Re:Today's rheumatology visit

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I'm so sorry that things are so confusing right now.

It sounds like she at least needs to explain things better to you.

ez

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

If I may ask, what happened when the Chief of Rheumatology got involved last

time?

ez

[Guest guest]

Hi Elaine!

I started out in 2000 with a really incredible rheumatologist. She diagnosed

me, treated me, seen me on an emergency basis, even called to check on me when I

was having a really hard time. She always gave me very thorough exams. After

three years, she left the hospital. I began seeing the one that I had now, and

on the first couple of visits, things just did not click. I was told that

because she was not the one who had prescribed the medications her colleague did

for my FMS that she would not be refilling them (this included my darvocett, and

I believe the Ambien at the time that was for sleep). She stated that my family

doctor would have to do that. This made no sense to me as this was the current

treatment plan for my FMS and was helping me. So I got very upset and asked to

switch doctors. I had been being seen at one of the hospitals clinics outside

of the hospital when I first began going for the first three years. I asked to

be allowed to go back there. The

nurses and staff knew me well at the clinic. When I phoned they told me they

had a great doctor with a bedside manner just like the doctor I had that had

left the hospital. They said he was taking new patients. I felt with my

anxiety that going to that smaller clinic instead of the huge hospital would be

beneficial as well. When I went to see him, he told me I would be too much

paperwork for him and he didn't have the time. He did give me a very thorough

exam and wrote a very detailed report to my family doctor. I contacted the

Chief to see why I was told he was taking new patients and then basically

treated me as if he did not care I had an illness. I also explained why I left

the hospital because I wasn't getting thorough exams and that the doctor was

taking me off medications commonly used for FMS that her colleague had

prescribed for me. He advised that I keep seeing that doctor. So I went back

to her. Things improved and got better. Then she left the

hospital and referred me to my third rheumatologist. This one was really

great, then after a year, she left. During this time, my previous doctor (the

one I am seeing now returned). I asked to just stay with the one I had, as

getting switched back and forth is too difficult to keep up with. So when the

third one left, I did go back to the previous. I saw her for the first time 12

weeks ago and the visit went well. Then this time, all of my concerns were not

addressed, my knees which were warm and swollen were not looked at, my crooked

toe that was straight was not looked at, yet the BOTTOM of my feet were

examined. That's when she took me off the Plaquenil and decided to keep me just

on Sulfasalazine. Yet I had just mentioned that I had been off the

Sulfasalazine for weeks at a time, 6 times in the past few months. When I miss

taking Plaquenil, I am more stiff and in more pain. I " m not sure if they

decided Plaquenil had more risks and that is why she took me off

that and increased the mobic. It still just doesn't make sense that I would be

left on the only one I have to quit taking several times. There are many

patients that are seronegative and are being treated more aggressively, yet she

is worrying about " hurting me " . My Sed and CRP and Westegren were all elevated

again just 12 weeks ago. I didn't even get a range of motion exam this time,

and I've been having problems bending my head, lifting my arms, bending and

unbending hands, and the muscles in the front of the neck, my throat is really

tight and am having problems swallowing. Even though my knees are inflamed and

didn't get looked at, she said it was my soft tissues and myofascia...yet that

doesn't cause warmth and swelling. So I am so at a loss. Im hoping my family

doctor will phone me with the report he received from her, if not I will just

have to phone and deal with the harshness at the hospital. I feel like they

think I'm such an enigma that I should go to

another hospital for another opinion, but I'm reminded that they are one of the

best so if they can't find it due to lack of classical symptoms (seronegative)

than someone else couldn't as well.

Elaine Zurofsky <mezuro@...> wrote: Dear

,

If I may ask, what happened when the Chief of Rheumatology got involved last

time?

ez