Tag Archives: doctor

What To Do If You’re Not Happy With Your Rheumatologist

What should you do if you’re not happy with your rheumatologist?

Well, there are a few things you can do. First off, I would talk to them. Sometimes it can be hard to find a new doctor, so it might be a good idea to try and resolve your issues with your current doctor. Explain the problems that you’re having and why you’re not happy. Remember that they work for you. It is their job to help you in the best way that they can. But they are human too, and may not realize how they may be making you unhappy. So give them the opportunity to be a better doctor for you and tell them what is bothering you.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis: First Visit With The Rheumatologist

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I have to admit I was a little nervous about my first visit with the rheumatologist. I wasn’t really sure what to expect and there was a certain amount of fear of the unknown. At the same time I was really hopeful that this doctor would help me get back to my old self again.

When I got to the office I realized that this was a practice of 4 rheumatologists and my mother had been to one of the doctors in the practice years before when she still lived in Rhode Island. At the time I really couldn’t remember if she liked the doctor or not.

The office was clean and the office staff seemed to be efficient and polite. I filled out all the necessary paperwork and insurance information and waited to see the doctor. Lucky for me the wait was only about 15 minutes. The nurse called my name and led me to the doctor’s office.

He was about my age and he seemed very professional. I learned that the practice was associated with Brown University Medical School and was a teaching practice. He seemed very nice. He asked me a few questions about what was going on with my body. I explained that it all started with my ankle and then my knee and then my wrist. I told him about the Lyme Disease, that we live in a area where there are a lot of deer ticks. He asked about family history and I told him that my mother has rheumatoid arthritis.

It may just be my impression, but it seemed that the minute I mentioned that my mom has RA, that was it. There were no more questions, no other ideas as to what was going on with my body.

He then led me to the exam room, where he listened to my heart and lungs and moved all my joints every which way. He squeezed my finger joints and wrists and then announced that he believed that I had rheumatoid arthritis.

My initial reaction was “What happened to Lyme Disease?”

He said no it was RA. He said that he wanted to do some more testing but he was fairly certain that it was RA.

I said something to the effect that I thought that Lyme Disease kinda jumped from one part of the body to the next and what about the fact that I had tested positive for Lyme.

He said that with my family history, he really felt that it was RA. He said that he wanted to put me on some medication that should make me feel better, while he did some testing. He told me to trust him, that he would help me feel better. That the medication would get me back to my old self again and that he would see me again in a few weeks with the test results.

At the time I was in so much pain and this man was offering some relief. I decided to have the additional test done and take the medication. It was only for two weeks and maybe this guy could help me feel better. After all the other doctor wasn’t really helping. I needed to be able to take care of my baby and I was sure that the tests would show that he was wrong about the rheumatoid arthritis.

He gave me a prescription for prednisone and told me to set up an appointment to come back in two weeks.

My instincts were telling me that this wasn’t right, but I told myself that this doctor was teaching at one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country, who was I to question his expertise. So I took my prescription and I made my appointment and I hoped that he was really going to make me feel better.

The next part of my story has had the biggest impact on my life. It has taught me a great many things and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Autoimmune Diseases and Flu Season: H1N1 (Swine Flu) and Seasonal Flu

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Every time I turn around lately someone is talking about the swine flu (H1N1). There have been outbreaks on college campuses around the United States and with kids back to school everyone is a little nervous about what germs they may bring home. The vaccine for the H1N1 Swine flu won’t be available until October and the seasonal flu vaccine has only been available to selected clinics and doctors so far. It is entirely possible that even with the vaccine, many people will catch the flu.

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Let’s face it even if you do everything right there is a chance that you can get swine flu or the seasonal flu. Hand washing seems to be the best line of defense and my kids tell me that there are hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom. The local schools seem to be doing everything they can to prevent an outbreak, but unless you are living in a bubble there is still that chance that you or the people that surround you will become sick. It is entirely possible that many will come down with swine flu before the proper agencies are even able to get the vaccine to the people that would benefit from it most. So I thought I would talk about what to do if you actually come down with this strain or any other strain of flu.

Firstly, you are not going to know if you have H1N1 or the regular seasonal flu. The symptoms of this and any other strain of flu virus are sudden onset of cold like symptoms. Fever (over 100 degrees), chills, headache, dry cough, runny nose, lethargy, body aches are the most common symptoms but sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported. If you or anyone that you are living with is experiencing these symptoms, get to the doctor right away.

The sooner you see a doctor the better. Anti-viral medications such as Tamiflu must be taken within 12-48 hours of the onset of symptoms to be effective. Tamiflu can help to reduce the duration of the symptoms of the flu up to 30%. Tamiflu is also prescribed for the prevention of the flu if you have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with the flu. This is particularly important if you have a compromised immune system.

