PsA Intramuscular steroid injections Part 2

[Soreknees2016]

So - two and a bit weeks on, and I'm boiling mad!

I realised that the pain I was experiencing was different from PsA, and called the GP out. He diagnosed bursitis in my knee, which he said was more related to osteoarthritis than PsA, and which I suspect was triggered by my attempts at exercising, and doing some squats. The pain in my ankle was most likely due to taking my (significant) weight onto that side, and rest and painkillers were the only option.

I live alone, so rest is not that easy, given the need to prepare food, get to the loo, and make some attempt at very basic housework, e.g. just washing enough dishes to get by!

Anyway, I soldiered on, and even using a wheelchair to get around the house, I have ended up with pain in both ankles and the other knee as a result of moving my weight about, and only now starting to see significant improvement.

In between times, I managed to speak to the rheumy nurse and got an appointment for a steroid injection to my knees - six weeks later!! 😡😡😡. Needless to say that will now be cancelled as it's become unnecessary.

It then took me a week and a half to get hold of the appropriate rheumy secretary (I'm thinking they might be job sharing and one doesn't know what the other is doing!) and was told that they'd uncovered a problem in that none of the cancelled 3 March appointments had been rescheduled!

So this morning I finally got my new appointment - for 16 January 2018!!! 😡😡😡. I am totally gobsmacked and will be on the phone to them first thing on Monday morning.

In the meantime, the GP had given me a form to get one knee x-rayed for OA, which I thought was a bit shortsighted as I have pain in both knees and both ankles at various times, and I had been thinking about whether I could get X-rays, scans or MRIs done privately.

Now I am seriously considering looking for a private rheumy - has anyone had any experience of these two approaches? I am just getting so frustrated with the NHS!!

[Nettac]

My rheumatologist is OK. My GPs on the other hand have been awful.

I really miss my old GP...who was amazing. I moved, so couldn't remain with same surgery.

If I were you I would write a letter to rheumatologist and copy GP into it. Worked for me.

[Soreknees2016 in reply to Nettac]

Thank you Nettac - that's a very good idea to write to the rheumatologist & GP, and certainly likely to be more useful that trying to get anything from the Rottweiler Rheumy Secretary! 😀

[Soreknees2016 in reply to Soreknees2016]

So, in the event I didn't need to write a letter - I decided to try phoning the appointment booking line first, and they passed me on to Rheumy Sec. Turns out someone had messed up re the urgent rescheduling of the cancelled appointments and she was not best pleased. Within a few days I got a new appointment for today. It was a very constructive appointment, including immediate X-rays on both knees and ankles, and I will now be starting methotrexate. All in all a satisfactory outcome.

[LesBev]

Hi, what a frustrating time! I can relate to this having changed hospitals due to lack of care and I had a conversation with a rheumatologist nurse this week which if it did not help, at least helped me see things from their perspective. She explained that as arthritis is never cured, no one is ever discharged and with an aging population, and no new/extra doctors, longer waits are inevitable. She also explanned that when looking for who to give the next appointments to, if you do not tell them you are in pain, they assume all is well and you are not a priority. Not an ideal but now I have resolved to say when I'm in pain and not just wait for an appointment that never comes. Stay positive, it helps mentally! Big hug. X

[Soreknees2016 in reply to LesBev]

Thank you LesBev - it's helpful to understand how things work, and it does make sense. I plan to follow Nettac's advice and write to the Rheumatologist and GP explaining my concerns and hope for a better outcome! 😀