finding a good doctor

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i also get recurring bronchitis. possibly related?

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> The question I have for the group: > how do you determine if the doc is going to take you seriously without > seeing him/her for months at a time?  

IF he won’t see you for months at a time, he’s (she) already on the $#!* list. — tommy Associate Editor – MacTIPS <http://www.mac-tips.com>

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Dear Folks, Recently I went to my primary doc for help with another reactivation of a virus that comes & goes with stress although now it takes very little stress to reactive it.  The virus triggers a round of thyroiditis and the thyroiditis lowers my thyroid hormones.  To make a long story short, the thyroid hormones were low although not terribly low but nevertheless low. A couple months later I’m again completely wiped out and unable to work. I went to the doc to get help and he said the thyroid hormone level was normal (it was not – I saw the results).  I’ve decided the doc does not want me for a patient given that all lab results that come back abnormal are called ‘normal’ and he does nothing to help.  BTW, the usual treatment for recurrent thyroiditiis that will not stay away is prednisone.  When I’ve gotten prednisone, the disease regresses and stays away for up to two years at a time and I’m fit and able to function. So, I’m in search of a new doctor.  The question I have for the group: how do you determine if the doc is going to take you seriously without seeing him/her for months at a time?   The textbooks I’ve read on ‘thyroiditis’ state that it is not treated because it is self-limiting and goes away by itself.  The texts also state that if the disease is disabling and does not ‘go away’ within a reasonable period of time, it probably should be treated.  Say for example if the person cannot carry out activities of daily living.   My test results indicate that I have the disease again and again it is not being treated.  The last time I had it, it took 8 months to regress and during the 8 months that I had it, I became completely unable to work, sometimes could not cook for myself and could not drive either.  So, I’d say I need to find a doctor who will treat this but I’m at a loss how to do this or how to get the docs to stop blowing off abnormal results and calling them ‘normal’. Any suggestions? Sheryl —

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I have lived in three different parts of the country, and I have seen 8 rheumatologists. I hope this is the last move and the last rheumatologist I will need! ) Kathy W.

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> I have lived in three different parts of the country, and I have seen 8 > rheumatologists. I hope this is the last move and the last rheumatologist I > will need! ) > Kathy W.

Hi Kathy,   Good to see you on the board again.  Hhhhm 8 RDs, that makes you kind of a pro at it. LOL Harv

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I remember that kleenex in the nose story and laughed my fanny off when I read it.  Who is the person that saw that dr.  I can’t remember.  It truly is a classic!!! Jeannette

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Hi Mary, I know what you’re going through.  The same thing happened to me several years ago.  I went to a well-respected rheumy in search of some new medication for my unrelenting pain.  We talked for a few minutes, then he ordered blood work. When the blood test results came back, he told me that I could not be experiencing such severe pain because the test came back negative.  (I don’t remember the name of the test, but it sounds similar to the one you had.)  I immediately began to cry in his office.  I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t listen to me.  Don’t they get into this line of work to help people? His advice to me was to take Tylenol as needed, if I was experiencing what I thought was pain.  I also asked him about an ankle replacement when I was there and his response to me was that I would not be considered for it because I was too young.  So much for quality of life. My advice to you is to try to get some referrals for a rheumy.  You could probably get a referral from someone on this newsgroup. Hang in there, Michelle in VA

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Hi folks, Has anyone had problems finding a rheumy who figures out exactly what is going on and gets on it. I am on my second rheumy now, and although she is good and listens to me, I am still feeling like the excruciating pain I’m having is not being taken seriously enough. There’s too much time taking place between visits, tests, etc. My initial rheumy always told me I wasn’t having the pain I was having, and I maybe had OA, nothing else. I told him there was "something else" going on, but he didn’t believe me. Also, he told me since my bloodwork came back seronegative, I didn’t have RA or anything else. I left him. Has this happened to others? How many doctors do people go through before they find someone suitable? Thanks in advance. Mary

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Hi Mary,  I have had three but only the second one needed to be replaced for how he practiced and my third never did get medical records from the 2d either.  The first one retired.     I am a great believer in more open communication between doc and patient and taking notes about what has taken place since the last time I saw the doc and any questions I have.  I just had them to the doc when he walks in.  I also might hand him some of the latest stuff that comes from Kitty,JD, Liz, or Krissy if I think he will find it interesting for him to read later or throw away as he sees fit. Harv – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi folks, > Has anyone had problems finding a rheumy who figures out exactly what > is going on and gets on it. I am on my second rheumy now, and although she > is good and listens to me, I am still feeling like the excruciating pain > I’m having is not being taken seriously enough. There’s too much time > taking place between visits, tests, etc. > My initial rheumy always told me I wasn’t having the pain I was having, > and I maybe had OA, nothing else. I told him there was "something else" > going on, but he didn’t believe me. Also, he told me since my bloodwork > came back seronegative, I didn’t have RA or anything else. I left him. > Has this happened to others? How many doctors do people go through before > they find someone suitable? > Thanks in advance. > Mary

