goodbead40

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My name is Kris and it took me about a year to find out what was wrong with

me. I had went to docotr after doctor until finally my father said the symptoms

sounde like his good friend who had Lupus. I was swelling in my hands and joints

and the pain in my legs was bad (still is) when it is cold it gets hard to move

at all. Some days are better than others.So I went to a rhumatologist, refered

to by my regular doc. They ran a bunch of tests and found my rhumatoid factors

were high and detected Lupus and a little of fibromyalgia. So we went from

there. As of right no I live in a town about 3 hours from were my old RA doc was

and trying to find a doctor here is like finding a needle in a haystack. I am a

some pain meds but nothing for the swelling. Still have not got to a doctor here

that can treat me. There are only tw doctors here that are rhumatologists and

one of them oes not take my medicare. May have to go back to Seattle for that.

Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

Blesings,

Kris

[Guest guest]

Sigh, my heart breaks every time I read posts like this. I guess I am

very VERY lucky that I am going through this in a major urban area

(outside Chicago). I also have BCBS and can see most anyone I want.

My choices are much higher than many; if I wasn't happy with my RA

doc I could easily find another. It sounds like so many don't have

the same options, no wonder care is so hard to get! My very first

visit with this crap was with my GP and I got a call from the office

a week later saying everything was OK with that initial bloodwork he

did. Um, no, everything is NOT OK, I still feel like crap, if

anything it's getting worse....the receptionist had the nurse call me

back (took another week) and all she said was that if I still felt

bad I should reschedule and talk to the doctor again. I felt like I

was wasting time and I was learning about RA and other possibilities

and after consulting with this group, I decided to call a local

rheumatologist with the same medical group. Without a refferal, he

saw me later that week. I mean, I think I called on Monday or Tuesday

and he saw me either Thursday or Friday of that week. I wonder how

much suffering could be alleviated if everyone could get not only

good but *quick* care? And I went that route because I didn't want to

lose precious time with the slow communications at the GP's office. I

love my GP but I was learning that this was probably out of his

league, and besides, even he thought my symptoms were autoimmune in

nature. I knew at that time rheumatologists can get backed up,

especially for a new patient, but I didn't really know how lucky I

was. I am grateful, but I am almost guilty with all I read here,

being hours away or waiting months. Months! I never would have been

able to keep my job if I had had to wait months to see a specialist.

It's a sad state of affairs, and scary.

--- In , Kris Allan <aradiamoon2006@...>

wrote:

>

> Hello,

> My name is Kris and it took me about a year to find out what was

wrong with me. I had went to docotr after doctor until finally my

father said the symptoms sounde like his good friend who had Lupus. I

was swelling in my hands and joints and the pain in my legs was bad

(still is) when it is cold it gets hard to move at all. Some days are

better than others.So I went to a rhumatologist, refered to by my

regular doc. They ran a bunch of tests and found my rhumatoid factors

were high and detected Lupus and a little of fibromyalgia. So we went

from there. As of right no I live in a town about 3 hours from were

my old RA doc was and trying to find a doctor here is like finding a

needle in a haystack. I am a some pain meds but nothing for the

swelling. Still have not got to a doctor here that can treat me.

There are only tw doctors here that are rhumatologists and one of

them oes not take my medicare. May have to go back to Seattle for

that. Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

> Blesings,

> Kris

>

>

>

>