I wanted to add this. I will try hard to make it short. I went to a regular appointment day before yesterday. I cannot afford a specialist. And I have seen this man for sometime. He totally cemented for me and my situation that he has clue none about me or RA. I was telling him I need to do some sort of exercise, I have always been thin but in the last little bit of fun with disease I have been down alot and gained a few in the mid section. Anway, my hips have no cushion and are bone on bone right. He told me to go bike riding and take some long walks and that I should think about getting on Humira once I can see a Specialist. Well this doctor approved me for Humira just a week ago and sent in the papers for assistance. I told him "yeah I should think about that". Oh my gosh I walked out like he does not even know who I am. I am coming to him alot these last months becuase I have not been able to function much. I am going to venture to say that 1/2 the crap he has prescribed for me was probably for warts or something. I can hardly walk up my stairs let alone go peddle a bike. Maybe someone out there has dealt with this and I am just being a baby. Anyway thought you might like a good chuckle at the health care personnel who treat us.
Karen is right it is scarry!! but it reminds me of a Dr I once worked for. He walked into the room of a patient he had seen several times in the past couple of months, introduced himself, and to top it off told her how nice it was to meet her
Anyway, sounds like you need to get shopping for an RD.
Have a great sunday! thanks for the
If you can't afford to see an RD do you have any idea how much a months supply of Humira cost?
It's all a scam anyway!! These doctors and pharmacutical companys charge outragous prices!! It makes me sick the way they take advantage of us. They know we don't have much choice though I guess.
Good Luck Franny; I'll be following your progress.
Lovie
Franny, Just had to respond to this one! Your GP sounds suspiciously like mine!!!! I had the same problem, been to him many times over the last year or two with various symptoms (which at the time didn't lead me to suspect RA). Finally, when I had the joint pain and stiffness for over 3 months it all came together for me. Like you, it was the follow-up appt. with him 2 weeks after he ordered blood work to test for RF that I realized how he NEVER listened to me in the past, and really didn't care. That's when I made an appointment with a Rheumatologist. Just from past experience with my own doctors and my son's former pediatrician, GP's don't like to refer you to a specialist - it's an admission that they don't know what's wrong with you. I, for one, don't trust any of them, except to go there for an antibiotic if I know I have something that requires it -- anything more serious, forget it!Lovie, I was diagnosed in 1996. I have had 3 seperate diagnosis and have been treated with all the regular RA stuff. I was tested for TB but not a chest x-ray. I dont know if he will follow me, heck he probably wont remember who I am next time. I made an appointment with a specialist and applied for special consideration because my state insurance will not cover a specialist. So the specialist does not have an appointment availabe until October. They are getting another specialist in August so I hope I can get into her if I am excepted. I am the one who has pushed Humira. I am so tired of putting all these chemicals in my body pill after dang pill and all there side effects. I feel like I have become my own doctor. Boy when you dont have alot of funds you can be limited. I was sick of methotrexate I lost so much hair and felt like crap always and my bones ached worst than ever. So I told my doctor I am not taking that anymore. I already feel like crap and then we add this torment. I never said I was smart but it does say if your bones ache more on Methotrexate you should quit taking it. I told him that. He wants me to go to a specialist because he feels he cant treat me properly. (he is probably just sick of my complaints). I have no respect for doctors they are rude condesending and act like you are making stuff up. I ask them to walk in our shoes for a day. They would hate it. I get my first Humira injection tomorrow. I have given my Dad injections so I want to do it to myself. I have gotten alot of good advice and read on the Humira site exactly how to do it. One way or the other I will help me get better with or without there care. My doctor is clueless, oh how true but he sealed his fate when he told me to go on a bike ride and take long walks. I am bone on bone in my hips and walking up my stairs is a huge challenge. Yep I am gonna go for a huge bike ride! NOT! Right then I realized for sure he was an idiot. It hurts to stand for a long time like to make dinner etc. So I will call me Dr. Fran for now because I seem to monitor myself better than he does. Thank you so much for your concerns and I will let you all know how it goes. Again thanks you all are wonderful. FrannyDr. Fran; you are so right. Truth is we all know more about our body and what works for us than these doctors who see us once every two or three months and then have to look at a chart to remember us!!
We'll have to ask the other Humira users here what their experience has been; but my doctor insisted on doing a chest X-Ray along with the TB test before he'd start me on Humira. Now I also heard another person say that was required before they started MTX as well but that wasn't part of my original testing for MTX either so I suppose there really isn't a national standard as to the procedure.
I'm just like so many others here and I don't trust GP's to know how to handle this disease. And to hear you describe yours I don't feel any better about yours....and I can tell you feel the same way.
I'll be following your progess closely; and hopeing for the best!
Lovie