Hi, I used to have a lovely rheumatologist who always checked me out thoroughly at each appointment. This included feeling the glands in my neck, having me lay on the bed while she checked out my knees, studying my fingers and nails etc. Sadly she was killed in a motor accident and now I have another doctor. She talks things over but never checks any of the things I have listed above and I don't feel that this is right. My knuckles are getting more deformed and painful and my knees are getting worse but she never even glances at them. She just keeps me on the same medication even though I tell her each time that I am getting worse all the time and the pain is awful. Last time, she gave me a general steroid injection but told me that was that last one she would give me as I have had too many. Having said that, the injection didn't work for me at all.
I would really like to see another rheumatologist at the same hospital but I don't know if this is possible and how I would go about doing that. Have any of you ever done that and do you think that I am not being looked after properly?