Stress makes it worse, yeh?

[Guest guest]

Like I need any more stress in my life. Do any of us? NO!

Filed a complaint against a therapist for unethical conduct.

That was a few months ago, before my troubles with " weenie " Drs peaked.

Well this therapist and her collaborators have issued thier official response to

the

allegations. It is full of exagerations, untruths, and counter allegations of us

engaging in

telphone harrassment against members of their group practice. A total pack of

lies but

pretty dense reading. I may have to hire a lawyer to help us get through it. We

have,I think,

only 10 days to complete and file our response.

Other stress- this one related to the cluster of symptoms we may call " Fibro's

sister " since

I can't find a doc that can tell fibro from a hole in the ground. Yes, I grow

bitter. The PCP I

have now told me not to take flexeril/cyclobenzeprine for an extended period of

time. I

asked her " How long? " and she said she was not sure and I should ask the

pharmacist. So I

did. Pharmacist said-big sigh- " well, it is safe for long term use. I have

Fibromyalgia

patients who take it twice a day forever, for muscle stiffness and pain. Then I

have athletes

that just take it if they get a bad spasm they can't work off. " So I called the

health center

and left a mesage for the pcp saying that the flexeril is great stuff, helps

pain better than

Tylenol (DUH) and that the pharmacist said it was safe for long term use. Then

I get a call

from the health center nurse: pcp says, good that flexeril works better than

Tylenol for

pain, keep taking it. But at my next visit she wants to switch me

to...what?...something the

nurse couldn't pronounce. So I was peaved to say the least.

I did find out that the two top rheumys for fibro in town are accepting PCP

referrals: they

are screening all referrals (which must include all relevant bloodwork, x-rays,

summary of

history of symptoms) and selecting " priority patients only " to go on a 6 week

wait list for

initial consultation. I do not know this PCP so well. She seems competent and

genuinely

wants to find out why I am so sick, But can she pull together a file that

screams " priority

patient " ? Especialy with the " weenie " eval in my medical records. As they don't

just do fibro

but all other rheumy work I suspect there are a lot of RA folks who will present

as higher

priority than me.

Okay, time to end this pity party. My hands feel like they are made of glass

and my feet

feel like I am standing on cactus.

Thank you for your support and caring to anyone who made it all the way to the

end of

this post.

Cactus, walrus, pee-pee,

Cassandra