As some of you know I've had problems with my current RD and have finally gotten up enough courage to make an appoinment with another one. My appointment is this Thursday and although I'm looking forward to it...I'm very nervous about it. I have a couple of questions that maybe you can help me with.
1) The new RD is a female doctor that has RA. What are your feelings on this?
2) What kinds of questions should I ask? How much should I tell her about what has happened with my current RD? Would it be out of line to ask her for Provigil on the first visit? Should I ask her how she feels about ssdi?
Frumplesticks....I'm soooo freaking nervous.
Thanks everyone...any help with this at all is appreciated.
Peace & Love...Neasy
Have you asked your old RD for a copy of your record. You are allowed to have a copy or they can fax it to the new RD with your signature.
You need to make a list of the goals you want to achieve with the help of this new RD. Tell her how you feel, and make a list of every little symptom that is being a nasty neusance. Also, list what you have tried and side effects, and what has worked even for a small amount of time. If you are armed with information about you, she will take you more serious. I think women communicate better with women, so that will help, but be armed.
Hope this helps,
Great advice Shelly, i'm putting together my artillery for my visit at the end of Aug. Good luck to ya Neasy That is what I did with mine in March and continue to do every month. I was NOT going to have another RD tell me to come back when "I am sick enough to see him." Of course now I might say something that would embarrass my sweet hubby.
Neasy - I also concur with everything Shelly said. I think a female RD, ESPECIALLY one with RA herself, should be very easy to talk and relate to. As long as you go armed with a plan, you should do just fine. And I wouldn't hesitate to ask her opinion on prescribing Provigil. I personally though, would probably hold off on the ssdi question until the second or third visit, as you don't want to come across as someone who is out doctor surfing, looking for the right doc to put you on disability.
Anyway, good luck on Thursday, and please be sure and let us know how it goes!
I agree with Gale, I would not bring up SSDI until I knew that I was going to stay with her and let her treat me in the long run. I am still waiting for my RD to get the clue that I am a teacher with all these imunosuppressants, and hmm, I had children in my class running full on fevers the last week of school. I told them to stay away!! A little germ-a-phobic I am. Besides my hands are still going numb, and I still do not have the energy or ability to deal with a whole day. I am not going to ask him that for a while. I do have hope that I will go into some sort of control. I have a female rheumatologist also and she is great like talking to a good friend. she asks about my family and grandkids and really seems to care. I dont know what it would be like is she had PA or RA as i am on a dissability pension and i think people who work seem to think we could also. but at least she would understand your pain.Neasy, I have a female RD also. She is wonderful and very easy to talk to. She takes my RA even more seriously than I do, I think.
I also had a female pain specialist until last month. She was also my neurologist. For some reason, either my insurance co. or the medical group where I have my HMO, decided that all their pain management specialists must also be anesthesiologists. So they're making me see a new pain specialist. I saw him for the first time last month, and after talking to me for 1-1/2 hrs, he said he wanted to do facet joint blocks. I had three of those in my lumbar spine last Thurs. They are still going to do my c-spine.
Both of these female doctors have always been very easy to talk to and aren't the least bit condescending, like some male doctors are. However, all of my docs are easy to talk to. My husband goes with me to all appointments and gets to know them, too.
I agree wholeheartedly about taking list of questions, meds you are currently taking, and a brief list of you health issues, even the ones that are not RA related.
Also, I agree with Gale about asking how she feels about Provigil.That should open the door without having to come out and ask for a specific drug. But she'll probably ask about how your meds are working, and how any past ones have worked (or not).
Good Luck! Remember, she is just a person, like us. She'll know where you are coming from.
Hugs,
Nini
I have always found woman doctors easier to talk to and much less condescending! I would write out your questions and your daily symptoms on average and your symptoms when they are at their worse. I definitely think it is ok to ask for something for the fatigue. Just explain how bad it is and maybe mention that people at your support group take the provigil and have had good success and that you would like to try it unless she believes there is another drug that would be more appropriate.Thanks for the replies. Today is the big day and I'm pretty nervous. I dropped off a copy of my medical records yesterday and picked up the paperwork to fill out for the appointment. I wrote down a list of all my medications along with dosages. I think what I will focus on today with the new RD is my concern about my knees, and the fatigue. Thanks for the idea about the Provogil...I'm definately going to address it and tell her that there are people in my support group that have had good results with it and I would like to try it. I'm really hoping that this RD will be "the one". I'll let you all know how it goes.
Peace & Love...Neasy
Good luck with your appt today, come back and let us know how it went
Well it looks like I have a new RD!
This is what has changed in my medications today:
Celbrex increased to 400mg per day
Added Leucovorin Calcium
Added Folic Acid
Added Rozerem
Added Methotrexate
Added Boniva
Plaquenil will stay at 400mg per day
Enbrel will stay the same for now
Changing over gradually from Paxil to Cymbalta
Thanks for all the support and suggestions. It's appreciated as always.
Peace & Love...Neasy
I had a female RD from 2001-2002. She was young in her 30's and very rude. She had an "I will cure you" attitude and kept making me do things I kept telling her I could not do. Like she wanted me to walk a mile everyday, and I told her even when I was in highschool I could not walk a mile, and I was in teenage remission then. But she kept pressuring me to walk. I also could not walk the mile because I had a 2 year old, hubby worked 2nd shift, did not feel safe to go for a walk in my neighborhood (life long fear of being kidnapped), and I just just would not be able to of handled a 2 year old out on a very busy road full of drunks. Oh and she also told me that she went to the gym and walked/ran 2 miles before coming to work and works 10 hours a day. Yeah... and then she called me her words now not mine... "Mushy & Flubby". She was referring to my thighs, but I told her my thighs had always been like that since I was a kid, no matter how much I rode a bike, or done exercises, jumped jump rope they never got muscle. But did she care... NO!
Anyways... I hope your RD is a good one. I am sure she will be since she herself has RA. She knows what you are going thru and will hopefully be more sensitve.
sounds like a very positive appt. Just plan on taking crafts, books, etc you can do while waiting. Have you ever tried inject. mtx? I couldnt tolerate oral, so was taken off and given embrel to try for 6mo. but it didn't work. I begged rheumy to please let me try inject. mtx and he finally gave in. I love it, and no probs with it so far.
Congrats on finding a better rheumy for yourself!
YAY!!! I can not tell you how HAPPY I am for you Neasy!!!!
Keep us posted on how the new meds are doing and how you are feeling!!!! Neasy, I'm so happy you found a good, caring rheumy! It will be a real treat to work with someone who takes your condition seriously and is eager to help. Hopefully, she will have you feeling better very soon. Hugs, Nini I'm happy for you too, Neasy. It must be a giant breath of fresh air to finally have a doc that listens to you and really cares about making you feel better. Hoping for your best, and soon!
Linda
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