New Doctor Visit

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone!

I just want to share how happy I am with my new doctor, Dr. Hart!!!! Wow!

What a great lady and Doc she is! Very impressive!

Since I couldn't walk for 4 days last week and had such tremendous pain I

went back to the dippy doc and he put me on 40mg Prednisone 1 per day for 5

days, then 30mg 1 per day for 5 days, then 20 mg 1 per day for 5 days, then

10, then 5 and then 2.5...all for 5 days. Plus Flexiril (sp) Muscle

Relaxer. He also gave me a shot of Depro Medro!! Then sent me on my merry

way and said " If it comes back we can run some different tests! I've been

holding off on them and we can try some other things! " I went to him in

desperation this last week because I couldn't get into Dr. Hart until today.

She was not happy at all about the lack of treatment, pain mangagement

(letting me go two weeks at a time in pain before doing something...he's

done this several times now), now with the Prednisone AGAIN...so many other

things that are better on your system then that. Nor was she happy that he

had but me on the other med (not the Flexiril but Diclofenac) as she said it

will make you sick...not good on your stomach.

She looked at my lab tests, listening to my symptoms and treatments, checked

over my joints, noted that my knee was still swollen (she would have died if

she'd seen it last week...made three of my right one!), etc. Then she asked

me if I could give her a day or two because she wanted to check with Dr.

Bronson, in St. Joe, who is a Rheumatoidologist (hurray! Finally!!!!) to

see what they could put together for me while I waited for an appointment

with him!!! She mentioned that he had a clinic in Cameron, a Pain

Management Clinic, etc. and asked if I would be willing to see him. Yes,

yes, yes!!!!!!!! So, we are going to continue the Prednisone taper and as I

taper off she game a bunch of free samples of Celebrex to try but not to

start until she says and after she talks with Dr. Bronson. May go with on

methotrexate or something else.

She also told me after looking at my lab work and my sytmptoms, etc., that

it is very very probable that I have RA! Bless this woman for seeing things

are they are!

I'm just so happy to finally have someone that really really listens to me.

She will answer any questions I have until she's sure I understand.

One big concern was my blood pressure. I'm being treated for high BP but it

usually runs around 135/85 or 90 when I go to the dippy doc. At home it's

about 122/79 or so. Well, I was sooooo nervous and sooooo scared, etc.,

that I really built " up " my pressure. When I checked in it was 180/104!!

Then after it was all over they checked it again and it was

204/103!!!!!!!!!! So she told me to go to the Health Dept and have it

checked tomorrow and have them fax it to her. I have so much tension on BP

lately that it's not helping me. I go to the doc and know someone is gonna

come at me with a cuff and it's gonna be up and on and on. However, I think

it will calm down and now I know her and it will be better next time.

Whew! Sorry for being so long winded but am so happy to be getting the

attention that I should have!

Hugs to all!