Sorry I haven't posted before about seeing my consultant. We decided to go away for a few days the day after I saw him, didn't have chance to post before we went away and have finally got around to post. Busy now because Julie is coming on Thursday with grandchildren and have been trying to get things ready for the 'Grand Arrival'

Well I was brave, well sort of. Wrote notes down of what I wanted to say and then forgot to take it with me

My ALT results from the blood test done a few days before was 21, so that was good. I told him that I was sleeping so much better, reminding him that he said it wasn't the SLZ but stress that was causing it. I then produced the little booklet that is around the SLZ bottle and showed him where it stated that it can cause sleep disruption, so he finally agreed that it was affecting my sleep and I am not to take it anymore and we are now just doing mono therapy to see what happens 17.5mg of MTX. To be honest I am not holding much hope for it working because I was taking 6 a day before along with 20mg of MTX and things were good. So it is wait and see. Tomorrow I will take my last steroid tablet, have been taking them on alternate days, the days I haven't been taking them I have been able to take my anti inflammatory drug been managing OK I suppose so fingers crossed that things will remain the same.

Well now the brave bit, didn't really go to plan. I started by saying that I wasn't happy with my last consultation with him putting everything down to stress. Said that RA is a very complex illness and it can manifest itself in lots of ways and I wanted to feel confident that I could talk to him about things without the fear of him putting it all down to stress. To which he replied 'I think we have a problem if you have lost confidence in me'......Oh dear, he sort of turned the tables on me, I just wasn't expecting that reply, thought he might of at least listened to me a bit more. I did panic abit, had visions of him telling me to find another consultant and not to darken his door ever again. I still carried on taking about the pains in my chest, two GP's have said it's costochondritis, him saying it's stress. told him I tick every box for it being costochondritis adding that the last GP said it's only an opinion and neither he or you are chest doctors. We had a little talk about it and finally had to come to the conclusion that nobody really knew what it was so he felt that he couldn't add anything else so we had to leave it there. Talked about other things that was said and voiced my opinions on what was said.

I showed him my fingers and how I can't bend them very much. I've always been told it's inflammation of my tendons thats the problem. I would of thought that the steroids should of done something about it but they didn't so I asked when I was due to have them x rayed again, he checked when my last one was done and it was 14 months ago so I had my feet and hands x rayed while I was there. He said that they should be done every year but I thought it was every two years, not complaining about having it done again, I'm having my bloods done on Wednesday so when I ring for the results I will ask if anything was found on the x ray. He wants to see me again in three months time to reassess things, appointment made for mid September.

Still can't make my mind up about changing consultants. I did speak to my GP on the phone about things, I had had the follow up letter from the consultation that I had with him weeks ago and wasn't sure about the medical terms used. I started telling him about things and before I had even finished he told me to change my consultant....but I do feel better about things now that I have voiced my concerns to him and I have up until now always been happy with the care that I have had, so still can't make my mind up.

I found this on my hospitals web page about him, it is very impressive, there isn't much about the other consultants, so if I did change I might end up regretting it.

Rheumatology
Special interest:
Inflammatory rheumatic diseases and connective tissue diseases, fibromyalgia and paediatric rheumatic diseases.


Hospital: King's Mill Hospital

Profile:
Dr Lim joined the Trust as a consultant rheumatologist in 1996 working at King's Mill Hospital.

Having completed his medical training at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School and Imperial College School of Medicine in London, Dr Lim commenced specialist rheumatology training. He trained in the department of rheumatology at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, the department of immunology and rheumatology at Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital in Nottingham, and finally at the Centre for Rheumatic Diseases in Glasgow.

Dr Lim is a Member of British Society for Rheumatology. He also holds additional roles within the British Society for Rheumatology and the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians which are: Chairman, Rheumatology Specialist Examination Certificate QWG, Medical Secretary MRCP(UK) Examination SQG and Member MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination Board and Rheumatology SCE Examination Board.

Dr Lim offers a connective tissue diseases clinic and paediatric rheumatology clinics at King's Mill Hospital.

I think you must agree if he came to you with a CV like that, you'd give him the job.

Paula

Hi Paula
If it were me, if the consultant and I didn't click, I would want to try someone else. I would want to feel that the person and I click and understand me.

My rheumy consultant has been with me from the start, she is lovely, listens, and the appointment time is a time I feel comfortable asking questions and feel she 'gets' me.

It's a personal thing, there is no right or wrong - I would not say to anyone what they should/shouldn't do. Do you have a ra helpline at the hospital or ra nurse, you could call and have a chat to?

Having your grandkids is a good 'medicine' how about you have time out with them, and look at this after a top up of grand children love?
My daughter gives me a boost of cheer and giggles!
Have a lovely time when the grandkids come to see you.

Take care
Jane
Xx

Thank you Sylvia, Jane and Jenni for your replies.

You know when I read back what I've put about all the problems I have had, I think to myself that if I'd read this from another member I would reply telling them to change consultants. I am still dithering about what to do. Sayings come into my mind here..........out of the chip pan and into the fire.............better the devil you know.........

When he jumped in and said about having a problem if I had lost confidence in him, I did think afterwards if he's had this said to him before and thats his standard reply to it. I was startled by it and I suppose some people would then start back tracking what they had said. I didn't though and still carried on. I am hoping now that he realises that I am not going to sit there like a nodding dog agreeing to everything that he says and I have my opinions on things and I am not afraid to voice them. I have proved my point about the SLZ effecting my sleeping and there is something else that he may be wrong about.......

I had my bloods done yesterday and when I rang up for the results I asked if my x ray results had come back. They hadn't so I asked if I would be told if anything was wrong with them. She said I would be told. I asked her if they could see anything else other than bone erosion on the x rays and she said they may see things that shouldn't be there. I asked what and one of the things was calcium build up. Well my ears pricked up then. When I was showing him my lumps which he said were fat, I also showed him one that was on my foot. He didn't really take much notice but said it was fat. Well, last March I had a very painful corn on my toe, went to see a chiropodist and asked him what he thought the lump was. I was thinking it was the beginning of a bunion coming, it's just below my big toe on my left foot, it's not painful. He told me it's not a bunion but calcium deposits, so I can't wait to see if this is mentioned on my report.

Jane......Yes, there is a helpline and they are really good. Blood results weren't in yesterday when I phoned so I am ringing later today. I have found if I ring around 3 - 4pm there is normally someone to answer. I did have a chat with one of the nurses a while ago about it all, she advised me that if I wasn't happy with him to change to another one, this surprised me because I would of thought she would of defended him somewhat. Makes me wonder if she's had this problem before. Infact yesterday when I was chatting to one of the nurses in the monitoring clinic about things, not about my problems just general chit chat she said that the consultants always put things down to stress.

Got to go now, the 'Grand Arrival' is today and I am so excited!!!!

Paula x

Hope you are having a great time paula

Re the calcium I have that at times as part of CREST
They do come and go the calcium lumps.