HELLO!

[Guest guest]

Hi Elinor

AND welcome to Onelist. I am living across the water from you now, in

Ireland, but I spent most of my life in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. NO I

still have the Gloucestershire accent, sometime am mistaken here for an

American.

Yes I spent many glorious days in Somerset, how is the CIDER?

Well I have no children, but like you I am divorced.

As for GPs in England, been their done that, NEXT! JUST out of a matter of

interest, did you GP change his attitude towards you once you got Divorced?

I erupted in Psoriasis at 16, at 20 I went to the hospital Dermatology

Clinic, but they gave up. The initial signs of PA, a swollen THUMB and X-Ray

under BUPA, brought on a diagnosis of " You must have banged it! " Later the

finger reacted the same, then the NECK went its own way. All these early

signs received the SAME diagnosis, " Self Inflicted Wounds! " It was not until

after I got divorced, that my toe rebelled. This time I went to ER, they

found zero and sent me home. The following day all the toes were red, hot,

and painful. I went back to my GP, who went into a FRENZY! He wanted blood

tests and I thought this very ODD! Four days later I was told I had tested

positive to the Rheumatoid Factor, therefore had ARTHRITIS! He then said,

" Have you had any previous incidents? " I was still dwelling on, Arthritis,

but I am just 30, not old! I replied, " No not that I am aware? " He then went

back through my file and picked up on all the trouble I had, thumb, finger,

neck. I retorted, " But you said that I had knocked my thumb, then my finger

and I had strained the muscles in my neck! "

Between the thumb and toe, I was married, so classed as a patients of no

importance. If worst came to worst, my HUSBAND could support me financially.

Why bother attitude! However when I was divorced and the toe rebelled,

suddenly I was on my own, had to support myself, stand on my own two feet,

which was hard with a swollen toe!

Perhaps this is the saga behind your run in as well?

The only advice I can offer, get yourself on " Evening Primrose Oil " . I

returned to Leeds in 1998, saw a Rheumatologist there who STUDIES PA! He

took me off all the drugs, just prescribed the EPO and thankfully I have

never looked back! Unfortunately you do not get stoned on EPO, but according

to SOME of the Onelist members, it gives you sex drive? I have not noticed

this yet, but I have only been on it for TWO YEARS, perhaps you have to be

on it longer to receive the full benefit?

Love and God Bless

Gillian