given that I broke my wrist a couple years ago, I have to be careful and eat a lot of calcium stuff but cannot take too many meds cause I had 2 ulcers.....oh this is getting depressing!!!!!!! lol Better stop there.
My daughte ris safe with me and healthy cept for a cold and that is all that matters to me at this point.......my body will just have to fall apart.