Appointment at Last

breane

Hi everyone,I've been away for a short break for three days and when I returned home I found a letter from the hospital giving me an appointment to see the rheumy,but it's not until June 24th. While I've been away the arm pain has been really bad and I thought I might have to had come back home but I stuck it out.Can't wait for the appoinment day to arrive hoping that I will be given some explaination for the arm pain as it doesn't feel like my other joint pain.My OA and RA pain seems totally different to the arm pain and the lack of sleep due to it is sending me crazy.Sopadol no longer works for the pain.Does the rheumy take over the prescribing of pain relief etc?The letter from the hospital says my appointment will be about 2 hours long so I guess they do x rays,blood tests and the like.Is that correct?Never seen a rheumy before so it's all new to me. :? Breane.x

frogmorton

HI Breane
Glad you've finally got your date through.
Yes my rheumy prescribed and the GP had to go along with it so....lets hope he sorts you out!
Apart from the pain I hope the break still did you good.
Take care
Toni x

lindalegs

Hi Breane, Pity about your arm pain spoiling your break - if only we had a pause button eh :roll:

My Rheumy prescribes all my RA medication and then writes to my GP to inform him of my requirements. When I first started Mtx and was having problems with vomitting I went to see GP and he told me to stay on the dose I was on for a week to see how I went with anitimetics and when I was okay he told me to increase the dose as the Consultant had instructed me.

Your GP will only intervene if your bloods taken show up problems otherwise he'll always leave it to your Rheumy to increase and decrease your meds.

Hope this helps.

Luv Legs

emmarose33

Hi, sorry you are having bad pain in your arm. I am having awful shoulder pain at the moment, which I think is a trapped nerve, caused by the inflammation from my RA.
In my experience x-rays are done in the imaging department of the hospital and aren't counted as part of your rheumatology appointment. It may be different in your hospital. Bloods are done at the clinic though. My first appointment with my consultant was very long! Mainly because they have to take your entire history.
My physio told me that the NICE guidlines do state that patients with RA should have access to their hospital's rheumatology dept. as soon as they need it during a flare. Once you have seen your consultant and have a relationship with them it will be easier to get seen in 'emergency' situations. I see my consultant at least once a month at the moment and she always has to request an over-booking.
It's also good to know your consultant's secretary. Mine is a godsend. She is the person I call if I am having any problems and she often manages to get me seen the next day, if not I will get a call from my consultant - sometime not till almost 8pm so I am guessing she does it before she leaves work.
Good luck with your appointment. As silly as it sounds, in the future try to deal as little as possible with your hospital's appointments office and try to arrange appointments on a more direct level.
Take care

colinone

Hello Breane, sorry to hear your in so much pain your appointment will soon come round. Yes the Rheumy will prescribe your meds. Some times Ra gets into the muscles and it feels different from the bone pain still it wont be to long and you will find out what it is. By the way write down all the questions you have for the Rheumy because the time goes so quick you will forget. Take Care
Colin

mistywillow

emmarose33 wrote:

Hi, sorry you are having bad pain in your arm. I am having awful shoulder pain at the moment, which I think is a trapped nerve, caused by the inflammation from my RA.
In my experience x-rays are done in the imaging department of the hospital and aren't counted as part of your rheumatology appointment. It may be different in your hospital. Bloods are done at the clinic though. My first appointment with my consultant was very long! Mainly because they have to take your entire history.
My physio told me that the NICE guidlines do state that patients with RA should have access to their hospital's rheumatology dept. as soon as they need it during a flare. Once you have seen your consultant and have a relationship with them it will be easier to get seen in 'emergency' situations. I see my consultant at least once a month at the moment and she always has to request an over-booking.
It's also good to know your consultant's secretary. Mine is a godsend. She is the person I call if I am having any problems and she often manages to get me seen the next day, if not I will get a call from my consultant - sometime not till almost 8pm so I am guessing she does it before she leaves work.
Good luck with your appointment. As silly as it sounds, in the future try to deal as little as possible with your hospital's appointments office and try to arrange appointments on a more direct level.
Take care

Hi Breane
Sorry your arm is giving you so much grief at the moment. It must seem like an age to wait for your appointment when you are in so much pain. I cant remember my first rheumy appt, have been for so many different bits and bobs they all mingle into one long vague haze. My rhemy does prescribe any new meds or change of dose. I see my GP for reviews every 6 months and the rhemy every year.
love Gillx

breane

Hi Scottishlass,When I last saw my GP he said my RA markers showed I had RA but the rheumy would confirm it when I see him.I never thought arthritis could escalate so fast.I was OK beginning of Dec. just slight hand/wrist pain but since then I have gone down hill so fast. The pain occuring in the shoulder,knees and feet. I thought I had a good pain threshold until I got the OA.Thank you for the info regarding the rheumy appointment. Breane.

airwave

Let us know what a first visit is like, I've got my first one coming up soon.

8) Its a grin, honest!

debsmartin

Hi breane

I really sympathise with you, I too couldn't believe how quick RA gets a hold, my first appointment was the same as everyone elses. I saw the doctor who said what drugs I would start on then I had to wait for 4 weeks to see the nurse to actually get the drugs, then as everyone else says you get your letter to take to your own GP to get the prescription, the wait was horrible, I could barely walk by the time I picked my tablets up - thank god for steroid injections, they really help and are worth asking about if not offered.

Hope you soon get sorted soon

debs

breane

Hi Scottishlass,Over two years ago I was having pain in the thumbs and I put it down to doing a lot of embroidery and thought it might have been RSI.Then last summer I had a few days with pain in the knees and shoulder and my GP just gave me painkillers and the pains did stop.After that,I was getting pain in the hands and wrists so went back to see him again last Dec. and that's when he ran tests for OA which came back positive.Since then the pain in hands,wrists,shoulders knees and feet have escalated.He gave me stronger painkillers(sopadol)and also anti inflamatories and stomach protector and ran tests for RA which showed up as positive.He won't prescribe me anything stronger until I have seen the rheumy next month but most days the pain is very bad and the sopadol is no help at all. I'm hoping the rheumy will prescribe something better.I know the pain will never go away but a few days of less pain would be lovely.All the rain we are having here doesn't help,I'm sure the weather affects arthur. Breane.