Appointment with RA Doctor

[Cathymarie07]

Good grief. My doctor sent referral to RA doctor and I can't get in until Dec 12th. Talk about slow as Christmas. 😁

[A-Faye]

That happened to me too. My GP put me on steroids to get me through that time frame- 3 months!

I fear this says something about where our healthcare system is headed. I have never seen any Politics on this site before, so I am sure I am breaking protocol.

Alice

[Amy_Lee]

Hi Cathymarie07

I hope you have been given some steroid for these few 2 months while waiting for your appointment. It will be very very painful before the treatment and before the DMARDS starts working on us.

Take good care.

[DRunnerchick]

Hang in there! I was diagnosed six weeks ago- after a 5 month wait. I'm seronegative so I think it helped that I had photos on my phone to show various joints when they were red and inflamed. I didn't want to 'waste' the long awaited apppointment. Keep a log and have a list of questions ready. Have you asked to be wait listed for cancellations?

[Cathymarie07 in reply to DRunnerchick]

No. I did not think of that. I have good days and bad. Is that normal?

[DRunnerchick in reply to Cathymarie07]

For me (and many others) it is. Sometimes it lasts for hours and sometimes it can be days. I seem to have more pain at night when I sleep and for several hours in the morning. My best times are noon to 4:00pm, then I crash-and-burn with fatigue.

[SleeplessT in reply to Cathymarie07]

Sometimes My husband will say "wow you look like you're having a good day!" And sometimes I look and feel like I'm 95! I think that's the nature of it.

[dwallenburg]

Call the office and tell you you want to be put on a cancellation list. If they have someone cancel them you can fill their appointment

[Nitrobunny]

I agree, definitely get on a cancellation wait list and tell them how quickly you can get to the office if they call you last minute. I was on a wait list for a specific rheumatologist that I wanted who had wait times of up to a year. I called about once a month and the second time I called it just so happened he had a cancellation and I got in the very next day. I love my rheumatologist and it was definitely worth the wait.

Keeping a log is a fantastic idea as well. Some people flare often and severely and some seem to stay at a steady level be it high or low of pain and mobility. I also gathered all of my clinical summaries, recent lab results (about a years worth), MRI and X-ray narratives together and faxed them over which made my first appointment that much more productive. I've been keeping copies of all my medical records for years and it really has helped a lot. I'm also seronegative and keep photos as well. Basically anything you can provide your doctor to demonstrate your condition and how you're feeling will help a lot.

Rheumatology is a really tough specialty and autoimmune diseases can be tough to diagnose and treat because you can have 10 people with the same condition and they will all require and respond to different treatments. Many times a person will have more than one autoimmune condition. That's very common.

Be good to yourself while you wait for your appointment. I stay away from processed foods and gluten and I honestly believe eating well matters. You likely will have good days and bad days so be patient with yourself as well. If you're tired, nap. Don't be afraid to talk with your GP in the meantime if you are doing particularly badly. Hopefully he gave you something to help with the inflammation.

I hope and pray you get in to see the rheumatologist soon.

All the best -

[Jmiller46]

I think a lot of us can sympathize with that. I was diagnosed in January. Couldn't get in to see a rheumatologist until the end of April. Only had Naproxen in the mean time. At that appointment we didn't have the right labs. Had to wait two more months for another appointment. At THAT appointment I had an infected toe, so had to wait for THAT to clear up. It would be a good idea to call a few weeks before your first appointment and see if you need to have labs drawn or anything else done so your treatment doesn't get put off for six months like mine did lol. Good luck. Hope it all goes well for you.