What to expect from the Rheumatologist on the first visit???

[Guest guest]

> I really appreciate advice/information/ I really appreciate ad

> stronger than we are singularly.

>

I don't think there is an established " cure " for it, so doctiors are still

" experimenting " on us!

That is why there is no " established protocal " .....what works on one does not

work on another.

Or, the side effects eliminate some treatments for some people.

Pris

[Guest guest]

Henci! (Creek Indian for hello)

I think I introduced myself a week or so ago, but just a recap:

Married, Native American, 5 kids, 33, strong family hx of RA,

started having pain in ankles and feet when getting out of bed about

2 months ago, have had pain in hands and wrists for a few years

that's getting progressively worse. No realy joint swelling that I

can visibly see, although my daughter tells me my hands look " old "

(of course, she's 16, anything and anybody over 21 looks old, lol).

I have an appt on Dec 12th for the first time to see the specialist.

I've already had a sed rate, ANA titer, RA factor and CBC done at my

GP's office, which is how I got referred to the specialist. My ANA

was high, my sed rate was high normal (right on the edge), my CBC

showed low Hemoglobin and high white cells, and my RA factor was 41,

with 20 being the top normal for that particular lab.

With all that under my belt, can anyone tell me what to expect? I've

read about Bone Scans, Xrays, MRI's..........I can't find a common

protocol when I've read information from the American Medical

Association, the Journal of American Medicine, or websites about RA.

That's really odd. Most diseases have a sort of established " path "

that you follow to confirm diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of

treatment. RA seems to be one where it's strictly up to the doctor.

I am a nurse and a college student so I have online access to quite a

bit of data and STILL I don't know what to expect when I go in there!

I realize that probably most of you will have had different

experiences depending on your condition when you went to the doctor,

but would anyone mind giving me a quick rundown on what I should be

prepared for when seeing the Rheumatologist for the first few times?

I really appreciate advice/information/ideas. Together we are

stronger than we are singularly.

Mvto (Creek Indian for thank you and goodbye combined!)

Cloud Seery

(cross posted into another RA community)

[Guest guest]

I am also newly diagnosed. I had an RA factor of 104 from the lab under

14 is normal. I was referred to a rheumy that looked at my blood work

felt my joints and prescribed metholtrexate 7.5 mg once per week. I went

home and started reading on the web and realized that I needed a second

opinion. I should have had, in my opinion, another blood test to rule

out other things that it could also be and xrays for a baseline and

folic acid prescription to go with the MTX. Soooo...off I went to

another rheumy. He found with another blood test the type of RA I have

(aggressive), doubled my dose of MTX, prescribed the folic acid, and

tested my vitamin D which was almost non existent. He put me on 50,000

vitamin D twice a week and the xray showed some thinning in my bones, so

he prescribed a bone density test also. Good care is soooo important. He

also ruled out Lupus.

Good luck!

>

> Henci! (Creek Indian for hello)

>

> I think I introduced myself a week or so ago, but just a recap:

> Married, Native American, 5 kids, 33, strong family hx of RA,

> started having pain in ankles and feet when getting out of bed about

> 2 months ago, have had pain in hands and wrists for a few years

> that's getting progressively worse. No realy joint swelling that I

> can visibly see, although my daughter tells me my hands look " old "

> (of course, she's 16, anything and anybody over 21 looks old, lol).

>

> I have an appt on Dec 12th for the first time to see the specialist.

> I've already had a sed rate, ANA titer, RA factor and CBC done at my

> GP's office, which is how I got referred to the specialist. My ANA

> was high, my sed rate was high normal (right on the edge), my CBC

> showed low Hemoglobin and high white cells, and my RA factor was 41,

> with 20 being the top normal for that particular lab.

>

> With all that under my belt, can anyone tell me what to expect? I've

> read about Bone Scans, Xrays, MRI's..........I can't find a common

> protocol when I've read information from the American Medical

> Association, the Journal of American Medicine, or websites about RA.

> That's really odd. Most diseases have a sort of established " path "

> that you follow to confirm diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of

> treatment. RA seems to be one where it's strictly up to the doctor.

> I am a nurse and a college student so I have online access to quite a

> bit of data and STILL I don't know what to expect when I go in there!

> I realize that probably most of you will have had different

> experiences depending on your condition when you went to the doctor,

> but would anyone mind giving me a quick rundown on what I should be

> prepared for when seeing the Rheumatologist for the first few times?

>

> I really appreciate advice/information/ideas. Together we are

> stronger than we are singularly.

>

> Mvto (Creek Indian for thank you and goodbye combined!)

> Cloud Seery

>

> (cross posted into another RA community)

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome and good Luck! The first time i saw my new rheumogologist I

was surprised. He appreciated that I had provided previous medical

records but said he had rather start from the beginning himself. He

and I sat at the kitchen table in his office and had our first

meeting! He is really personable. He then ordered blood work and x-

rays and said he would make a decision on how to treat after he saw

all of those. I went over to the hospital and they took 11 vials of

blood and 67 X-rays! I go back next week to find out the results.

