Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Now, back from the rheumys

I just got back from the rheumys office. I have been having a pretty crappy week and woke up to my uvieitis again so back on the steroid eye drops.

I get to the rheumys office, red eyes, no make-up, hobbling and looking like crap. I had to sit in the waiting rooms uncomfortable chairs with two babies and a very cute toddler. I was trying to hide the fact that I was crying as seeing babies when I am already upset is hard. Get into the room and the nurse is going ON and ON about all the babies in the office today and how hers are all grown and ON and ON about cute babies. She than noticed I was crying and asked what was the matter, I just said I have had 5 miscarriages and now I am sick and miserable! She left the room rather quickly after that.

The rheumy comes in and we get to talking. She told me that she saw my name on the schedule and did a lot of reading on neuropathy, RSD and that sort of thing. She said that I am a mystery to her but that she is testing for everything and really trying to help. She said she has sent me to just about every kind of specialist out there.

She feels that I do have sero negative ra but feels the swelling I have is not consistent with ra. She said she thinks that my joints hurt from the arthritis and because I have neuro issue on top of that, that things just won't settle down, despite the drugs.

I had a complete meltdown and told her that I believed she was doing her best but that I am still in too much pain and just can not take anymore. I was sobbing to her that she has to do something.

She put me on Cymbalta on top of the neuro drugs. She didn't feel that regular physical therapy would be that much of a benefit to be considering I have to pay 20%. She is sending me to a pain specialist who does the spinal blocks but I can't get in until March 22!

She also is re-running all my labs, basically checking for everything known to man. I think all but about 4 boxes are checked on that big lab slip! She was very nice and said she is doing everything she can to help. She said if the pain specialist and neurologist can't get anywhere with me, she would try to get an MRI approved for me. She said an MRI of my hands and feet probably would not show the cause of my pain since it is so generalized but that it would just show the extent of damage and apparently it is hard to get my insurance to approve the mri's.

My crp was up to 1.8, it has been running .2. However, she wasn't overly concerned about it but is retesting it. She was fine with me stopping the mtx as she believes the majority of my pain is not from ra and the humira should stop any progression of bone damage. I am to stay at 5mg of the steroids though.

I am not sure how I feel about my appt today. I do honestly feel she is doing everything she or anyone else can at the moment. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to see the pain specialist.

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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