HI all thankyou very much for your supportive comments.
I will read them links thanks so much for the heads up.
Im in absolute agony all the time but slept last night for the first time in what must be about 2 months, only just got up at like 11.30 am. not like me at all.
I live in liverpool.
I think more of the problem is that I see a different dr every time I go, there are like 9 drs in the practise and you just get put with whichever one has the next appt available. about three of them agree and think it is AS.
Iv written a diary i took that the rhuematologist with me. had my whole family history in it. my past medical history and previous tests id had done. previous results from orthopedics and physiotherapists. id even kept a pain diary from the last 8 weeks so he knew how it had moved around my joints and had noted how the back pain was worse when resting etc etc. he wouldnt read it. didnt want to know. didnt even ask my medical history or anything. just wasnt interested.
he looked at my joints saw they were swollen but the swelling wasnt red and said it wasnt his department, prescribed me ametripteline, i said arnt you even going to examine me so he said to get on the bed looked at me knees and ankles and said yes swollen but not red, not my dept. i said my own dr wrote to you he thinks its AS i have a strong family link. he said Women cant get it, i said about 7 alone in my family have it and my granddad. he said they will have been misdiagnosed and just have spondilarthritis (cnt sp it. I said four of them are part of the AS study and go to all the conferences have dna samples taken etc etc. he looked at me. i quickly reeled off as many symptoms as i could in one breath before he interupted and said yes yes you have all the symptoms and if you were a man i would treat you for it lets just get you on some longterm pain relief that your gp can maintain could be decades, months or weeks but as long as its manageable you can go back to work. i just wanted to cry.
my bf was fuming, he asked him to do the xray anyway and i said just for peace of mind. it took a while but we talked him into it. so he sent me for the xray. its not even bin looked at yet 3 days on. typical init.
my dr is waiting for the xray results and will then go from there. its just a nightmare that its so hard to get a diagnosis and proper treatment for. and i look at aunty thelma and im panicking inside, she was missed for so long coz of a crappy rhuematologist.
im hoping your links will help
thanks so much ladies
xx
