R A clinics

why oh why does it take so long to get an appointment there was a cc sent to the dept on my discharge from hospital on 4th dec after having being off methotrexate for 6 weeks but I felt fine I next saw the professor who treated me in hospital and I was still ok but by the end of january the arthitis kicked in I went to the GP and she was in touch with the RA dept still no reply so I phoned the docs secretary guess what an answering machine so I left a message which she duly answered but she gave me the date 23rd of april (scream scream) as you all know the pain we suffer I was taking painkillers but not really helping anyway I called NHS24 and went to the appointment they made for me and I was lucky enough to get my own GP she was on duty I'm now on different tabs till I see the doc in the clinic but my GP bless her is going to get in touch with the clinic yet again to see if I can be seen sooner to let you all understand the doc I see has 3 private clinics as well as NHS clinics

and I could be seen within 2 weeks if I had the money for private medicine so again it all boils down to MONEY I feel so angry as well as being in agony

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It is the same in my area!!!. first urgent referral when ill 3.5 years ago. gp sent request in july nov ember!!! got desperate saw a private one in october within a week and for £180

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I am not rich I live on my own and am only well enough now to work part time. currently off sick six weeks betweeen meds,( had sixteen months no sick time off until jan 2nd drugs failed).Again in gaony rand and rang rhuem department from mid december. was offered mid feb as a cancellation!!!, got a cancellation with a registrar jan 16th, you could try this?

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I see that you came off MTX because if a bacterial infection but don't understand why you seem to have come off the list as well? It really sucks that rheumy's are too busy to see people in need because of their private lists doesn't it? I think Summer is right and you need to pester and push by phoning constantly until you get offered something - a last minute cancellation perhaps. At this time of year people cancel because of flu etc so you need to be first on the cancellation list I think. Good luck. Tilda x

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thank you I just don't want to keep boring my friends to say oh I'm just the same pain terrible I know they don't understand the severity of the pain it's only if you have suffered that you know nobody in the profession don't take on the urgency but hey I've started taking co codamol with diclofenic and because I haven't been on them for years the pain is a bit better but the swelling is bad as long as I don't have so much pain then I can get out and about I just long for the day that I'm back on some of the immune depressents to help the R A thanks for listening take care everybody xxxx

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Update I took an allergy to the diclofenac and my arms and legs were covered in blotches I got back in touch again with a GP as I couldn't put one foot in front of the other or scratch the top of my head I was bang in the middle of a major flareup so GP spoke to my own GP who (bless her) got to speak to a Rheumatology Registrar at the hospital YES result I am now back on mtx and folic acid as I did feel ok on it but I'll be extra careful and look out for anything untoward and he also asked her to give me steroids for 4 weeks to tide me over till mtx kicked in and he said it was ok to go back the dose I had before the happy result is most of the major pain has settled what a relief and because of the allergy I came of the anti inflammatories and other tabs I was on cos I wanted the steroids to do their job I'm still angry it took my GP to phone the rheu dept to get them to give advice the RA dept neglegted to tell me or come and see me when I was a patient for 6 weeks to discuss with me what to do or tell me after 3 months my ra would come back I know now as well that most of the relief we get is by suppressing the immune system no choice eh I had to find out from internet and here I am blogging to you kind listeners good luck and health everybody take care