RA in Kansas/My story/part 4

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I met with the new doc, he was told by medicaid not to give any pain

meds. Okay, no problem. At that point, I just wanted to know what

in the same ___ was gonna on. He didn't know. I was having a good

day then too. He told me to come back and see him if anything came

up and put me on Protonix for my stomach. So, I went back when I had

problems with my wrists. He sent me for physical therapy. It was

like I developed carpal tunnel over night. Therapy went fine, got off

on good behavior. The only real problem there was the ultrasound

treatment - that was a no go. WOW! It felt as though the sound

waves were a hammer. Wanh! The doc thought it was a reaction to the

prednisone. Then it was evident that I did have something. I spent

the majority of my day in bed. My relationship deteriorated, my

family copped an attitude (not a very supportive one) ya know the

drill. I went from 120lbs. to 170. Then I read some of my old

journal. I seen the " come and go " pattern. I then started taking

things a little more serious and tried to find information on various

arthritic conditions and the rheumatoid factor. At that time, I had

no access to a computer. Also, before Dr. Celebrex started me on depo-

provera shots. Contributed the weight gain to that. (WRONG) It is

from the inactivity. I then had various problems with my ankles,

knees and seen a co-doc for my back again.(My doc was off taking his

boards) He was a real jerk-off! He sent me for some x-rays and

prescribed physical therapy and flexeril. I completed therapy again

and my x-rays revealed mild t-spine scoliosis with mild left

cinvexity in the upper thoracic spine region with a mild conpensatory

curvature at the thoracolumbar junction. No fracture, thank god! My

lumbar showed no acute fractures whatever that means? There was

noted early degenerative facet joint hypertrophic change in the

lumbar spine primarily on the left at L4-5 and L5-S1. It also noted

congenital lumbarization of the first sacral segment and the psoas

muscle was well visualized? Went back to see the same fellow for the

x-ray results and he said, " unremarkable " and just to go home and go

to bed for a month were his exact words. I started to lose hope then..

While laying in bed all the time and living in someone elses home

where I simply couldn't rearrange their house to meet my limited

abilities. By then, I had already snapped and was in counseling. At

one visit there I was crying and in extreme pain and my counselor

called the doc's office and sent me over there. I then seen another

doc, he gave me three injections in my back. It helped alot to take

the ungodly edge off the pain. I was re-scheduled to see him for a

follow=up in 3 days. Went back and he was no longer available and I

was seen by Dr, Jerk off again who told me to go home and go to bed

for another month. Then to top it off, I get a denial of physical

therapy because he isn't my assigned doc. I got sicker and sicker and

seen that the extreme flares seem to be the last month of every depo

shot. (Depo last 3 months) I then was so fatigued and went to see the

doc and ended up seeing the assistant. I proceeded to cry and tell

him that I was dying and she said no in a manner to me as if I was

hysterical. We talked for a bit though, she did listen then. At

that visit I couldn't use my hands. I couldn't open my toothpaste,

etc... She took me seriously and tested me for Lupus. She said that

she would call me personally if anything was wrong. She called, the

RA factor was present, sed rate @ 25, ANA neg. and then instructed me

to see my doctor and set up an appt. In the mean time, my hands were

crappy and I had like mini cysts at the base of each thumb. They had

two assistants check me. They concluded that it was arthritis and

told me to take tylenol and to keep my appt. with me primary doc.

During this time I ended up missing my sons wedding in Wyoming. He

didn't speak to me for over a year! My family freaked out. It is all

in my head reared it's ugly head again. Peachy! I finally got to see

my doc and he couldn't feel any bumps then and thought like me that

it was the depo shots and took me off of them and once again

instructed me to see a therapist. He also stated that he wasn't

concerned about the x-rays or the blood work. I stopeed any and all

meds at that point in case it was the meds reflecting the RA factor.

That simply wasn't the case. I gave up essentially. No support and

having everyone think my head could control my blood pressure and

pain was too much. Watching my relationship turn upside down

starting eating at me. At some point being mad at my honey who just

didn't get that I didn't feel good and couldn't do the same things

set me off in the right direction. I decided that I wasn't ready to

lay down and just die at that point. My honey was an OTR truck driver

back then and he wanted me to go and just rest on the truck. That

was a no go. I ended up furious and came home and started " arethra

therapy " . Just like moving any little bit as I noticed that my

muscles had atrophied. So, I would try to dance to respect. My

honey had taken me out with some friends once upon a time and we

ended up leaving because I got so upset because it was at that very

moment that I realized how much I had deteriorated because dancing I

use to love and I physically can not. Man was my head doing a # on

me. I then was doing so so. Ya know the drill pain, done for the day

by 10:00 a.m. fever, etc... It then hit me with a bang, it isn't the

depo, it is another flare. I was devastated. Like a big slap in the

face. Off to the doctor for my re-check. I took a friend and we

proceeded to tell him exactly how much I have deteriorated. I told

him that I thought it was psoriatric arthritis hence the " come and

go " and with polymyaglia rheumatica. He asked who told me that and I

said no-one. He then noted that he knew nothing of all my visits,

bloodwork, etc.. I asked about the therapy pool at the YMCA until I

get the therapy situation straightened out. I also asked for a

referal to a rheumy and a skin dr. about my clubbing and excema. He

sent me for lab work, gave me the script for the therapy pool, and

told me to come back and show him any rashes and that he would be

available. I then had a rash and went back and low and behold he was

there in the office but was unable to see me as he was on vacation.

Go figure. I had to go there three times just to see an assistant.

Which brings us up to date, without tackling the stomach problems.