My first doctor took a couple of vials of blood and asked some

questions. That was basically all of the first visit. Then she just

started trying different meds for a month or two at the time. I felt

like a guinea pig and was not getting any better. I would expect the

doc to ask a lot of questions and do alot of tests, that way you know

they're not quessing. Good Luck

>

> Henci! (Creek Indian for hello)

>

> I think I introduced myself a week or so ago, but just a recap:

> Married, Native American, 5 kids, 33, strong family hx of RA,

> started having pain in ankles and feet when getting out of bed

about

> 2 months ago, have had pain in hands and wrists for a few years

> that's getting progressively worse. No realy joint swelling that I

> can visibly see, although my daughter tells me my hands look " old "

> (of course, she's 16, anything and anybody over 21 looks old, lol).

>

> I have an appt on Dec 12th for the first time to see the

specialist.

> I've already had a sed rate, ANA titer, RA factor and CBC done at

my

> GP's office, which is how I got referred to the specialist. My ANA

> was high, my sed rate was high normal (right on the edge), my CBC

> showed low Hemoglobin and high white cells, and my RA factor was

41,

> with 20 being the top normal for that particular lab.

>

> With all that under my belt, can anyone tell me what to expect?

I've

> read about Bone Scans, Xrays, MRI's..........I can't find a common

> protocol when I've read information from the American Medical

> Association, the Journal of American Medicine, or websites about

RA.

> That's really odd. Most diseases have a sort of established " path "

> that you follow to confirm diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of

> treatment. RA seems to be one where it's strictly up to the

doctor.

> I am a nurse and a college student so I have online access to quite

a

> bit of data and STILL I don't know what to expect when I go in

there!

> I realize that probably most of you will have had different

> experiences depending on your condition when you went to the

doctor,

> but would anyone mind giving me a quick rundown on what I should be

> prepared for when seeing the Rheumatologist for the first few times?

>

> I really appreciate advice/information/ideas. Together we are

> stronger than we are singularly.

>

> Mvto (Creek Indian for thank you and goodbye combined!)

> Cloud Seery

>

> (cross posted into another RA community)

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kids,

This is such a great post, thank you . Good reply,

. I have learned something from each of you.

I'm 56 year old women. Well, almost 57 (yikes!) I was dx with RA

from a blood test just over a week ago. I will be making a call in

the morning to a Rheumatologist to get the process started. I have

been told that you need a second opinion. It was my Pulmonologist

who did the blood work and who gave me the results. Can I consider

the Rheumatologist the second opinion? How many people are told they

have RA only to find out that they don't? Is that common? I also

have Sarcoidosis which complicates things. It can get in the way of

test results and treatment.

Thanks for asking this question, . I will be watching for

the replys.

Sooey

> >

> > Henci! (Creek Indian for hello)

> >

> > I think I introduced myself a week or so ago, but just a recap:

> > Married, Native American, 5 kids, 33, strong family hx of RA,

> > started having pain in ankles and feet when getting out of bed

about

> > 2 months ago, have had pain in hands and wrists for a few years

> > that's getting progressively worse. No realy joint swelling that

I

> > can visibly see, although my daughter tells me my hands

look " old "

> > (of course, she's 16, anything and anybody over 21 looks old,

lol).

> >

> > I have an appt on Dec 12th for the first time to see the

specialist.

> > I've already had a sed rate, ANA titer, RA factor and CBC done

at my

> > GP's office, which is how I got referred to the specialist. My

ANA

> > was high, my sed rate was high normal (right on the edge), my CBC

> > showed low Hemoglobin and high white cells, and my RA factor was

41,

> > with 20 being the top normal for that particular lab.

> >

> > With all that under my belt, can anyone tell me what to expect?

I've

> > read about Bone Scans, Xrays, MRI's..........I can't find a

common

> > protocol when I've read information from the American Medical

> > Association, the Journal of American Medicine, or websites about

RA.

> > That's really odd. Most diseases have a sort of

established " path "

> > that you follow to confirm diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of

> > treatment. RA seems to be one where it's strictly up to the

doctor.

> > I am a nurse and a college student so I have online access to

quite a

> > bit of data and STILL I don't know what to expect when I go in

there!

> > I realize that probably most of you will have had different

> > experiences depending on your condition when you went to the

doctor,

> > but would anyone mind giving me a quick rundown on what I should

be

> > prepared for when seeing the Rheumatologist for the first few

times?

> >

> > I really appreciate advice/information/ideas. Together we are

> > stronger than we are singularly.

> >

> > Mvto (Creek Indian for thank you and goodbye combined!)

> > Cloud Seery

> >

> > (cross posted into another RA community)

> >

>