I am finding myself extremely frustrated with rhummy visits lately. I try to go in there with topics or issues I wish to discuss only to find that the basics are all that are really covered. They look at my hands and pretty much just say come back in 3 months. I am not an expert but I thought RA effects more than our hands. These appts are lasting all of 5 minutes. Is this what you all are finding? I am not expecting to discuss the world events but maybe my lumpy and sore elbow that apparently is not ra related. ???
Make sure you make a list of things you want to talk about with your doctor. Let her/him see that you have a list and go through all of your questions. kseejonz, Be more assertive. You can be more assertive without being mean or aggressive. You have to be in your own corner and take control of the visit. When the doctor comes in, tell him/her that you have questions/issues that you want discussed before the appt ends. I know drs are busy, but you deserve time too. I think they look at the hands because maybe it is one of the first places there are visible changes? I'm not sure, that is just a hunch. I always have a pad/pen with me at my appt. I take notes and I have questions ready for him. My Dr. knows not to even try to get away until I'm done.
Phatgirl Remember....be your own best advocate. If you try and he/she isn't responding....time for a new dr. You must have a great relationship with your dr when you have a chronic illness such as what we have. kseejonz, My typical appointment with the RA Doc is usually not very dramatic. I spend about 10-15 minutes with an intern or student Doc and explain and answer questions and then the intern goes and speaks with the RA Doc and then they both come back and the RA Doc spends about 5-7 minutes with me. Granted, he doesn't seem as sympathetic as the intern and he just makes adjustments to meds or whatever. I used to feel that 5-7 minutes wasn't the right amount of time for someone like me and my disease but I don't second guess him or try to over doctor him anymore. In the short amount of times with me he and his coctails have made my life so much more comfortable. They are so used to our disease and we aren't. Oh, and i think my sore lumpy elbow is RA related. I am sure your doctor has your best interest at heart. They just don't mommy us. My Doctor doesn't smile much but every once in a while i see him smile and i think it is because he sees the good results of his work. Oh and it's every three months for me too. LEV kseejonz, My experience isn't all that different than levlarry's, however, I do have Rhuematiod nodules on my elbows, so you might want to ask the Doc. about that. I guess they can pop up just about anywhere. Lists help me alot too, if I have questions.
Spending only 5-10 minutes with a patient every 3 months is pathetic. Most Rheum. see Many patients every day--very short visits with little information exchanged. I had an appointment Monday--I have a shoulder problem that has worsened following a steroid injection; i have just started (1 mo.) on Enbrel afer 3 mo. of Humira that did nothing, I am having ongoing headaches from the Enbrel, a nodule on my elbow is enlarging, insomnia worsening ETC ETC. her comments---have shoulder surgery if you want, try the Enbrel for 2 more months--if it doesn't work we can go to Humira!! PLEASE, at least glance at my chart before you upset me and make a fool of yourself. Then she says "Are you on MTX?" Again, at least pretend to know something about me. Then the absurd squeeze my hands---Oh good! the swelling is down!---I never had any. I have worked with literally hundreds of doctors as a P.T. and have never seen anything like the lack of interest in anything but drugs except by Rheumatologists. I am sure there are a few good ones somewhere?? I'm fortunate. My Rheumy is awesome. He asks a few times if I have any other questions, comes out to the waiting room to get me himself, spent an hour my first appointment, then about 20-25 min on my next visit. He wants me to call in between appointments and tell him how I'm doing. He didn't get my message once, and sent me a letter in the mail asking me to call with an update. It happened to be on a weekend, and we were leaving for a two week vacation to an island. I went online, found he had an email account, emailed him and he emailed me back within 10 min. The next time I called him, we played telephone tag. He left his pager number and told me to page him. He called me right back. I've had 3 doses of MTX and he wanted me to have bloodwork and call him before my 4th dose. He called yesterday to say he hasn't had my bloodwork come back yet, but he'd called to see if I had this done and what lab I went to so he could get the results. He said he'd be calling me today..... Bottom