Re: 's X-rays

[Guest guest]

Margaretha Straates wrote:

Hello Donna,Allow me to give you a good ear-pull. After all I am older than you.You said that 's X-rays did not show what he wanted. Do you really think he wanted to show them extensive damage to bones and cartilage? I am sure he is glad that they didnot.

No, Margaretha, I don't think he really wanted to have bad news. But I do think he was trying to prove to his Union that he needed their help in purchasing a laptop computer to help with all his paper work. I too am glad he doesn't have extensive damage. And I pray that the damage never happens. Of course he is entitled to take Barry's advice to have other pictures made but where is our positive attitude? Why must we always think that the worse is going to happen? How do we know that he won't go into remission within a short time and his trouble will only come back after a long time? To-day I read a message from who said " mind over matter " . Well he put it more philosophically and more elegantly but if we are negative in the mind the body sure as Hades will follow.

I think sometimes we have to face things head on to stay on the positive. I mean once I was told I had PA I began looking for something to tell me what to expect. I wanted to talk to others about this thing that is happening to me...and I finally found all of you once I got on the net. I think with , he needed to prove the PA for the Union's benefit...not that he was hoping that it would be bad. What about the Armaya? What did your doctor think?

I haven't received an answer yet...He is looking into it to see if we can get it. He acted like he had not heard of it. So we'll see, I hope we can. I'll let you know when I get the answer. You know doctors are so funny...they don't want people to think they don't know anything about what you are talking about or confronting them with...so the hedge. And that's what this Derm did. Keep your fingers crossed.

Have a good week. We are stormy tonight...Thanks for all your help and advice.Love.Margaretha.Tu correo gratis en MixMail http://www.mixmail.comInicia tu navegacion en http://www.ya.com------------------------------------------------------------------------fnCentral.com: it's where you are! Be deskbound no more. No apps.Use the web's first fully integrated personal finance managerfrom any PC, Palm, phone, internet appliance! OPEN A FREE ACCOUNT NOW.1/4647/3/_/494167/_/959897128/------------------------------------------------------------------------Please visit our new web page at:http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/paWe are currently discussing new chat times. moderates a chat on arthritis atwww.about.com on Thursday evenings, so check thatout in the meantime! E mail at RA@... for details.

[Guest guest]

I agree wholeheartedly with Barry - get another opinion. Even just

another interpretation of the same x-rays might be helpful. If the quality

of your x-rays is good, get another interpretation from someone who knows

feet.

Radiology is an art, just like any other area of medicine. The compound

fracture with the pointy ends sticking out isn't usually a problem. But

anything less than that falls into that large gray area open to

interpretation.

I had x-rays of my feet. Under " Impression " the hospital radiologist

wrote one line: " Normal feet. " Well, my feet felt ANYTHING but normal to

me. I snagged my x-rays and took them to the hospital podiatrist. He

didn't know they were mine, just thought I was asking him about another pt.

He showed me all the places where the joints were narrowing, how badly the

arches had fallen, on and on, then said, " Well, I expect this fellow's feet

are hurting. Send him over and I'll give him some cortisone - right there

in that joint. Should give him some relief. " My insurance wouldn't allow

me to see this doc so I went to him on my own and he injected me and I did

have tremendous relief, enough to go to NYC with my kids and walk to the top

of the Statue of Liberty. However, I wanted those shots (which hurt like

absolute hell) at least every other month and he said no, 3x a year max, and

even that was too much for someone my age (!) I was 44.

This year my rheumy ordered foot x-rays and said everything looked fine,

too. I questioned her about the podiatrist's interpretation. She said,

yes, there are some " changes " but all the bones are present and accounted

for, mostly in the right places, there is nothing dramatically wrong, and

went off on a long spiel about how lucky I should feel because my feet COULD

look like this (holding up an awful x-ray, looked like somebody threw down a

bunch of foot bones and took a picture).

So, the pain is real, the discomfort is tremendous, but the x-rays only

show subtle signs and no one is going to get too excited until they see

something frankly horrible.

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