So I went to a rheumatologist today.

[kathryn]

Follow up to - http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f16-g...-i-still-sick/


Okay, so today I went to my rheum appt. It was disappointing to say the least. UGH! So, I got there about 20 minutes early.. waiting.. finally went back and waited about 45 minutes for the doctor. He came in and introduced himself... and didn't particularly ask many questions or anything. It kinda seemed like he read my little questionnaire i filled out prior to my appointment and that was it...

So, he moved my legs and arms a bit and really didn't ask many questions.. just a general history of how long, what have you tried etc... so I got kinda annoyed and just started going on about everything myself. And he was kinda like yeah I know... Alright... so okay whatever. Then I kinda kept prodding that I thought it was more then fibromyalgia and that my GP and other doctors agree but no one specializes in problems like this. He kinda blew me off. I was like, well I read online about things like Sjorens and Lupus and they seemed to fit me more then just plain fibro etc etc.. and he looked at my bloodwork results and was like 'well you don't have those antibodies' and discredited me right there

It even says on the paperwork that a negative ANA or rheumatoid factor doesn't always mean anything in the context of things. And that's what I read online as well. So just because my bloodwork doesn't show anything at the moment doesn't automatically mean I don't have something, which my GP explained to me.

So, he just went ahead and went with me just having fibromyalgia and case closed. He gave me a script for some new med called Savella. I'm going to go ahead and try it and while it may correct some of my pain management problems it's not designed to help with much else, like the fact I am sick to my stomach, have fevers and CONSTANTLY catch every little bug that goes around..

I feel like this HAS to be something more at this point. Fibromyalgia does NOT cause all the other problems I have!! I feel like I have fibro because I have something else..

I can't understand why the doctor found me so uninteresting. An 18 year old has been having wide-spread, un-relentless, chronic conditions for the past 5 years and that's not interesting!?!?!? If you were a doctor wouldn't something like this really peak your interest and make you want to be the one to find out what's going on?!


Oh, and he didn't order anymore tests at all. Or have anymore suggestions really... no advice for management or anything. Just kinda like 'hm, i have no patience to figure out what is wrong with this chick. let's just give her a script and send on on her way.' GAHHHHHHH

[hopefaithlove]

Some doctors really suck. I'm sorry your dealing with all of this. I know from experience how tough it is going from doctor to doctor with no explanations. I hope it gets better.

[kathryn]

He wasn't mean or creepy or anything... but he didn't seem to want to figure out if there was something more. basically 2 or 3 tests on my bloodwork are negative and that's the end of the story. It is specifically noted that fibromyalgia does NOT actually damage anything. It's a nerve disorder. My joints are physically damaged. You can look at them and see how swollen and weird they look. The cracking, grinding and all that stuff is NOT part of fibromyalgia!! There HAS to be something else doing on. I feel like I'm going to be in a wheelchair by the time I'm 30 if my joint 'deterioration' (that's what it feels like) continues.


Ohhh and when I talked about the tests I had done when I was 13 and 14 and how they were mostly inconclusive... that was another thing he used to basically say there's nothing else wrong with me. Tests from 5 years ago are relevant?? Really??

Whatever your condition may be.. it's so annoying when doctors dismiss you like this...