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Looking for more insight
| Sat, 02-11-2006 - 12:05pm |
Ok so I have one more thing I am looking for some insight on. My pain is not debilitating however it is constant or chronic. So because it is not keeping me from doing most things I want to do(meaning I have never had a day that I could not get out of bed or not been able to do something that I really wanted to) it is difficult for me to justify going to the doctor. Even though I have been living with this everyday for a year and some days are better that others. So I guess because I know there are others that are suffering so much worse than I am there is a part of me that just feels like a wimp. Although I have never thought of myself as a wimpy person. I hope you don't mind giving me your thoughts due to the fact that I do not have a dx but I am working on that, the musculoskeletal specialist I saw mentioned RA more than once but because my RF was neg. I think she would not go there. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts it is nice to think there is someone out there that might understand.

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Spiker, I hope I do understand.
Molly
Thank you so much for your support and wealth of information. You all are really great!! I know I need to get to the doc sooner rather than later. My biggest concern at this point is where I will be 10 years from now. Not so much that this going to control my life.
So thank you again and I will check out those new sites.
Molly
FYI- I have made my appt. with a rheumy for 3-1-06. I am really very scared about the thought of having to take all of these medications. I had taked voltaren for about a month and did feel bettet than I had in a while. That was prescribed by the musculoskeletal doc. When I went back to her and told her it had helped she did not act like she was going to write another scrip for it so I asked and she did. That kind of made me TO'd so being the stubborn pigged headed person I thought I am not going to take it because she must not have thought I needed it and I think there is a part of me that wants to think also that I don't need it. I have never been big on take meds anyway. But now I would have to say I am better off with it than not.
I was also thinking today about 14 months ago when I first had this problem with my ankle/foot. We had just moved a couple of weeks before and one morning when I got up as I was going downstairs I started have pain and swelling in my foot/ankle and went to a GP who reall did nothing and gave me celeabrex which did not really help, so then I went to a podietrist and he said my foot was colapsing and put me in a boot for about 4 weeks and gave me mobic and it got better and then he made me orthotics and that is when the pain begain in both feet and he did not pursue a cause for that. Well long story short I called his office today and asked him if he thought what was going with my foot back then could have been RA related and he said absolutely and suggested I go see a rheumy which I am already doing. I just never made the connection before that my ankle could have been the start of everything else that is going on.
I think I kind of have myself freaked out a little reading these posts, my musculskeletal doc had suggested doing a round of pred. but I was frustrated by the fact that she wanted to put me on this powerful drug when she could not even tell me what was wrong with me. If she could have told me for sure what was going on then I would have been more willing to have tried it but is seems like you go the doc and they can't tell you what is wrong but they are sure willing to throw some drugs your way.
Sorry I am just feeling a little....... I guess I am not sure really what I am feeling.
Thanks for listening. Espicially when I do not even know what I am complaining about yet:-0
Brenda
I agree with how you must be feeling Brenda. This is scary stuff and you'll find on this board that lots of us are feeling scared too. And angry at the silliness of some doctors we find out there. I've learned to be more aggressive with my doctors but it has taken time and surprisingly the doctors don't seem to mind! For years I was treated for bursitis and other stupid stuff. Who knew it was RA? I took a really bad and painful flare for my PCP to finally say, hmmmmm, I think it's RA. I said what's RA. Boy do I know now!
I think on this board we have access to more information from everyone else and we can pass that on to our own doctors who often don't think of all the stuff we do. We are WONDER WOMEN!!!
Hang in there Brenda and join in with the rest of us as we cry, whine, and cheer together. Hugs, Diane
I am so glad you are going to see a rheumy on March 1.
Molly
Brenda,
That is great you made an appointment. I think most of us have gone through the emotional roller coaster you are on. I also had my first rheumatologist tell me to take prednisone and come back..... sometime later.. I was furious. I was oddly happy to finally get a diagnosis ( I went to Mayo clinic.. had all signs and symptoms.. and a very high RA factor..) I hate taking drugs too... but I surmise that it is better then the alternative. I just want to try to do as much on my own as I can, supplement wise, food wise, exercise wise.. and if I have done my best and still need drugs.. well so be it.. I would rather live a quality life then bear too much pain.
Debbie
Edited 2/20/2006 7:29 pm ET by stabledgurl2006
Thank you so much for the questions that will be very helpful. One more question(today) what is the difference between the C-reactive protein blood test and the anti-ccp test. Or are these the same thing. Should I expect to have both of these or would I really just need one?
Thank you so much you all are great:-)
Spiker
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