Wednesday's Rheumy Appointment

October 23, 2008

I can't believe I finally got caught up with all of the posts. This is

certainly a hopping group! I went to my Rheumy appointment yesterday.

He changed the MTX from pills to injections, decreased the

Sulfasalazine from 3 tablets twice daily to 2 tablets twice daily and

increased the Neurontin to 2 tablets twice daily. We'll see how all of

this goes. Tuesday is the day I chose for the MTX back when I started

the pills - that way by the weekend when hubby was home, the

sleepiness and brain fog had eased. He wants me to stay on the 10mg of

Prednisone until after he sees me again in December. I guess that way

we'll know if the MTX injections are going to help me more than the pills.

Tonight you'd think I haven't taken any meds. We have a storm front

coming in, so I am all foggy, uncoordinated and achy. I told my hubby

that I wish it would rain already and get it over with! Can't mess

with Mother Nature, though - she'll take her own sweet time.

Anyway, I talked to my Rheumy about the Road Back Foundation's

Antibiotic Protocol and he said it sounded like something that I would

need to talk with an Infectious Disease doctor about. Well, with no

insurance, that ain't happening. My pharmacist was able to tell me

that if I were to try the AP, it would be a lateral move from the

level of meds that I am taking now except that I would have to stop

all RA meds and that ain't happening either. The thought of having all

of that pain coming back on the off-chance that the AP would help is a

risk I'm not willing to take. Plus, I can't afford the extensive

bloodwork that would be needed for this protocol. Its a struggle

having the bi-monthly bloodwork done for the Rheumy as it is.

As far as my horrific back pain that won't let me be on my feet for

more than 15-20 minutes, the neck pain that feels like my head weighs

too much and the nodules that are appearing on my knuckles all of a

sudden, he wants me to see an Orthopaedic. I fully understand his

reasoning and I understand when he said that the prednisone probably

wouldn't help those things as they are mechanical in nature, but I'm

back to the lack of insurance issue again. A new patient fee would

apply since its been over a year since I've been to this Orthopaedic,

not to mention the additional costs of x-rays and MRI's that would

more than likely be ordered.

Sooooo - I am basically on hold until SSD approves my claim. My Rheumy

is doing the best he can to help me considering the financial

limitations I have. Praying the MTX injections will work better than

the pills and taking things one day at a time is all I can do for now.

Thanks for reading the ramble........Doreen

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