RA, Pain and Doctors!!

Hi, need a rant as had enough!! My Rheumatologist and Pain Consultants seem to pass the buck to each other!! I've had a really painful hip for 6 months and walking is difficult. My Rhemy Doctor told me it was coming from my back, then the following week Pain Doctor said, no way its from your hip!!! So went to see GP and his first words were," What do you want me to do about it?" I saw red. Told him I wasn't moving until he gave me answer. Anyhow, I have he said very limited movement in my right hip but left swings well!! No sense of humour at moment. X ray done but thinks I might need a scan but costly. I wish my consultants would communicate, my GP take me seriously. All I get is, you look well. Yep, I dress nice, put a wee bit of make up on and face the day!!! Also I don't tick all the usual boxes for RA. I actually at times feel at a total loss. On top of this my beautiful daughter who is 26 probably has Inflammatory Arthritis but her Rhemy Doctor is fab. So I am really pleased that she has this doctor. Sorry rant finished, hobbling off to make a culpa. Have a good weekend and hopefully not too painful for you all. ☺😊😃😀

[Livingston]

Oh, I feel for you - with me it's my left hip. It got really bad literally overnight and I developed a joint effusion. It has hurt to one degree or another ever since. I'm diagnosed with 'atypical RA'.

The only thing that gets any action seems to be announcing that I don't think I can go out to work like this any more - then everybody jumps! I've had 2 steroid injections in it (difficult to get because they need to be done under ultrasound or fluoroscopy.) The first one helped a lot, the second one did nothing. I managed to get some hydrotherapy when I just couldn't do normal physio & that was very good too but things are deteriorating again. Think I'm going to have to play the work card again soon.

Suppose the big problem is that we look half way to OK when we turn up at appointments & they don't see what it took just to get there. I'm sure my GP doesn't believe me when I say I need to plan how to get out of bed & down the stairs every day!

Hope you get your scan sorted out soon.

[Hidden in reply to Livingston]

Thank you. It's good to know its not just me! You are so right, no one knows how long it takes to get going we just do it!! Take care ☺

[oldtimer]

yes, don't we look well!

It was when I staggered into the surgery and said I need to lie down on the couch - and did - that the doctor came alive with helpfulness!

[Azabat]

I feel like a pinball getting bumped from one doctor to another, so I can definitely relate! It's been raining today, so my hands and feet are on fire. *sigh* I think I'll make a cuppa myself, and we can commiserate from halfway round the world. xx

-Bats (she who specializes in slapping specialists)

[Hidden]

Yep ditto to your experience with doctors and pain and a-typical RA. Comes to something wheh we start longing to be typical eh?

We are hoping to move our location soon so that I can get better specialist healthcare. Maybe moving closer to your daughter and her wonderful rheumy would help? I know it sounds dramatic but I think the quality of specialist you are under makes all the difference.

I had hoped that by telling my two consultants and GPs that we are hoping to move to another part of Scotland would make them want to get me sorted out but it seems not. The only thing which seems to have galvanised them a bit is two recent week long hospital admissions, my husband getting mad with them on my behalf and pushing my GP to give me a backdated sick note by telling him that a DWP official had told me my GP was being mean! I actually think that this hit him where it hurts and the point about not being able to work anymore has made him sit up a bit. Writing statutory sick notes is his idea of hell it seems!

Most people usually see us at our best. Why would they see us at our worst after all unless the happen on us when we are still negotiating how best to get out of bed, how to get through the day etc. If we fight to keep going we are doomed to be told we look too well to have much wrong and if we give in to the disease then we aren't seen at all or if we are we are told we've brought it on ourselves by overdoing things!

[Hidden]

Hi Twitchytoes, we are actually moving once we sell our house!! Moving back to Scotland my birth place and as my hubby said recently, " The care can't be any worse?? And hopefully better??" We can only see what happens. At least I will get free prescriptions!! Enjoy your weekend. Takes care x