i've stayed in the same practice but since my old rheumy moved out of state, i saw a new rheumy for the first time on thursday. she asked some of the same questions, asked how i'd felt on mtx, enbrel, and humira, and i made sure to point out my distal interphalangeal joints and my heel pain. she read through a lot of the old tests and comments the rheumy had made, and said she wanted to test for other things as well to make sure we're treating the right disease. she also asked specifically about psoriasis, skin disorders, and family history of those things. i feel like she's asking all the questions in one appointment that my old rheumy took months to get to.

she's agreed to not start medication for a bit. we immediately did blood work - five big vials worth of blood :( and she's referred me for ultrasounds of my shoulders, wrists, fingers, hips, and ankles. she's hoping i can get in within the next two weeks but told me the doc i'm going to for imaging is one of the best and is very, very busy - i'm hoping i can get in quickly. and luckily my job is very understanding and flexible.

it's kind of like starting over, but at least it seems like she's looking at a much bigger picture this time.