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...
Hi all,
I just thought to share some advice with all of my fellow RA'ers.
When initially trying to find a rheumatologist, what I did was see 2 at the same time for about 6 months and ended up dropping the one I was a little less comfortable with.
There's not a lot of rheumatologists in my area and I need to look out for my better interest.
You're insurance allows second opinions. What I did was look at the reviews of the rheumatologists on HealthGrades and Vitals.com and make appointments. Then you need to get referrals from your primary doctor.
You will need your Rheumatologist 's help also when you apply for disability, which is pretty common with RA, so you need to be certain he/she will help you. A lot of the disability with RA is not visible, like the extreme ongoing fatigue, stiffness, feeling of unwellness, pain, etc.
So again, make sure you look after yourself, cause nobody will do it for you.
I just thought to share some advice with all of my fellow RA'ers.
When initially trying to find a rheumatologist, what I did was see 2 at the same time for about 6 months and ended up dropping the one I was a little less comfortable with.
There's not a lot of rheumatologists in my area and I need to look out for my better interest.
You're insurance allows second opinions. What I did was look at the reviews of the rheumatologists on HealthGrades and Vitals.com and make appointments. Then you need to get referrals from your primary doctor.
You will need your Rheumatologist 's help also when you apply for disability, which is pretty common with RA, so you need to be certain he/she will help you. A lot of the disability with RA is not visible, like the extreme ongoing fatigue, stiffness, feeling of unwellness, pain, etc.
So again, make sure you look after yourself, cause nobody will do it for you.
The doctor which I stopped seeing, I did not tell him I was seeing another rheumalogist as well.
The blood tests, i would get a month apart.
What got me is me repeatedly telling the rheumatologist on how tired I am and not well I am the doctors not taking it seriously.
When anybody applies for disability, they will review all the doctors notes to see what kind of limitations you are experiencing and if a doctor does not write the symptoms you tell him/her, this makes it harder for the disability examiner and gives him less ground to approve you.
Rheumatoid Arthritis has a very high disability rate. It makes it impossible for some people to work. Now imagine if you're unable to work like me and have dependent children, imagine the toll it will take if you get denied the benefits. You are actually entitled to these benefits being unable to work.
And what disability examiners and judges look for is the doctor's notes and opinions.
Most doctors I have come across could care less if you're on disability, applying for disability etc. They are more interested in treating you and getting their pay from the insurance companies. A lot of them don't want to go through the hassle of helping you or even evaluating you for disability.
So you have to take care of yourself. If you end up losing your insurance, that doctor you've been seeing for many many years won't see you anymore, cause he won't be getting paid.