Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Rheumatologist Appointment today

one Rheumy, less than 3 months to diagnosis, confirmation with Xray and CAT scan to re-confirm....
bang on diagnosis, but "they pulled Vioxx off the market there is nothing more I can do for you , good luck" that was what I was told 6 years ago... and not knowing anything and told it was self limiting and by the time i was 40 it would be over.... i dont do much, now i am a wreck and trying to fix my body.

overall I have found natural health care practitioners to be way more reliable and they listen. the thought of trying to find another rheumy scares me, but it must be done.

Magician, I am praying for you that the next specialist you see will listen with a big huge open heart, and know exactly what is going on and how to help you in the best ways possible.You deserve it!!!!!!!
you are amazing and all together wonderful! Live life grandiously!
and yup, i still want to know you!

Wendy...do you have links for A.S. like the ones for R.A.?

Magician: I know you had a horrible experience and it is unfair. You have to doctor shop now. Like Sue said, it is between night and day once you find someone who is caring and treats your symptoms and disease because they know you are suffering. Once you find that type of doctor , you will be so appreciative.

You could call the arthritis foundation too to ask for a Rheumatologist that treats AS in your area. This is how I found my Rheumatologist who caught my AS. Prior to that, I had docs telling me I just had OA and had to suffer many years.

Shari

Laure164 - You've strayed into a thread. For AS check here : https://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=33&page=1

Above forum is to do with latest research findings on AS - on an international level.

Hi Laurel,

I do have a few but probably not such good ones because I have RA not AS so have concentrated my research on RA.

I'll see what I can find and post some links (maybe this evening when I get back from work).

Dear Magician.

Get yourself referred to the Rheum Dept at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. I worked with all of these docs between my 1st and 2nd year med school.

Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy - head of the dept but focuses more on RA
Dr. Carol Hitchon - detached bedside manner, but AS specialist I think
Dr. Christine Peschken - can't remember anything specific about Dr Peschken, prob bc I didnt work with her very much, but she seemed pleasant enough the times I did
Dr. David Robinson - my old rheumatologist (had switched from a non-hospital based room to be treated by Robinson, good guy, empathetic and willing to try different things for me at a time when there weren't so many options).

Sounds like you've had a rough go of it, but you shouldn't give up. Ask your GP / Family doc for a second opinion (you are entitled to this) and head to Winnipeg (I used to take the greyhound from Winnipeg - Brandon all the time, very reasonable, and HSC is a short cab ride from the depot to the HSC).

Be sure you get referred to a hospital rheumatologist, they have more time allocated for each initial visit than the non-hospital docs do. You might want to do your own research on each of them. Try websites like ratemds.com to see what others have said about them (and possibly leave a review for the rheum you saw recently?)

Good luck,
Jeanna

So sorry you had to go through this. I know you were so hopeful. I went through the wringer, first with Fibro dx and then A.S. re-d.x. Can't tell you how many times I've cried after awful Dr.s appt.s It is such a crappy hard disease for one to test and even worst to have. Did this one have any A.S. patients at all?

Dust it off, they were rude to you and treated you unfairly. I know it gets darn tiring trying to find the "right" one that will at least take you seriously but it is worth it.

Jeanna, thanks for chiming in on this one. Magic has had a really rough go of it these last few years. Hopefully, the rheumies at HSC can help.

Love and hugs,

ratemds.com was where I found this idiot Rheumatologist. She was rated with five stars. I think I will ask my doctor next week #1. what he thinks of this situation and #2 to refer me to the Health Sciences Rheumatologists. And then I am giving up for a while.

I volunteered to clean up a Community Garden this morning/afternoon. Not sure how my back will love me but I am doing a good deed for a good reason. This is for the Liberation Treatment to help MS patients to get the treatment.

Applied for work as a cashier at a grocery store. That one will hurt my back but I need money to live from. Can't keep asking my parents for financial help. Have a dental appointment Monday morning. I am going to tell the dentist to either pull the tooth or to send me to the hospital for dental surgery.

Simply cannot afford it and while my pain threshold is high, I will not be able to handle the dentist repairing a split nerve. I will most likely pass out from the pain.

This is not how I envisioned life at this moment.