Hello everyone, I have stood on the sideline for ages not really knowing what to post but here goes. A couple of years ago I started to get what I thought were hot flashes followed by a chronic calf pain which felt like a pulled muscle. I went through a phase of ankles giving way and stumbling and falling over. I put it down to menopause and started HRT. After one glorious week of feeling well the 'flashes' and calf pain returned. A few diff hormones were tried but symptoms stubbornly remained.
Not long after this my son was severely injured in a car crash and was hospitalised for weeks, happily after a long haul he recovered. It was after this things deteriorated, The calf pain was replaced by severe neck pain, weakness, fleeting joint pains, constant exhaustion and a faint rash across the cheeks. My GP ran some blood tests and on finding CRP of 13 referred me to see a rheumy who admitted me to hospital with suspected SLE. I'm not sure what all the tests results were but I do know antibodies were absent. I was given a pred shot and put onto Plaquenil. Things greatly improved for quite a few months until Dec when joint pains gradually returned plus new symptoms of transient dry eyes and mouth and CRP rose to 23. In spite of these problems (and also discovering I had picked up MRSA in previous admission), in January I had a rotator cuff repair at another hospital and things have deteriorated ever since.
My appointment wasn't until April so GP tried (in vain)to get the appointment brought forward. By the time original appointment came round in early April CRP was 39 and I felt very poorly. On being seen rheumy said things were out of control and put me on low dose pred all being well start metho in 6 weeks. Was also sent me for xrays and lots of blood tests and The receptionist said the next appointment would be posted as the computer is unable to handle appointments below a certain interval - incidentally, whatever interval rheumy sets the computer doubles them.
As things stand, currently no appointment arrived and discovered today none has been made nor do they have any available for months. On top of feeling increasingly unwell I do not feel confident being treated under such a haphazard appointment system (and dirty hospital). I am seeing my GP tomorrow who is very supportive and wonder if I should ask to be referred to a diff hospital? Or am I being unreasonable. Sorry for the long rant I feel so cheesed off at the moment.
Not long after this my son was severely injured in a car crash and was hospitalised for weeks, happily after a long haul he recovered. It was after this things deteriorated, The calf pain was replaced by severe neck pain, weakness, fleeting joint pains, constant exhaustion and a faint rash across the cheeks. My GP ran some blood tests and on finding CRP of 13 referred me to see a rheumy who admitted me to hospital with suspected SLE. I'm not sure what all the tests results were but I do know antibodies were absent. I was given a pred shot and put onto Plaquenil. Things greatly improved for quite a few months until Dec when joint pains gradually returned plus new symptoms of transient dry eyes and mouth and CRP rose to 23. In spite of these problems (and also discovering I had picked up MRSA in previous admission), in January I had a rotator cuff repair at another hospital and things have deteriorated ever since.
My appointment wasn't until April so GP tried (in vain)to get the appointment brought forward. By the time original appointment came round in early April CRP was 39 and I felt very poorly. On being seen rheumy said things were out of control and put me on low dose pred all being well start metho in 6 weeks. Was also sent me for xrays and lots of blood tests and The receptionist said the next appointment would be posted as the computer is unable to handle appointments below a certain interval - incidentally, whatever interval rheumy sets the computer doubles them.
As things stand, currently no appointment arrived and discovered today none has been made nor do they have any available for months. On top of feeling increasingly unwell I do not feel confident being treated under such a haphazard appointment system (and dirty hospital). I am seeing my GP tomorrow who is very supportive and wonder if I should ask to be referred to a diff hospital? Or am I being unreasonable. Sorry for the long rant I feel so cheesed off at the moment.