Hi there! I'm 42 and my dr ran the RF test with my annual bloodwork because she thought my feet looked 'funny' - and my RF level is 36. My feet ache, but I'm a teacher and thought it was from standing all day. I'm realizing now that some of my aches and pains might be RA related. I'm also anemic and have low vitamin D. My first appt with my rheumatologist is Monday, and I'm worried about what to expect - how to dress (do they do an exam? Should I wear athletic clothes?) Also, will they do X-rays at the first visit!? I'm bringing my husband and plan to take notes - Any insight you can give me with your first visit would help greatly! I think I'm more nervous than anything. Hugs to all of you and thanks for your help! ❌❌⭕️⭕️
Hi don't worry. Depends on your hospital but I didn't have x-rays ever I think! My joints in hands, wrists, elbows and neck were checked for pain and swelling. They just do that manually . knees are checked for swelling. If your feet are the main issue they may check them but no one has ever checked my feet despite lots of pain there! You may have a blood test if they need a current one. But I can't recall any more than that. Just relax and dress for comfort. You will get some good advice on here.
Hi! I had my first appt in June. The rheumy asked lots of questions and did a physical exam. I just wore jumper and jeans which was fine. I had to go get more blood taken and she is arranging xrays which I have to go back for. Make sure you list any symptoms and questions. I forgot to say half of my symptoms and was so nervous and wound up that I came away thinking I could have given a much clearer picture and asked lots more. I kicked myself especially after having to wait so long to get there in the first place!! I also got a steroid shot that day and go back in Nov. HTH and good luck! Xx
Hallo, kein besonderes Kleid, aber machen Sie Notizen, was Sie fragen möchten. Wie Lesleyp nach monatelangem Warten ging ich mit dem Gefühl weg, ein Idiot zu sein. Der Rhummy untersuchte mich, stellte Fragen, auf die ich mir bewusst wurde, dass ich nicht mit einem Rezept und einer Diagnose antwortete. Als er fragte, wie oft meine Flares seien, sagte ich, ich hätte keine, weil ich nicht wusste, was er meinte. Tut mir leid, ich plappere nur, machen Sie einfach Notizen zu den Fragen. Alles Gute für Ihren Termin.
Hallo. Bei meinem ersten Termin habe ich Röntgenaufnahmen meiner Füße machen lassen, da diese ein Problem waren.
Thank you SO much! I appreciate your taking the time to tell me about your first appt! Thanks for your insight! I really appreciate it! xxoo
Hi back - thank you SO much for your helpful insights! I've started texting myself questions as they pop up so I'll have them with me at the appt - I can totally see myself forgetting to tell the dr some of my symptoms, too! I'm glad I'm not the only nervous one! Thx again & good luck! xxoo
Thank you for the good wishes! I definitely need to write more down because I know I'll be nervous & forget most of what I want to say! I'm going to look up the definition of 'flares' now so I'll be ready - it's all SO new right now... good grief! Thanks for the great advice & hugs to you! xxoo
Thank you for letting me know! I think they might xray my feet, too... or maybe they won't... it's a crazy feeling not knowing what to expect! But you all are so kind to share your experiences with me - thank you SO much! Take care! xxoo
Hallo, mir wurde vor 15 Jahren RA diagnostiziert. Dabei wurden alle meine Gelenke untersucht, Röntgenaufnahmen gemacht und Bluttests durchgeführt. Anschließend wurde ich mit Sulfasalazin und bei Bedarf mit Naproxen behandelt. Alle drei Monate wurden Bluttests durchgeführt. Ich hatte immer niedrige Eisen- und Salzwerte. Sie könnten Informationen zu Kurkuma/Kurkumin bei Entzündungen überprüfen.
I don't remember too much but I think the Dr checked different joints for pain or swelling. No X-rays but they did do blood work. I would wear something easy to undress in case you need to put on a gown. It is absolutely nothing to worry about.
Thank you for the great information! I just made notes about Sulfasalzine & Turmeric/Curcumin... Thanks again!
Thank you for helping to calm my nerves :O) I'm definitely going to wear comfy clothing... Thank you for your help! xxoo
Leslie makes an important point here, Samantha, when she says she "forgot to say half of my symptoms".
Your best chance of getting all your questions in is to give the list to your husband who's going to sit in the consulting room with you, and while you listen and talk to the doctor, get your husband to keep track of what's been answered and what has not.
Discuss it in detail with him ahead of time to make sure he knows as well as you do what you need to say and what to ask.
Otherwise your list won't be of much value to you because you won't have time or space to properly consult it, you'll be too busy being examind and trying to make sense of what the doctor's saying. And it is important for you to not get so overwhelmed or worried about what you've forgotten, you can't listen.
Then make sure you and your hubby go over everything as soon after the appointment as possible so nothing falls between the cracks.
This is a tried and tested system after 11 years of rheumatology appointments and I can say it does actually work.
Good luck!
I've been through this numerous times and found that's the best system that's most likely to work.
