Hello all,
It has taken me a few days to work up the courage to post here after my last appointment at the hospital.
I had an MRI at the end of August and last week saw another "unspecified" registrar at hospital. It was in fact the same one that had arranged the MRI but I have mixed feelings about him. Last time he worked the patient files back to front seeing the patients who last arrived first until someone complained and they realised the mistake. He apologised by saying they normally give him the files the other way round... My appointment was nearly 3 hours late because of it. This time I had the 2nd appointment of the day and the first was sitting next to me waiting ( it was 9:20 by then) when the doctor strolled in with his coat and bag and sat in the office opposite us. We watched him check stuff on the computer and playing on his phone for 45 minutes through a window before he got up and opened the door to act surprised that no one had brought him the files that were sitting in front of the door in a box as " they normally bring them in"! So over an hour late already when starting... Hmpf.
I was due to see the actual rheumatologist I am supposed to be under end of August but got a cancellation letter a couple of weeks before that telling me is receive a new appointment as soon as possible. When I hadn't heard a thing by about 10 days ago and rang in to inquire I was told a letter with an appointment had been posted a week ago. I hadn't received anything ( and still haven't!) and asked to know the date. They told me the 30th of November! I lost it then for the first time ever and told the lady on the phone that was just not good enough and I wanted to know my MRI results and I needed an appointment earlier. After a bit of me insisting I can't possibly wait til November or even later I got an appointment the next working day (Monday). The MRI scan I had should have been in June but because the request for it apparently got lost and I only got a date when I rang up and inquired why I haven't had any correspondence. Meaning my scan was end of August and the day after I got back from a two week holiday and after 5 weeks off work as I work in school term only. I didn't know that they were only meant to look for inflammation or I would have said beforehand it might not be a good idea after a long rest. I was feeling great before the scan!
Anyway I didn't know, had the scan and was now told by the doctor that there was no inflammation showing in my scans of my feet and pelvis and lumbar something ( lower back) and the only abnormal thing was a bulging disc which he wasn't concerned about as it wasn't pinching the nerve completely ( yet). I told him about me being better on the day of scan and the rest I had but he dismissed that with the words " the MRI machine is very good and sensitive". I felt stupid for saying but not really reassured.
He progressed to say it was all great news because I now don't have inflammatory arthritis but non- inflammatory arthritis and to treat it with paracetamol and ibuprofen (and the naproxen I got prescribed by my GP for tendinitis that helps me when I feel bad too).
I am however not sure if I feel good about this as I don't think this is the whole story. I am 40 and being told this is just wear and tear and to take paracetamol ( that doesn't do a thing for me) feels like I'm being fobbed off. Am I overreacting? What do I do now? Wait til the " cautionary review" in 6 months time or what can I do?
Sorry this has been rather a novel and probably a bit confusing and rambling but I can't face going through it again and try to shorten or clarify right now and hope it makes sense... Thank you for reading!