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Posted 1/16/2010 4:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

Last week I twisted my back and went to see my PCP. He put me on a Medrol pack for a week. No help. Ugh!

He also got my Rheumy appt upped from March 26th to this past Friday. Well I go in to see him and took my mother with me. She was not very impressed with him. It was like I was  on an assembly line....go in this little room took about 6 tubes of blood, then to another little room for xrays. By the time the dr came in all he did was look at the xrays and write things down, that of course I couldn't read. He wanted me to bend over and touch my toes, now mind you I had just thrown my back out, and I told him this. Anyway, because I couldn't do as he ask he pops me in the back and said I was wasting his time that he had other patients to see.

As he was walking out the door he turns and looks at me and says I don't think you have lupus, he said it was fibromyalgia. I've looked up these symptoms and don't think that is what it is. Then he tells me he only deals with RA. Tells me to come back to see him in a month!! WHAT!!! smhair  Should I waste MY time and go in a month or look for another dr? I know that some of you have said that you have to see a few before you find a good one. I feel like I'm running out of time.

 Here's another thing, I work building metal ductwork for AC and heating. When I first started this job 3 years ago, I was energetic and good at what I did. Here lately, it's hard for me to keep up and they have given me more and more work to get done. My boss has announced to everyone that "If you're here only for a hobby" he will help you with a voluntary layoff.  I'm not there for a hobby, but I just can't do the work anymore. Should I go in there and explain to him my situation and take him up on that offer or get my PCP to put me on short term disabilty? Either way I have to do something, but I don't know which way to turn.

Sorry I got long winded here, any suggestions?

Thanx, Msfroggi

Posted 1/16/2010 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hey hun don't waste another min. with him. I don't know how you kept from telling him off after he did that to you back. First off you need to call around a find a rheumy that deals with lupus and other A/I diseases. This guy is clueless as to what's wrong with you. There is a test you have to take for fibro and it sounds like he didn't even try to do the pressure points. I don't know why but I have ran into and heard about many specialist that have the same kind of attitude. I can deal with a doctor that lacks a bedside manor as long as I can have a conversation with them and they are truly helping me. Please don't go back to the *******. Try to just shake it off because truthfully your story is no different from most. If you don't have to go to 3 or 4 rheumy to get a good one then you are lucky. But don't worry they aren't all like that.

I really can't say what you should do about work. Maybe if your boss would help you out so you could at least collect unemployment and discuss disability with your doctor. If you do that I would suggest you get an attorny that deals with getting SSD right away instead of waiting to be denied 2 or 3 times first. Yes you will have to pay them if you win but it will be worth it in the long run.

I hope you get to feeling better.

hugs

carol

Posted 1/16/2010 8:55 AM (GMT 0)
Find a different doctor. I suggest short term disability if you have a plan that covers that through work. I wish I could be more help.
Posted 1/16/2010 9:17 AM (GMT 0)
I hope I don't have to deal with that from my new Rheumy next month. I'm newly diagnosed and, already, family around me thinks it's a misdiagnosis - even though I fit all the symptoms. I hope you find a good doc who hears your voice over his own pre-determined assumptions. I had to call ems yesterday because I felt so faint and weak in my body for at least an hour. I couldn't function, just lay and try to stay calm. I'm 100lbs & 5'7. The only thing they could determine was wrong with me was high bp. My sugar level was 63 (I ate as soon as I started shaking & sweating). They said it was not an emergency so I told them they could leave, of course, and I went to a non-emergency clinic. They took some blood tests, an eeg and ordered a sonogram for the next morning (today). The sono turned out negative for gal stones and the blood work was normal except for low potassium. They told me to make a visit with my regular doc and that it wasn't an emergency. I understand what non-emergency means but what does it really mean? When will it be considered an emergency? When I'm on my death bead and in need of a liver transplant (like my aunt at the very moment)? I don't understand what "emergency" means, if not, "I know something is wrong in my body right now, I can tell you exactly which organs and what is going on..." How is that not clear enough? How does a 100lb 5'7" 24yr old woman have high bp while laying on her back for 15 minutes sound normal??? I'm not clear as to what is considered an emergency. Does one have to shoot oneself in the face in order to get the problem solved? It would be nice just to get the pain out of my body - even if only a temporary fix - so that I can get back to my new marriage & new baby... not to mention work! I guess it'll become more of a priority if it is an autopsy rather than a diagnosis. Talk about procrastinators.
Posted 1/16/2010 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanx Carol, I like your attitude. No he didn't check any pressure points that I know of. Oh he did take my left arm and flopped it around. My mother said she didn't see any reason for that. He just said that I was too young to have RA. I'm still puzzled on that one. My husband says that he's NOT giving this dr one more red cent! But now the blood work that he did is mine, isn't it??? I would hate to have to do blood work with every dr. Ugh! Oh, one thing I want to mention about my boss, he's the type that no matter what kind of ailment you have he has one too that is worse than yours and he deals with it. He tells you what he does about it and that maybe I should try it. Funny how he's just a plant manager and not a MD!!! Okay, a little venting there, sorry.

Hey,Redrose we do have a short term disabilty at my work, it's for 12 weeks. Is that enough time you think for me to find the right rheumy to go on SSD? Some folks have told me it might take 2 years to get on. I have seen on TV where there are law firm that ask you if you've been denied. Doesn't the dr have to determine that you're disable first?

Dear Shaken, I sorry your going thru such a rough time. I feel that way sometimes too! Please keep in touch. How old is your baby?
Lots and Lots of hugs
Msfroggi
Posted 1/16/2010 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
He only treats RA? And thinks he's capable of diagnosing lupus and/or fibro? And childhood RA is a well-known disease, so age isn't an issue. What an idiot.

Please check www.lupus.org for your local chapter, then call them and ask which local doctors are participating with them. That way you get a dr that is interested & knowledgeable with lupus.

Is the company big enough to have FMLA? (I think it must if over 50ppl). That should give you a few weeks to try & recover some, if your doctor agrees. If you just outright quit it can be harder to get SSD later. Depending on your state, SSD processing time differs a lot. Here in GA, it took me much longer than 2 yrs before I got my first check. So if you can work at all, try to build up some savings...

Hope you find a decent dr soonest!
Posted 1/16/2010 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hey all, haven't been around in while, been going through a lot here.  I have a theory about Rheumy's, I know a lot of you have found good ones and God Bless you and them.  The rest of them I look at this way.  They are "experts" in field in which there are no new breakthourghs, they don't know why we get Lupus or what exactly it does or it will do to us, or how to cure it so , so I think they have to pump their egos up so high just to justify their 10 years of school and residencies and fellowships etc.  I try to look at their bad attitudes as a way to cover up how Lupus really throws them for a curve ball.  I think I'm starting to have some CNS issues myself, the migraines are back with a vengence, four this week, and brain fog, numness and tingling in extremeities, but at least the hot flushes keep me warm in the cold weather. LOL  I taken to writing everything down in symptom lists and printing two copies when I go to my appointments, that way I can give the doc one and keep one for myself to make sure I ask evey question I feel I need to address.  Best of luck to you all and God Bless all the good Rheumy's out there and their patients as well.   Jennifer

Posted 1/17/2010 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
I would never go back to that Dr...... I hope you don't go....back either.....about your job... I have no experience in any of that.. but I wish you all the best...
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