Shortly following my google meltdown...I found myself in the doctor's office nervously sitting with Tom and my mother. I had to fill out a mountain of paperwork...gotta love specialty doctors. Rate the pain in your feet, rate the pain in your back, rate your anxiety level, and the list when on and on. A physicians assistant walked in the door--she was younger than me...I just new it. She starts going over my paperwork, and so my dismay began...the rest of the story is TRUE...therefore I will leave out the name of this particular doctors office. Moral of the story, do not ask me to recommend a good rheumatologist.
"wow! you pain in your feet is a 7?? That's so high!"
"...AND IN YOUR BACK!"
"I see here that your anxiety level is an 8! OH MY GOD!"
For someone who doesn't know what the hell disease she has AND has struggled with anxiety most of her life...my blood was boiling and there was not enough xanax in the world to calm me down. At this point I clearly wanted to kill this 24 year old moron. I looked at her and said "when am I seeing the doctor?" She looked up as if she forgot i was even in the room..."umm, yes, he'll be here in a minute."
When the doctor walked in, I was sure the nightmare was over, he would reassure me everything was going to be fine and we would figure this out together.
WRONG...I WAS ONE BIG PILE OF WRONG!
He asked me about my symptoms...I started talking and showing him my feet. After about thirty seconds of me trying to explain my symptoms he cuts me off and starts talking to the moron PA. "Have her tested for Lupus, and RA, and Cyliacs, and I need x-rays of her hands, feet, back, and legs. You have some form of Autoimmune disease. The only medication to take will shut down your immune system. Let's get more blood work and those x-rays. See you in 6 weeks.
...and that was it...the whole appointment...back to googling for the night...
This appointment was followed by EIGHT more at $50 a pop. Each was more annoying then the next. I saw a total of 4 different PA's...each with a different take on my issues and none actually told me what I have...
...CORRECTION...once I did go in and the PA told me I had Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, meaning a little bit of everything...mainly RA and Lupus. I left with the plan of taking anti-inflammatory medication to control the symptoms and prevent bone damage. I was happy to have an answer.
You know that's not the end of this story...
The next time I went in a saw a DIFFERENT PA. Towards the end of the visit she said she was going to look over the last blood workup on me. I informed her that the last PA already did that, she wanted to read it anyway. I told her about the diagnosis the last lady gave me as well. In a moment of confusion she picks her head up and says "your ANA levels were negative...you are not presenting with any Autoimmune diseases right now."
Needless to say...I haven't been back to that office...and...I'm going to a nutritionist instead. But more on that later...
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