Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I went to the doctor today and it was such a joke I have to vent. This may be long winded but please bear with me.
I go to a super Christian operated Free Clinic. In Feb. I was dx with Fibro. I have researched and talked with enough wonderful people in my support group that I have no dought that I have FM. Now with that said in June my Nurse Practitioner said my hands were more swollen than usual and she sent me then for blood work. This was Mon, Thurs. she called and told me my Sed. Rate was 24 and my RA Factor was 25. Due to past examinations and my blood work she would say I had Rheumatoid Authritis. I asked her what do we do now she said she wanted to talk to Dr. Hayes and would call me back. She called back and said Dr. Hayes agreed with her and put me on Prednisone. I was lined up to go to another clinic for meds. for my FM and she recommended I see if they had a Reumy. Ok I go to the other clinic for my first visit 1 month ago. She increases my prednisone and puts me on Lyrica. She says they will refer me to a rheumy. I told her the bone at the base of my toes would ache down deep. My knees had big tomatoe looking red hot places on each one also they would feel like they had cold water drip on them when they didn't. This doctor said that was the RA.
Now today I go to that clinic and see this old man for the first time. I'm not a doctor, I don't want to have Fibro or RA. He says to me have you been dx with RA. Well you know you have to go thru a list of about 12 things to be dx with RA. Have you seen a Rheumy. I tell him yall are suppose to refer me to one and have not done that yet. He spent about 10 min. looking thru my file and writing stuff from one paper to another asked me if I needed prescriptions refilled and for me to come back in 3 months. He did say have lab work done 1 week before. He wants to check my liver. Go figure!
I got the number to check on a Rhuemy. When I got home and called they had never heard of me and someone will call me back.
I have no clue if I have RA. Fibro has so many symptoms I don't know whats what.
Now should I Laugh or Cry?
I'm taking Festus to the park will check back in later. TW
I go to a super Christian operated Free Clinic. In Feb. I was dx with Fibro. I have researched and talked with enough wonderful people in my support group that I have no dought that I have FM. Now with that said in June my Nurse Practitioner said my hands were more swollen than usual and she sent me then for blood work. This was Mon, Thurs. she called and told me my Sed. Rate was 24 and my RA Factor was 25. Due to past examinations and my blood work she would say I had Rheumatoid Authritis. I asked her what do we do now she said she wanted to talk to Dr. Hayes and would call me back. She called back and said Dr. Hayes agreed with her and put me on Prednisone. I was lined up to go to another clinic for meds. for my FM and she recommended I see if they had a Reumy. Ok I go to the other clinic for my first visit 1 month ago. She increases my prednisone and puts me on Lyrica. She says they will refer me to a rheumy. I told her the bone at the base of my toes would ache down deep. My knees had big tomatoe looking red hot places on each one also they would feel like they had cold water drip on them when they didn't. This doctor said that was the RA.
Now today I go to that clinic and see this old man for the first time. I'm not a doctor, I don't want to have Fibro or RA. He says to me have you been dx with RA. Well you know you have to go thru a list of about 12 things to be dx with RA. Have you seen a Rheumy. I tell him yall are suppose to refer me to one and have not done that yet. He spent about 10 min. looking thru my file and writing stuff from one paper to another asked me if I needed prescriptions refilled and for me to come back in 3 months. He did say have lab work done 1 week before. He wants to check my liver. Go figure!
I got the number to check on a Rhuemy. When I got home and called they had never heard of me and someone will call me back.
I have no clue if I have RA. Fibro has so many symptoms I don't know whats what.
Now should I Laugh or Cry?
I'm taking Festus to the park will check back in later. TW
I happen to have both RA and Fibro and will tell you right now that it is really hard to tell which is which sometimes. If it's in the joints, such as your toes, then it's a pretty safe bet it's RA. The positive RA factor is a given as well. Although 25 for the RF isn't too bad. Not good, but not bad. Keep in mind though, you can have RA and no RF.
The fibro, well that's a fun one. It can hurt literally anywhere there's muscle and nerve. I find it unbareable sometimes to be so much as touched. basically, it's overactive pain signals from the brain. The doctor said it's as though everytime the signal travels it makes a rut and begins to automatically and frequently fallow the same path. Well, I decided that since muscle toning restructured muscle then it had to help destroy the ruts and therefore ease the pain and sypmtoms of Fibro. Low and Behold, it worked. Soooo, to help with the Fibro, tone up those muscles. It'll help with the RA too.
As far as the docs, hang in there. I think we all have horror stories to share. I know I do. It took years to get the right rheumy. ((sigh))
So again. Do both, have a good cry then follow it with a laugh.
Tanyan can you have a RF and not have RA. Also the knee caps being red and hot is that RA symptom.
Also pain in the neck and feeling like the base of the skull is bruised is that RA or FM.
This is so confusing!!!!
OK now I'm LAUGHING!
Dont give up though!!! Heck, I feel like a hypocondriac 1/2 the time but if I'm not my dr chewes me out. I'm gonna get another lecture on the 3rd when I get my Remicade. Oh well.... My rheumy is a 5 foot tall 90lbs soaking wet but she can be scary! LOL