This is a great suggestion! Giving the list of questions and symptoms to my husband is a genius idea - and I know he wants to help, so this will be great! I'll make sure we go over it together like you suggested, too! I'm glad to know this has to worked for you! It takes some of the pressure off of me to remember everything - because I know I'm going to be nervous - And I like the suggestion about going over it with him afterwards to make sure we don't forget anything... Thanks for this very practical advice! Hugs to you! ❌❌⭕️⭕️
Natürlich hängt alles von Ihrem Arzt, Ihrem Wohnort, Ihrer medizinischen Vorgeschichte und den Testergebnissen ab, aber ich denke, dass die Erwartungen an den ersten Termin oft zu großer Enttäuschung und Frustration führen können.
Ich stellte fest, dass ich bei meinem ersten Termin nicht die Hälfte der Dinge sagen konnte, die ich sagen wollte. Nicht unbedingt, weil ich es vergessen habe, sondern weil ich keine Gelegenheit dazu hatte.
Mir wurden eine Reihe gezielter Fragen zu bestimmten Dingen gestellt. Es gab keinen Raum für ein allgemeines Gespräch darüber, was mich belastet. Es ging alles darum, dass die Rheumatologin die Antworten bekam, die sie wollte. Kein Rheumatologe hat mich je gefragt, wie meine Symptome mein tägliches Leben oder meine Arbeit beeinflussen.
Der Rheumatologe hat eine Überweisung aufgrund einer Vermutung. Zum Beispiel: Ihr Hausarzt denkt, dass Sie möglicherweise eine Form von entzündlichem Gelenkrheumatismus haben, und bittet den Rheumatologen, dies zu untersuchen. Daher beginnt der Rheumatologe damit, dies auszuschließen, und wenn er dies nicht ausschließen kann, könnten Sie am Ende mit einer Diagnose enden.
Aber was, wenn Ihre Symptome durch ein neurologisches Problem verursacht werden? Der Rheumatologe wird keine Anzeichen von entzündlichem Gelenkrheumatismus finden und wird auf dieser Grundlage dies ausschließen und Ihnen sagen, dass nichts nicht in Ordnung ist. Denn ihre Aufgabe ist es, mögliche entzündliche Arthritis zu untersuchen, nicht das größere Bild. Das wird frustrierend sein. Sie könnten sogar mit einer Diagnose von Fibromyalgie enden, einfach weil Sie an einen Rheumatologen überwiesen wurden, wenn Sie eigentlich einen Neurologen oder jemanden ganz anderen sehen sollten.
Ihr Rheumatologe hat seine eigene Agenda und diese ist nicht unbedingt dieselbe wie Ihre. Also haben Sie keine Angst, eine zweite Meinung einzuholen. Haben Sie keine Angst, zu Ihrem Hausarzt zurückzukehren, wenn Sie nicht mit der Behandlung zufrieden sind, die Sie erhalten. Haben Sie keine Angst, etwas gegen die Schmerzen zu verlangen (etwas, das ich vergessen habe zu tun).
Meine Rheumatologin hatte sich bei meinem ersten Termin entschieden, dass ich keine entzündliche Arthritis habe, bevor sie irgendwelche Tests durchgeführt hatte. Von da an sah sie, was sie sehen wollte, hörte, was sie hören wollte. Sie hatte unrecht.
Viel Glück.
In my last year of teaching before I retired, I experienced pain in the bottom of my feet. I went to a podiatrist who made orthotics for me and kept x-raying my feet as he was convinced I must have a broken bone (in both feet??). Then I did several months therapy for my feet. Nothing helped. One day, my large knuckles on both hands were suddenly in great pain. I went to my GP that same day and he sent me right over to the rheumatologist. He diagnosed me on the spot.
I was impressed right away with his questions and examination. Much of what he does is through questions and answers along with probing my joints. However, it takes a while for a rheumatologist to completely understand a patient's idiosyncracies with the disease. For example, after more than 10 years of listening to me, he modified my diagnosis to palindromic RA. You will know pretty quickly if you have a good rheumatologist. If you do, great. If not, shop for another. My practice has 7 rheumatologiest so it would be easy to try another. But I am sticking with my original.
Good luck to you!
You are extremely lucky! I have been with my rheumatology clinic for about 4 years in which time I have never met the consultant I am under and very very rarely get to see the same doctor twice and if I do they have no recollection of me. I thought it was the same everywhere!
Das ist nicht gut. Die Kontinuität der Versorgung ist wichtig. Ich habe das gegenteilige Problem; ich sehe immer denselben nutzlosen Rheumatologen.
Can't win can we? I suppose seeing multiple doctors I do get different takes on what's going on. I recall one doctor saw I was having a bad flare and put me on 30mg of steroids. When I told a different doctor at next appointment he was rather surprised at what his predecessor had prescribed. I think this RA is just trial and error mostly. But I have learnt that giving steroids like sweets by some doctors can be the norm. I stopped them and refuse to take them now.