Good doctors appointment!

Last week I had a very surprising doctor's appointment.  Everything went well, we found something that when corrected most likely will make a great improvement, and I was able to check almost everything off my list (and the one not crossed off was addressed).  So here is what went on:

1) Rheumy I hated from a few months ago had never sent anything at all regarding our appointment.  Probably because he has disappeared.  Literally disappeared! The College of Physicans and Surgeons has no clue where he is, his website has been taken down that the dr who shared a building with him has no clue where he has gone and rumours are he had no clue he was even leaving town.  The local newspaper even did a full story on it and complaints are being lodged against him.  When I told my GP (Dr. B) what he had told me about my weight and acrobatic activities he just shock his head and called him an idiot.  We have never ever heard my dr bad mouth another one, and we have been going to him for 35+ years!!

2) About the scope and the results from that.  Among what was foun was non-ulcer dyspepsia (upset stomach or indigestion not from an ulcer); Atypical dysphagia (difficulty swallowing for an unknown reason); gastritis (inflamation of the stomach lining); no strictures were found (nothing physical causing the swallowing problems);  acid and bile reflux (we knew of the acid before hand but not the bile); delayed gastric emptying (gasteroparesis - just as the name says, food stays in my stomach too long) and that she believes that my swallowing problems are from a combination of autonomic dysfunction flares coupled with oesophegus spasms.  Good news was nothing was biopsied, no 'bad germs' were found and basically nothing bad like tumours or bleeding.  She suggests that I try the medication called domperidone in the report.  Dr B didn't think that it would make any difference but when I looked it up later at home I realize that she is wanting to try it because of the delayed gastric emptying and not the GERD or swallowing that I assume he assumed.  I did call her office to make a follow-up but because I go for all my annual cardiac testing in april and have a follow-up in may, the office said she prefers to wait until all the tests are in before a follow-up is made.  I tried to tell them that these tests were for my stomach and the other tests are for my heart and totally unrelated so the office told me that they would talk to my dr and see if she wanted me in.  Still waiting for that.

3) I needed my pain meds changed which was actually pretty easy.  He was happy to get me off of the breakthrough med that I had been on as he didn't like it.  He even asked who perscribed it last and I had to  tell him that he did.  I dont think he was completely convinced that rotating the meds helps so I don't build tolerance, but he did change them around for me.

4) Obviously even if I did like the last rheumy, he is no long around to go to.  Dr. B says he has heard through the hospital that a new rheumy will be in town within the next few months so he wants me to just wait for now and get into this new doctor.  As things are pretty stable (except for one joint - more later) and Dr. B is willing to handle my medications, I am okay with this.

5) My shoulder has been really bothering me lately.  If my old rheumy was still around he would have done a cortisone shot months ago!  When I asked Dr. B about this he asked where I had had the injections (two in the AC joint, one for tendonitis, one for bursitis) but says he does not want me to have any more cortisone in ANY joint becasue of the osteoporosis.  He feels that the risk of more damage is too high to chance a few months of relief.  Because of this he is sending me to an orthapedic surgeon in town.  I dont have a appointment date but I will keep this blog updated.

6) Finally the last item was the bloodwork I had done the week before.  All the autoimmune came back okay this time so he is thinking that it whatever I have is dormant right now and that when I get into the rheumy he wants this investigated further.  The C-reactive protein is still quite elevated but we do know that lately with my joints being more painful that there is some more inflamation going on.  Again, it's something to keep an eye on, but nothing serious at this point.  However, there was one test that completely scared him, it actually scared my doctor!!  My vitamin D levels are very worringly low.  I am very deficient in Vitamin D for some reason.  This, coupled with the osteoporosis are pretty dangerous.  However, he has never seen levels this low so itsn't too sure what to do to treat it.  He just had me get some vitamin d drops and take at least 3 times the daily dose.  I am hopeful that this is the reason for the problems I have been having in my legs.  They have been so painful and weak.  I avoid stairs at all costs and have been having a lot of restless leg symptoms again.  I have most of the symptoms so am keeping my fingers crossed that when we get the D levels back to normal, my legs wont be so bad in certain ways.  After the appointment I asked the secretary for copies of the report (scope) and bloodwork and when she looked at it she was shocked too and looked at me and made a note that it was a good thing I had thought to test it as no doctor has ever suggested it tested.

7) Just as we were about to leave mom mentions that she thought we actually had something to show him this time as my wrist had been sliding in and out all morning.  Then we were absolutly shocked!!! He says "I dont need to see that, we know that she dislocates as that is what goes along with the EDS, no one is doubting that"!!  Well, a few years ago, HE did actually doubt that.  Shows the ground we have gained with him and that he is finally starting to fully get it!

The only thing that we did not get discussed was a medic alert bracelet.  We did mention the issue I had with the sedatives and my past issues with local anesthetics so they do know about it, we just didnt ask about whether I should get a medic alert bracelet.  However both my parents feel that it would definitly be a good idea to have, not only for that but for many other issues.  I have asked around and looked into it and now all I have to do is figure out which bracelet I want.