If you are unfortunate enough to catch the swine or seasonal flu, there are many over the counter flu remedies that may ease your symptoms. Make sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any over the counter remedy because it may interact with any prescription drugs you are taking.

The most important thing you can do for yourself when sick with the flu is get plenty of rest. Having experienced the flu first-hand I can tell you that your body isn’t really going to want to do anything but rest. Make sure to get plenty of fluids when dealing with the flu because dehydration will only make you feel worse and may slow down the healing process.

If your symptoms do not improve or start to get worse, see a doctor right away. Many people with autoimmune diseases have a more difficult time fighting the flu because of the treatments for their disease often weakens their immune system. If you are experiencing shortness of breath, having difficulty breathing, experiencing chest pains as a result of coughing or are coughing up yellow, green or bloody phlegm get to a doctor right away. These may be symptoms of a much more serious condition.

Secondary infections as a result of the flu include sinus infections, bronchitis, ear infections and pneumonia. Some secondary infections may result in hospitalization. It is vitally important to listen to your body and if there is any indication that you are not improving call the doctor.

It can take up to two weeks for a healthy adult to get over the flu. If your immune system is compromised it probably will take longer. Most people with the flu recover completely within a reasonable amount of time, but there may be lingering symptoms such as a cough and general weakness. It is important that if you are unsure about any symptoms that you are experiencing that you contact your doctor and do not hesitate. It is much better to ask to see the doctor and have it be a relatively small issue than hold off and wait to see a physician and have it be much more serious and harder to treat.

Google Health

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This is an interesting and important service that google is providing. It certainly would give the patient more hands on control of their medical records and the information contained within. I like the idea of actually being able to look at my own medical records and that in theory they could all be located in one place. I have many different doctors and I really think that if they could all share all of my medical records it would be more of a team mentality when it comes to my health as opposed to each doctor taking care of his or her own part of the equation. I am a little concerned about security issues and certainly privacy issues. I hadn’t heard of this feature that google provides and just stumble upon this video. It seems like they still have some issues to work out but it is an interesting concept.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Take Control, Be Your Own Health Advocate

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Becoming your own health advocate can sound like a daunting task, but it really is an important part of taking control of your disease. No one knows your body better than you do. It is up to you to communicate what is going on with your doctor(s) and other health care professionals. One of the most important things that you can do for yourself in taking charge of your health care is to find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. Find one that listens to what you are telling them and respects you. If you don’t feel your doctor is listening to you and respecting you, it may be time to look for a new one. They are supposed to be working for you in your best interest, if you feel that they aren’t, find a new one.

Once you feel comfortable with your choice of doctor, the next important step is to be prepared. Do some research on your condition. Make a list of questions to bring with you to the doctor’s office. List the questions in order of importance to you.

Bring a note pad with your questions to the doctors office with you. Ask questions and write down the doctor’s answer. It’s really easy to forget what the doctor said when you are sitting there in a paper dress. If additional testing is needed, ask why and how the procedure will work. Most importantly, make sure that you understand the answer to your questions. If you don’t understand, make sure to communicate that with the doctor so that they can explain things in a way that you can understand.

Keep a health journal. Log how you are feeling from day to day. Write down any changes to your diet or medications. Report to the doctor anything that is out of the ordinary. Keep a record of all the medications that you are taking and from which doctor. If another doctor or specialist changes your medication or you start taking any supplements, write it down to share at your next visit.

Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. Or even a third opinion if necessary. This is your body and your good health. It is up to you to make sure that the professionals that you see are working with you to maintain your health.

Poll Results: Are You Happy With Your Current Rheumatologist?

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According to LivingRheum’s first non scientific poll 53% of those polled are happy with their current rheumatologist. 32% of readers that participated in the poll said that they were not happy with their current rheumatologist. And 16% said that they had not made their minds up yet.

For me it is very disappointing to hear that almost 1/3 of all that participated in our poll are not happy with their current rheumatologist. I am interested in learning why. Is it because their is a lack of qualified rheumatologist? Is it because insurance companies limiting our choice of doctors?

I spent several years with 2 different rheumatologist that I was not at all happy with before I found my current really fantastic rheumatologist. I am fortunate that I live in a part of the country that I affords me the opportunity to choose from a great deal of rheumatologist so that I could find one that I feel comfortable with. In the state of Rhode Island their are 24 rheumatologist listed in 1545 square miles (that is 1045 land miles and 500 water miles) that is one doctor for every 16 square land miles. Those are pretty good stats for those of us in the littlest state.