Is There A Doctor In The House?

Rainbow,

I know the feeling and I am old enough for medicare with a supplemental back-up plan. I have had leg pains, weakness and malaise for a couple of months and finally got a diagnosis.

I live in woods and thought I had lyme disease, but that test was negative twice. Then I checked the internet and decided I had polymyalgia rheumatica.

I went to my family doctor and got more blood tests. He told me to get vitamin D at the grocery store, that we all have a deficiency in vitamin D and it can cause all sorts of damage. I also had an elevated inflammation rate.

One night the leg pains got so bad I went to the ER. A kindly man gave me a pain shot, pain pills, blood tests, and a test for blood clots. No blood clots.

Then I got poison ivy. I do often. If I walk past a small clump it jumps up on my skin and gives me big welts in just hours. I went back to a physician's assistant I had gone to for the possible lyme disease. She gave me steroids and said, "you know this might just help the leg pains." They did miraculously. Then my doctor finally concluded I had polymyalgia rheumatica. I will go for physical therapy and take steroids for a year. Muscle spasms come for no reason at no particular time, but I am glad to be stamped with a diagnosis.

I think God gave me poison ivy. I would have never been able to do all I have had to with my mother dying with the leg pains.

Hang in their Rainbow. Check the internet. Even good insurance can't always give you the answers. Sometimes you just have to be determined and find the right person. My right person was a physician's assistant about 27 years old. Perhaps there is a free clinic or nurse practitioner in your area who could help find the answers for cheaper.

Carol

Carol Troestler wrote:

Rainbow,

I know the feeling and I am
old enough for medicare with a supplemental back-up plan. I have had
leg pains, weakness and malaise for a couple of months and finally got
a diagnosis.

I live in woods and thought I had lyme disease, but
that test was negative twice. Then I checked the internet and decided I
had polymyalgia rheumatica.

I went to my family doctor and got
more blood tests. He told me to get vitamin D at the grocery store,
that we all have a deficiency in vitamin D and it can cause all sorts
of damage. I also had an elevated inflammation rate.

One night
the leg pains got so bad I went to the ER. A kindly man gave me a pain
shot, pain pills, blood tests, and a test for blood clots. No blood
clots.

Then I got poison ivy. I do often. If I walk past a small
clump it jumps up on my skin and gives me big welts in just hours. I
went back to a physician's assistant I had gone to for the possible
lyme disease. She gave me steroids and said, "you know this might just
help the leg pains." They did miraculously. Then my doctor finally
concluded I had polymyalgia rheumatica. I will go for physical therapy
and take steroids for a year. Muscle spasms come for no reason at no
particular time, but I am glad to be stamped with a diagnosis.

I think God gave me poison ivy. I would have never been able to do all I have had to with my mother dying with the leg pains.

Hang
in their Rainbow. Check the internet. Even good insurance can't always
give you the answers. Sometimes you just have to be determined and find
the right person. My right person was a physician's assistant about 27
years old. Perhaps there is a free clinic or nurse practitioner in your
area who could help find the answers for cheaper.

Carol

Many thanks Carol, when I get back to Laredo there is the Laredo
Medical Centre and I've been told they have to take you insurance, or
not. I'll mention the possibility of Polymyalgia Rheumatica to them, my
buddy's brother thought it might have been a stroke!

Which reminds me of the two old men sitting in deckchairs when a
gorgeous streaker ran passed. One of them had a stroke....The other one
couldn't reach!

I
always use Vitamin D whole milk for my tea andI checked on the net for
Lyme Disease and my symtoms don't really match, but what you mentioned
is a possibilty, I trust the steroids didn't make you look like Miss
Body Builder Universe and gave you rage and mood swings

I was wrong. I had no idea there were so many practitioners out there. I don't think a stone has been left unturned.

If drinking all that water doesn't help, try booze.

Abe F. March wrote:

I was wrong. I had no idea there were so many practitioners out there. I don't think a stone has been left unturned.

If drinking all that water doesn't help, try booze.

There ya go Abe, I can respect a man who can admit to being wrong, but if there are any other stones not turned over yet, get turning you wonderful people. Sorry Abe booze isn't an option, it makes me dress funny...Hi Y'all!

You are all decked out for the 4th! Keep the faith, buddy. Something is bound to turn up, and that clinic back home might be just the ticket.

Shelagh, I just couldn't resist yanking your chain a little! By UK standards, I am a 'yank' after all!

You can yank my chain anytime Zada!

zadaconnaway wrote:

You are all decked out for the 4th! Keep the
faith, buddy. Something is bound to turn up, and that clinic back home
might be just the ticket.

Shelagh, I just couldn't resist yanking your chain a little! By UK standards, I am a 'yank' after all!

Whilst the catscan revealed negative results on my brain, well at least
they found one, that picture was taken in England when I was hosting a
charity bazaar and yeh what am I doing celebrating us being kicked out
for taxation without representation, which unfortunately you still seem
to have......

for everyone across the big pond heres a parade Happy 4th of July

thehairymob wrote:

for everyone across the big pond heres a parade Happy 4th of July

How kind thanks Hairy!

