OA

From what I gather from the other people here, the hospital will probably pump you with steroids until the inflammation goes down and unless your in debilitating pain with excessive swelling, they may just turn you away. I could be wrong.

If your pain is inhibiting your daily life, take the meds the doc already told you to take until you get something else. It stinks taking medicine, but you have to give what you ahve a try as eventually you will be taking something daily. Also, do what typically helps: ice/heat, strectching, walking, resting....until you get in to appt.

You should also start seeing a rhuematologist for the OA. They specialize in the medication for the disease and may have a stronger knowledge than your PCP to help you out. Call you doctor, get a referral, and let them know you can't wait much longer - you are in a lot of pain and the meds you have aren't doing the trick. Your PCP may be able to give you something to temporary to help with the pain until you see him or the rhuematologist.

Good luck. *****

Thanks i will call thurs as his office i think is closed today but i can also check when he has his walk in clinic scheduled and go to that. I guess that i thought the osteo was a slow process of deteriation sorry for spelling but it;s only been about a year when i had the X- rays done. I figured a couple of years maybe before they would get this bad but everyone is different. Also having a stand up strenous job, doesn;t help either, i am in the midst of getting onto ODSP as i have a feeling i will not be able to work much longer. At the time of the x-rays we talked about injections and last resort was surgery. not sure i keen on either idea but i know that something has to been done, Thanks for replies i will keep posting as to how things go. Take care Twiggy2.