I'm back!!

Well, what a journey it's been. Turns out my old rheumy was right. I have seronegative RA, my x rays finally showed early RA!! WTH??? After like 7 years. That was a good rheumatologist at Mayo clinic. He's retired now, I am sorry to hear. I'd like to go back but it's a 3.5 hour drive from where I live now. We moved from that area 2.5 years ago.

 I am a little peeved b/c I had those x rays 4 months ago and nobody called me to tell me! I had a lip biopsy recently and that was positive for SJS. So I have both! Ugh! The rheumy here is the only one in town and it's a city of over 100k............... I saw the ARNP and she didn't even up my plaquenil. I am just on 200 mgs right now. Ugh..... I can tell they are slammed busy but someone should have called to tell me my x rays were positive for RA.

 

Hi Beth, SJS is Sjogrens, another auto immune condition.
I've had joint pains in my hands, feet, hips, shoulders with severe fatigue. I've also gotten more than my share of tendonitis and bursitis lately too like in my achilles tendon and a toe.
My hands were also swelling but not just at the joints, the whole hand was swelling. I have gone gluten free, no nightshade vegetables either and that has helped some. Those foods along with a lot of salt or MSG really make my pain a lot worse.

The rheumy here is the one that I don't like who had my positive x rays for 4 months and did nothing until my appt. today. Grrrr.... And, she did not increase my plaquenil. I am only on 200 mgs. I asked the medical assistant if they would consider it. I'm not taking any bets to a call back.......... If they don't, I'll drive over to Mayo Clinic and go there. That's where my rheumy was before I moved two years ago. I really miss him too. He was awesome but retired recently. I also hear there is a rheumatologist about 45 minutes from here. I may try to see them first. Sigh............


Is your husband going through prostate ca? I am sorry to hear that. My husband had surgery last October for PC. They caught it early but you gotta watch the PSA's. I hold my breath when it's time for his PSA.

Thanks Chartreux. You are right. I was just upset about the whole visit and how it went. I was just not pleased or satisfied. Usually, they give you about 400 mgs of plaquenil per day. She did give me a script for the dry membranes. I was upset b/c of the mention of lymphomas in SJS. I knew this but between that and getting the RA diagnosis, it was upsetting.
I got a copy of my x rays and it said that one bone in the wrist had erosion suggestive of early RA. Funny, my wrist never hurts but a lot of other joints do!

Thanks Char, I am gonna try a new rheumy. You gotta go with your gut.

I went by yesterday to get a copy of my x ray and it showed very early erosion "suggestive" of RA type erosion. It was in my wrist and I don't have any pain in my wrist! Doesn't that seem odd? I think a Dr. might have at least put that in some perspective for me.