Unconcerned Dr

[14kiddies]

I Have had RA for 10 years. In that time I’ve had four different doctors. One of home seen me one time and said I do not have it. Anyways my question is do any of you have a problem with your feet changing shape and the doctor is not even looking at your feet or giving you an x-ray.? I’ve never had x-rays and my toes are changing shape . It’s just very frustrating when the doctor does not listen to you.

[pd118]

orthotic specialist helped me was the forth one that I love taught me never give up

[Mmrr]

My experience is that most Drs do not listen , and examining patients, using observation skills is a thing of the past for many Drs.

So I just ask now and start taking eg my shoes off, open up my shirt whatever, which makes it difficult for them not to examine you.

I'm never rude, but ask very direct questions, how do you know Dr ? No one has ever looked at my feet ?

If all else fails, I have asked for my concerns to be written in my notes in the past, and I now take a typed summary sheet to every appointment that I ask to be added to my notes. And, they have been, on 3 occasions now. I just got all my hospital notes via a freedom of information request and there they were, all date stamped and entered as I requested.

Using these tactics, and they are tactics, gets you better care, as the Dr cannot say things were not raised questioned.

Sad , but that's the way it is.

[helixhelix]

Have you point blank asked your rheumy? Sometimes we can be too gentle and expect them to pick up clues, which they don't. As in when you arrive and get a standard opening question say something like "I'd really like you to look at my feet as I'm worried that they are getting quite a bit of damage". And as Mmr says start taking your shoes & socks off...

I have done so, and my rheumy looked at them, agreed one joint was badly inflamed and injected the joint straight away. Bliss!

My toes are changing shape, and my feet are getting flatter, but the podiatrist thinks that is just age. The RA problems are in other parts of my feet.

[wishbone]

Try kicking a solid stone wall like I did during a confrontational dream, which turned into a nightmare as I really bashed my toes black & blue and thought I'd broke a couple. It worked tough as I went to out of hours where I was x-ray'd then referred to an orthopaedic surgeon because the docs there couldn't tell if any toes were broke because they are too badly deformed by RA!

Seriously though, I've had RA for 16 years and up until a few months ago when the above occurred, I've had just 2 x-rays on my feet.. one a couple of years after being diagnosed when my feet were ok, at least compared to now, and the second in 2012 when I did speak up and complain about them to rheumy and was sent for an x-ray.

People need to emphasise their problems when it comes to feet as many rheumies do not appear to be interested, at least not until more serious issues arise. Not sure of the reasons for the disinterest, but suspect it could be due to some people having very smelly feet, myself not among them I must add!

[Nanascade]

You must have a dr that listens to you and will examine you throughly. You probably need lab work as well. Mmrr posted a great way to “force” your dr. into documenting your concerns. Don’t stop seeking help. You only hurt yourself.