line, I am sooooooooooo lucky. Not lucky to have Rhupus, but lucky I have a great doctor. I wish you all could have one like him. 10 mins with the gp, but I've waited 45 mins, generally 1-2 weeks to get an appointment, emergency same day appointments are available if you can get past the rottie. I see the rheumy every 3-4 months. Appointments are every 10 mins regardless of whether you are a new patient or a regular - new patients need approx 40 mins with the rheumy so on these occassions subsequent patients can end up waiting up to 2 hours. So if I need longer than 10 mins, although the doc doesn't hurry me, I am ever mindful of keeping the other patients waiting. It's usually a check of my hands (should I whip my socks of next time?) check of my latest blood test results and a 'how have you been, your meds seem ok and don't need upping'. Then I see the vampire for my 8 weekly dram and I'm off home. I'm lucky I guess. btw, am I getting a feeling of deja vu? Brenna ,I want to go to yours. See Thats more like it! My gut tells me to keep looking. I am so happy that quite a few here are happy with there rhummys/docs. That makes such a difference. Maybe there is hope yet. Wish there was someone here from the western suburbs of Phila. [QUOTE=Tinker]Would it be wrong to c&p?
LOL I have no idea what that is but what the heck sure lets do it! My Rd is awsome too...and thanks for bringing up looking them up online; I had googled his office and they now have a web page. When I saw my docs pic I began to cry...is that silly or what? Geesh I miss that guy! FYI: I am unable to go to the RD as often due to being so far away, the flip side is that he will still take me as a patient even though I am far away. No email addy...I will have to ask him for that! lol I think I used to have it.....can't find anything since I moved. jode....................aka. missus reeed ( he always called me that just to get my bp up and it did)! He could be really irritating in a fun way, but ya know what, it was his sense of humor that got me through. BTW: Big congrats to my RD!!!!!!!!!I knew him when he just started out and he has really made a name for himself through the years. His mom should be proud. Yep the really good ones are few and far between folks. [QUOTE=Tinker]Ksee, c&p = cut and paste, to save typing something up again. I'd posted something very similar on another thread about appointments very recently so I was just joshing. I used to go on a forum where it became apparant that one of the regulars was just copying and pasting the same old welcome to newbies, it kind of lost sincerity to those of us who had cottoned on to it.[/QUOTE] haha! Thanks Tinker! I would be interested in that thread. I didnt see anything like it as I did look. Perhaps not far enough back. My "unRA" elbow,which BTW looks like I have 2 elbows in one due to the nodules has been sore and being on the computer is limited right now. I think what important is the quality of the time spent. At times, I've only needed that quick little visit. Other times, there's been a lot to cover. But my first Rheumy didn't let any problem go unanswered. What they do in their practice is they have their Physician Assistant see you about 3 times out of the year and then they spend a longer time with you a couple of other times. But they have a rule that the Rheumy must always see you at least every 3rd visit. And the Physician Assistant is very, very good. Lots of times I get more complete answers from her. I don't have that Rheumy any more and I sure wish I did. But he would never leave me stranded like that. I find it also helps if I keep a full list of all my meds, my other doctors and all the conditions that I've been diagnosed with. The nurse usually runs a copy of this information and it helps doctors so much because they don't have to dig through such thick charts although mine would usually remember every thing. He was amazing. I would out and out ask him why he's not fully answering your questions. Maybe he doesn't realize it. Some people just need more time. Hello, they are sicker! I know that when I was looking for primaries, that one doctor said that they just couldn't treat me because I needed more time than they typically allocated to their patients. I needed an internal medicine doctor, not a regular GP. Based on that, you can see that is typical for RA patients to need more time. Definitely, you shouldn't leave the office with your problems not addressed. In fact, I would refuse to. Simply state that "we're not done here." Because you are not. You are paying for their time. It's also in their best interest to make sure everything is addressed. If it's not and you have permanent damage that hurts both you and them.
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