Hi all hope you are all well today, I'm off to my 1st appointment tomorrow in a way I’m looking forward to it, I will be recording it, so I don’t have to take it all in at once, does anyone have any advice for me apart from a list of questions, thanks all.
Love Becky xx
My advice would be to take someone else with you - spouse, family member or good friend who knows you well.
In my experience it makes a HUGE difference to how much they explain to you and how well they treat you (I know it shouldn't, but it does seem to). It is also incredibly useful if you have talked with your friend and they know what you want to ask, so that if you forget something they can remind you. The third reason is that it is really difficult to remember everything and sometimes you can interpret what you heard a bit wrong if you don't understand it. Having someone else there can help you not just remember stuff later (your recording it would do that) but help you figure out what was actually meant. Also if your friend doesn't understand what is being said they can ask questions too, rather that it just being you that has to do that.
Becky write down all your symptoms down. Even if it seems trivial. Write down any questions you want to ask as well. Take a list of any drugs you are taking.
I hope it all goes well for you tomorrow. sylvi.xx
Each consultant is very different Bex so it's probably best not to go in with too many preconceptions. I went in and asked mine a question that someone advised me to ask on this site and he and the physio who was attending both looked at each other as if I was stark, staring mad! I took a list and felt really time consuming and inappropriate reading from it - as if I had jumped the gun and was assuming I had RA (which I kind of was?!). The next time I went to see him I was far more on the ball and only took my brain and put my iphone on record but had also sent him some photos which my GP felt showed classic synovial swelling and they seemed to confirm my diagnosis of RA - although he could also see from examining me that day. Good luck I hope it goes really well and you get some answers and some help. Let us know. Tilda x
Update on appointment with rheumy on Tuesday this week
Got my 1st appointment date.
Just had 1st appointment with rheumy nurse.
Trying to get 1st appointment 
