Of Doctors and Etc.

[Guest guest]

At my visit yesterday, the very unsympathetic rheumy that I see said she is

retiring from practice. She's younger than I am (48!) but seems so burned

out. She told me that if pts would just be organized in their approach,

visits wouldn't take more than 10 minutes! She said most of her time is

spent in chit-chat, not in dealing with pts' problems!! A change will be

good for both of us. She put me on Vioxx and a sulfa drug, stopping the MTX

finally.

Someone asked about working. I work full time as a research nurse, evenings

part time doing data analysis, and weekends as a jail nurse. I had to pick

and choose my jobs carefully because there is no way I could be on my feet

for 8 hour shifts in a hospital. I start work most days at 10AM which

allows me 3 hours to get everything in working order. It also gives me time

to assess and medicate whatever pain is visiting me that day. At the jail,

I call for the inmates to come to me for the most part. All my jobs involve

more thinking and talking than hard physical labor. God help anyone who

needs CPR - they'd better pass out on a table because I can't get down on

the floor to save my soul, and if I did I'd never get up again! I left my

husband 2 years ago and my children are grown so all the energy I need at

night is just enough to pet a couple of cats. My house is tiny and an hour

of housework now and then takes care of it.

There's a huge psychological component to this disease, too. I just try to

focus on where I need to be, where I want to be, but always keep in mind a

couple of rest stops I can live with along the way. When I lose my

perspective, start feeling helpless and trapped by the pain in this moment,

it scares me silly and makes the pain so much worse. I have a freezer full

of ice bags at work and everyone knows the extra rolling chair is for me to

prop up and ice whichever foot is killing me at the moment. I look pretty

silly with my butt on one chair and my foot on another rolling around the

lab but I try to keep a sense of humor about it and my co-workers are great.

I do use all my sick leave, taking a day here or there when I need it.

Humor and faith have kept me going. I joined a prayer group and praying for

others while they pray for me has taken me out of the victim mentality I was

wallowing in. I get out with friends at least once a week, too. But my PA

is mild. I can't speak for the rest of you, only for me. God bless each of

you wherever you are on your journey.

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