in limbo | Arthritis Information

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  well  I  saw  the  rd  for   the  second  time.

 

  and   all my  bloodwork is  negative  and  he  says  my  hand  x  rays look  normal.  So  he  basically   decided  I  don't  need a   rhummy  but  if  my joints  swell  come  back...

great...  so  any  ideas?  I   quess  I  am  all alone  in this   now  hell  I      wish I   still lived  in  NC  cas  I  would  just  go  to   duke  again  maybe   someone  there    is a  better   doc  than just  say  well  your  bloodwork  is good   your  all better   and  see  ya  later.

  because  thats  what i  was  basically  told   today  you  don't  have  any  rhumatological  disease 

Many people are told that first visit.  Change doctors.  You know your body and SOMETHING is wrong.  Good luck.  Mark

Mark, I will hang out in limbo with you.  I know it isn't fun to be told something like this when you KNOW something is wrong.  I'm in the same boat.  I'm just taking the wait and see approach.

If I stay the same, I can live with this and accept it as just OA, or if as time goes on and I progressively get worse, then I will go back and see if there are any changes in my labs/xrays.

I figure this old jalopy of a body I've got is as good as it is ever gonna get, so I'll just keep on a keepin on until another part falls apart!  Don't let it get you down - half of feeling good is keeping a forward moving, upbeat attitude.  So let's move onward - but go slow so I can keep up, please!

 the only  thing  is  how  will I  get  another  doc   around  here   to listen  to me  AS soon as  I  say  the  docs  at  strong  say  I'm ok  they  are  going  to   almost take  their  word  as   gold.  Strong  is  almost seen as a    duke  would  be  in this  part  of  NYS   when other  docs  have  no  clue  they send  you  to  strong  so  for me  to  tell them  well the  strong  docs  have  no idea  I'm just afraid  they will say  well if  they  have  no idea  how  will  we?

what  was  really  kinda   sad  is  him  saying  if  your  joint  swells  come  back..  so  if  i  get  worse   come  back?  great thanks  doc.  so is  this  like  get  worse  and  you'll believe  you   type  of  thing?

 I mean  I  should  be  happy   theres  that part  of  me  that  knows    something is  not  right     hell  I   didn't  imagine  that horrid  pain     I mean  I  take  that  cmo   every  day    what  seems  to  suck  is  the  cmo is  just good  enough  to keep my  joints  from swelling  but  not  good   enough   to    have  me  have  no  symptoms  at  all.  now  I  could live  with taking  it   for  the  rest  of my life  but  its  expensive.     and  for  my  gut  the  doc  just  got  a  test  result  back  that was  negative   also   but  they  say  tell  the  GI  if  your  still  having   problems   great.

maybe  the  big  university  docs  do not  know  everything  I  mean  there  is  a  smaller  hospital  here  but  the  sad  thing  is  everything  has  to  go  thru my pcp  and  the  chance  he  would  refer  me  to a  non  strong  doc  is  slim. 

what  sucks  also is there  is  slight swelling  in my  wrist  but  they  dismiss  it  as  well  whatever.  He  did promise  he looked  my  x  rays  over  well.. the  sad  thing is  these docs  can make  you  start to think  your  crazy    if  you  do not  fit  into  the  box   called   make  my  diagnosis  easy   for  me  they  treat  you  like  your  goofey.

   you have  to love  managed  care......  It's  great.(kidding)

Another thing that I did Mark was take pics when the swelling started.  Those pics at my next rheumy appt. did the trick.

Mark, you've said enough in the past few months that you've been here to indicate that you probably have some kind of inflammatory arthritis going on. It doesn't matter how "good" they are supposed to be if they are wrong. Hey, my blood work looks fine now and I don't ever have any real swelling. But I have note after note from my former Rheumy saying that I have RA. I have RA that shows up on my MRIs. I have nerve damage from the RA, eye inflammation from RA, pericarditis history and pleural effusion from RA. But because one doctor looked at bloodwork on one day and couldn't see the swelling and wouldn't listen to me, suddenly I don't have RA.

I don't think so. Keep trying. I know you are afraid you will get the brush off, but really a caring doctor is going to take another look at you. Actually, I think they are more likely to one up the doctor with the higher credentials.

And do go back if any symptoms, not just swelling occurs. Don't let them get away with it. It sucks to be dismissed so out of hand.


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