Yes, thanks to all the non-US citizenry for the well wishes. The whole country celebrates this day. Parades, picnics, community gatherings and lots of fireworks. (Mostly legal ones, of course! )

My brother is a doctor. But he's an anesthesiologist. I will call him if you end up needing to be put out for surgery.

I was a medical technician for six years. I didn't renew my certification a couple of years ago. So, I'm no longer qualified to practice.

I've gone to webmd (as Abe suggested) for non emergency things. I usually find the answer to whatever concerns me.

I've been with out insurance as well. I'm happy I have mostly been in pretty good health and not accident prone.

Hope your itchy skin heals soon.

Forest Elf wrote:

My brother is a doctor. But he's an
anesthesiologist. I will call him if you end up needing to be put out
for surgery.

I was a medical technician for six years. I didn't
renew my certification a couple of years ago. So, I'm no longer
qualified to practice.

I've gone to webmd (as Abe suggested) for non emergency things. I usually find the answer to whatever concerns me.

I've been with out insurance as well. I'm happy I have mostly been in pretty good health and not accident prone.

Hope your itchy skin heals soon.

Thanks but my skin's not itchy, I've tried webmd, but the nearest thing
to whatever it is I got is the suggestion of polymyalgia rheumatia

Rainbow is there a free clinic there somewhere? Neurological symptoms need to be addressed.

My 2 cents worth. Hope you get well soon.
)

Abe that poor woman they showed on the news made it to our local stations too. Unbeleivable.

Pam wrote:

Rainbow is there a free clinic there somewhere? Neurological symptoms need to be addressed.

My 2 cents worth. Hope you get well soon.
)

Abe that poor woman they showed on the news made it to our local stations too. Unbeleivable.

Not sure, but as I mentioned when I get back to Laredo, the Laredo Medical Centre has to see you and thank you

Rainbow,

You don't want to just take my diagnosis. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but treatment is there. I still need further consultation with a rheumatologist.

But you need someone to listen, to problem solve with you. We had gone by a walk-in-clinic in town and my husband said he was going to take me there, but we tried once more at the regular clinic.

Sometimes it just isn't the experts, but people who get to know you and not just do exotic tests.

Good luck and I hope you find some answers and relief of the pain.

Carol

Carol Troestler wrote:

Rainbow,

You don't want to just take my
diagnosis. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but treatment is there. I
still need further consultation with a rheumatologist.

But you
need someone to listen, to problem solve with you. We had gone by a
walk-in-clinic in town and my husband said he was going to take me
there, but we tried once more at the regular clinic.

Sometimes it just isn't the experts, but people who get to know you and not just do exotic tests.

Good luck and I hope you find some answers and relief of the pain.

Carol

Hi Carol

No problem, I haven't taken your diagnosis per se, but I have made a
note of it as a possibility, so when I get back to Laredo, I can
mention it. Many thanks and I also hope I can get this sorted

Rainbow, be sure to keep us updated on your progress!

zadaconnaway wrote:

Rainbow, be sure to keep us updated on your progress!

Sho' Will, not much will happen until I get back to Laredo and get to the medical centre hopefully some time next week.

By the way:

Congratulations on reaching featured member status!!

zadaconnaway wrote:

By the way:

Congratulations on reaching featured member status!!

Wow thanks for letting me know whoop de dooby I'm a Five Star General
(ly) Joking! Thanks Mademoiselle President and I Love You All

It is sad to hear but not that unusual. Obviously there is something wrong. Bouncing from one MD to the next doesn't give a good MD the chance to do further exploration. They first try the "quick-fix" or the standard procedures. It's like taking your car for a service problem. They first start with the easy things - replacing stuff based on a diagnosis. When that doesn't work, they try something else, all the while you are paying for the "trial and error" approach.

At this point and to save some money, I would suggest that you go on-line and give your problem: the symptoms and what was already done, to some web MD. Ask what he/they suggest you should do. Then go to a second web MD and ask the same question. With the thousands of questions they get, someone, somewhere, may have had the same problem.

It's just an idea.
Abe

How horrible for you. Keep going back to that clinic and seeing the same Dr. Camp out in their waiting room if you have to.

Abe F. March wrote:

It is sad to hear but not that unusual. Obviously
there is something wrong. Bouncing from one MD to the next doesn't give
a good MD the chance to do further exploration. They first try the
"quick-fix" or the standard procedures. It's like taking your car for a
service problem. They first start with the easy things - replacing
stuff based on a diagnosis. When that doesn't work, they try something
else, all the while you are paying for the "trial and error" approach.

At
this point and to save some money, I would suggest that you go on-line
and give your problem: the symptoms and what was already done, to some
web MD. Ask what he/they suggest you should do. Then go to a second web
MD and ask the same question. With the thousands of questions they get,
someone, somewhere, may have had the same problem.

It's just an idea.
Abe

Thanks Abe I'll give it a shot

zadaconnaway wrote:

How horrible for you. Keep going back to that
clinic and seeing the same Dr. Camp out in their waiting room if you
have to.

The doctor at the clinic said there's only so many tests they can do in the ER