MRI continued!

[Gina_K]

I take back all I said before about the waste of time my Mri was a couple of weeks ago!

I am struggling in work to use my left wrist for my mouse, as the pain is radiating down the front of my right hand now Grrrr! Now mostly like a lot of people my work is my mouse, my brain, and my mouth!

Anyway to get to the point I rang my Consultants secretary Mon, Tues and this morn regarding same wrist/hand and Mri result (left voicemails of course very nice & patient) WANT RESULT! Lo and behold the charming Imelda, (doctors secretaries always have names like that) rang me to say the Professor is arranging for me to have something like ' intensive or extensive 'injection under some sort of camera, obviously that is not exactly what she said, but my brain can only recall those words, (its a pain relief injection under camera) so they can see what they are actually doing. Note newly diagnosed don't let them stick needles in for pain relief willy nilly! it should be done with the assistance of a high tech camera (well that is here in The Emerald Isle anyway) So, I am absolutely thrilled that they are going to cure my wrist! Well my bloods are normal, so my wrist is on its way! and without my right wrist we are all going to starve!!! Ha ha..

[Lorrayne]

Ha Ha Ha let them starve or cook your dinner! Seriously I didnt know about injections into wrist with camera. Had steroid injec, probs 12 yrs ago,obviously willy nilly, into right wrist (can do dinner again) never again, when the end of that needle hit bone, I hit ceiling, then got shouted at and pinned down, never again, x rays that were done afterwards revealed all wrist bones have fused together, Der, thats why it doesn't move any which way and why they couldnt get the needle in between bones. Why are these top dogs so stupid sometimes? Oh yes because they dont actually have RA so they dont know how painful it is, oh and its usually a junior training, but they dont tell you that at the time. Sorry winged on for long enough. Still trying to keep sense of humour, take care good luck, Lorrayne. PS how on earth did you manage to get an MRI scan? I have been going to Nuffield Oxford for 13 years (had RA 21 yrs) and I just keep getting NICE quoted at me, cant spend the money have to justify all else failed.

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Hi Gina

What a professional you have there; I applaud his sensibility in using MRI. The wrist is particularly difficult to inject because of the number of small bones that must be avoided as the needle penetrates. It is one foolhardy practitioner who tries wrist injections without ultrasound or camera!

What a bad experience for you Lorrayne. Our hospital will use MRI provided the problem really justifies it. I had one on my knee last year (done by orthopaedics) and the information it provided was excellent showing up loose bone and damaged cartilages. I too get quite a bit of NICE ... and there's me thinking they were biscuits!

Good luck with the camera Gina; hope you get a nice shot! (apologies for poor humour ... high on drugs today... way too much pain!!!)

Lyn x

[Gina_K]

My Consultant Rheumatologist (the professor) is a WOMAN!!!! I am really lucky. It is a terrible condition, but I must tell you I have had fantastic care. We have a very different system in Ireland. I actually work for the main Health Insurer so have free health insurance, never valued it until last few years. It costs me the best part of €200 to say hello to her but she managed to get all I can call a raging virulant aggresive case of RA under control, took two years and many many many injections and her draining fluid off joints etc etc, but she is one fabulous lady! I have to say she has never hurt me, but you need very deep pockets to see her!!! She manages a huge team in a state hospital, where you never see her! ( she described herself as the conductor of a big orchestra) she does a lot of research as well. I am not being smug, I actually think it is very unfair, and my aunt who has no insurance told me that you would never get a joint injection at her hospital, or an mri, you would wait a long time. Anyway I really hope this does'nt sound weird, just explaining the different health systems.

She promised Dan & I that I would walk again and she would get me back to normal and I have to say my bloods are all normal (took 2 years!) I have a couple of damged joints but by and large I am living a good life! xxx