success!!!!! (I think?)

lizzy100

It has been such an awful year. As soon as I started getting joint pain and swelling I knew it was arthritis. I even printed out a research paper on IBD arthritis and gave it to my GP. I was referred to rheummatology where they proceeded to keep testing me for fibromyalgia of which none of the points i was positive for. I showed them photos of joint swelling, but because they couldnt see swelling there and then they didn't believe me. They just ignored the photos. They left me in agony, not being able to walk, wash up and use my hands, go out the house, do anything for the best part of a year. I saw one good rheummatologist once who said if steroids worked it was reasonable to say it was inflammatory arthritis. They did work. Then he left and the new rheummatologist went back on what the other one had said, and said it meant nothing. He didnt listen to a word I said. Said that there was nothing measurable for a diagnosis. Although he did start me on Methotrexate because the previous rheummatologist had said to. Methotrexate worked for a few months, i could walk around at work all day on my feet which i could never have done before. Then joint pain got worse again, he drags his feet again, says he wants to do another scan. (scans don't show anything in this type), he doesnt get that. GP refuses to give me steroids and refuses to speak to rheummatology. I send her a letter with a photo of my swollen foot, and a copy of an email from the good rheummatologist saying that if steroids work it confirms the diagnosis, and he had also written that no tests or investigations are useful. I give up and try going to my GI doctor. He's a better listener and seems to respect me a bit more. I show him the photos of joint swelling and he starts me on a course of steroids.
Go back to another GP and she says I should stay on steroids for 3 months!
---I guess they believe me now that it is arthritis else why would they give me steroids? unless to just keep me quiet. The GP practice have also put on my record that I have arthritis. I can't believe after 1 year, they finally believe me and I finally have a diagnosis of what I said it was one year ago!

They made me doubt myself so much, trying to fob me off and make out it was all in my head, and treating me like i was crazy. I feel like a massive weights been lifted off my shoulders now. That i dont have to keepfighting them anymore, that i don't have to feel like they're all against me now.

My GI docs agreed to increase my Methotrexate too, so hopefully when i reduce the steroids that willl help.

I feel lost now. I've spent the last year living at the doctors. and now with the steroids i can walk! and im not in constant pain all the time! I dont know what to do with myself!
But i hope it lasts.

sorry this was long, i felt i needed to vent.

stickywicket

I hope it lasts too. Good luck.

lizzy100

thanks sticky.