Hi,

I was really hoping that my doctor was an expert in rheumatology. I mean, she IS a rheumatologist after all. She's been through medical school. She's trained in her specialty. So looking at it from that point of view, it wasn't really wrong to hope that she had a clue.

That was the hope. This is the reality.....

If I'm honest, I should have started looking for a new doctor a long time go. I had that funny little feeling that I wasn't being heard.  Sure, she acted like she was listening.... but you can tell if someone is just going through the motions or if they are really listening and hearing and comprehending what you're saying.

 I'm not going to whip myself with a wet noodle for giving her the benefit of the doubt. Especially since I was only diagnosed two and a half years ago and knew absolutely nothing about RA. But since that time, I've been learning. I've been reading and researching. I've learned a whole new vocabulary! I've come to understand that "I don't know" and "You have to be patient" shouldn't always be the answer to the questions you ask your doctor. In short, I got a clue.

At my last few appointments, I asked for repeat x rays of my feet and hands since it had been over two years and a lot of medications since they were originally taken. I also asked that my wrists and ankle be looked at as well since they had been giving me so much trouble. She kept postponing the x rays, but I finally became insistant. I told her that I had been having a lot of pain and swelling in my hands and wrists, but because they happened to be pretty good that day, she discounted it as real. As all of us know, one of the hallmarks of RA is that it moves around. So what can be horrible one day, can be pretty much okay the next. Why didn't the "expert" know this? I also told her that I had been having more problems with my ankles and heels. According to her, a two year bout with Plantar Faciitis isn't a "rheumatologic issue." Seriously?

Fast forward to when the radiology report comes back. The doctor calls to tell me that there's nothing to be concerned about. She read the finding to me. My hands: No "significant" erosions. Brand new osteoarthritis in both thumbs.  Lucency at both of the wrists. Not just in one of the x rays, but all six of them. I had no idea what this meant, but was told it was not to worry about it. So I did the research. Turns out that it's an indication of osteopenia. This is of "no concern?" Okay, maybe not to her, but oteopenia is definitely "of concern" to me! Osteopenia means that you have lower bone density than normal. In other words, a precursor to osteoporosis. Yeah, that's a big concern to me. My feet also showed no "significant" erosions. Makes me wonder what the doctor considers "significant." Again, new osteoarthritis in both big toes. Seems everything is bilateral.... And, heel spurs. Turns out that heel spurs don't cause plantar faciitis, but that plantar faciitis/chronic inflammation causes heel spurs. Chronic inflammation in someone who has RA definitely falls under the heading of "rheumatologic issue" to me. And the last thing about the x rays is that there were no images of my ankles. None? Six x rays of my feet and not even a glimpse of my ankles? So glad that my concerns about my ankles were addressed.