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> > I should of known he was an idiot, since he sat there with bloody kleenex > hanging out of his nose…. > Guess you could say he literally gave you a "red flag" warning! >  ;  )  Liz G

ROFL!! If I was drinking anything I would have had to clean off the screen!!! — "There are some people that if they  don’t know, you can’t tell ‘em." — Louis Armstrong http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Nook/9300

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>I should of known he was an idiot, since he sat there with bloody kleenex >hanging out of his nose….

I remember when you posted about that….. Rose

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> I should of known he was an idiot, since he sat there with bloody kleenex > hanging out of his nose….

Guess you could say he literally gave you a "red flag" warning!  ;  )  Liz G

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>I should of known he was an idiot, since he sat there with bloody kleenex >hanging out of his nose….

EEEWWWWW!         :O)  Mary Lynn  (mlh)  (O:  :O)  "Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most"  :O)                            (remove ma in email address)

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> When the blood test results came back, he told me that I could not be > experiencing such severe pain because the test came back negative.  (I don’t > remember the name of the test, but it sounds similar to the one you had.) I > immediately began to cry in his office

Michelle,  That kind of treatment should be criminal!  Since when is there a blood test for pain???!  The only test I know of is……you try to move my joint *that* way—-> I scream!   I hope you are not still going to that doc…..  Liz G

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Mary, I had to go through 2 rheumy’s.  First one kept giving me shots and more shots and told me it would pass.  pain severe in hips and unable to walk.  I wrote him a letter and told him I did not appreciate his not getting back with me and his staff putting me off.   Bingo he told me that if I did not like it go somewhere else.  Boom fired him. Next one took me off all medrol (cortisone) been on it for 5 yrs and said. Take celebrex and go to thereapy.  Heck I was in PT for over a yr.  Did no good.  Boom went to know Spine clinic and ended up with back surgery.  Oh oh..Then back to that rheumy number 2 because there was no one else even near this area at the time.  Again pain was bad in joints and he just said take more celebrex, and never say you have lupus with joint involvement. Tests for sed rate was mildly elevated at the time.  Injected a few joints and said live with it and go back to PT, you will get over it..Then ruptured my cervical neck disk and had to have a plate and screws and bone graft, Went back to rheumy, live with it and go to PT…Now I was P O’d   so I got on line to a well known clinic and bingo they called me and got me in and by then and that was only 2 weeks, my sed rate was 86 and positive positve tests came back… I was angry….I call the number 2 rheumy and his response,  Welll, your tests here did not show anything and did not warrent follow up.  You do not want to know my response.   ha ha… I should of known he was an idiot, since he sat there with bloody kleenex hanging out of his nose…. After receiveing help from a great rheumy I got in to one closer to me, but I have to say that the one I have now is nice and If I need to go back to the big clinic she will send me.  Good thing we get new docs around this area. so sorry this is long….But you have a right to demand good care.  If you do not take care of your body who the H will.  Get some good help…and like Char said Knowledge is POWER….. — Janers "Somedays are diamonds, Somedays are stones" Somedays this pain won’t leave me the hell alone"

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Mary-Your story is NOT unfamiliar, unfortunately.  I was really lucky to find a great RD on the second try.  But I have heard stories here where folks had to go to 4-5 different RDs to find a keeper. I found mine, by taking the advice of a friend who was a retired RN.  If you know any nurses, it might be worthwhile to pick their brains. Sorry you are having such problems.  Hope you find a good one, very soon. In the mean time, tell your RD the same thing you have told us.  STRESS to her, all that is going on with you.  But you need to keep in mind that some of the treatments they use for inflammatory arthrtis take weeks to kick in.   You didnt mention what meds you are taking.  But if the problem is pain, ASK for pain meds.  Ultram for instance, is a non-narcotic analgesic.  It doesnt work for everyone, but it worked for me for a couple of years. Know your options.  Knowledge is power. Char "Remember, I’m pulling for ya’.  We’re all in this together."  Red Green

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