So my first ever visit to a rheumy.
She says at once she is thinking of AS. I tell her I had the blood test, and it was negative, and I had the IS-joints MRI'd in February, also negative. My problems with the hip and lower back soreness and pain started 4 months before that. She says MRI should have shown inflammation (at the time of the MRI I was painfree in the area ofc). So she says she was thinking AS before I said that.
Due to my problems with the stomach infection last fall, she says she suspects that caused the problems. She says sometimes infections like that can cause a reaction that mimics AS and similar diseases, and that they sometimes can take a year, or several years for the body to work out.
She measured my back movement, but ofc I have great mobility, so she sees no point in pictures on the back or neck. Nevermind me loosing some feeling in the right leg at times.
She did a quick Ultra sound on my right hip. I have no clue if she saw something or nothing, she didnt say.
I had a saliva test taken at the dentist before seeing her, was on short notice so taken right after I had a cavity drilled. It showed low, but not critically low passive saliva flow. But according to the rheumy, since I use a medicine that can cause dry mouth, that test is in any case worthless, and can be crumbled and tossed away. The only sure test is a lip biopsy according to her. She leaves it up to me if I want one taken.
To be honest the only thing I really found positive about the meeting is that she is very clear on one thing and that is that she thinks my GP's evaluation of "general anxiety" being the cause of my problems is silly. "Anxiety does NOT cause these problems you are having"
She says she cant do anything more for me atm. I was just to call them if I got worse again. Adn she wanted me to have a prescrition for a prescrition pain killer (Voltaren), as non-prescription meds do nothing for these pains).
No blood work ordered, no further tests.
All in all I feel dissapointed, maybe I shouldnt have expected more.
My own conclusion: She is very clear that my pains and soreness and symptoms are NOT anxiety, but thinks this is some sort of a mimic disease and cant do anything about it, diagnostic or medicine ways. I wont be taking the painkillers unless things get Really bad. If they cant diagnose me with an illness, I'll be damned if I'm going to medicate myself for one.
I left her with a list of 3 pages of symptoms, and family history I had prepared. Maybe she'll read it too for all I know...
Last edited by gilth; 11/17/11 08:01 AM.
