First Time Seeing A Rheumatologist

[RLG]

Oh boy. That was an experience. First, they were wonderful--the most thorough exam/questioning by a doctor I think I've ever had.

Diagnosis? You guessed it...fibromyalgia. That makes two in three weeks. Also, Raynaud's, likely Psoriatic Arthritis, and possible pulmonary issues. Prescribed Otezla and ordered blood work and chest x-ray, chest CT.

Wow.

 

[Maxsmom]

Even though this condition is chronic - it is a sense of relief that you can now put a name to your symptoms
Wishing you more insight and strength - hang in there !

 

[RLG]

Thank you, Maxsmom. Yes, for sure. I was determined for a long time to finally have an answer. It is the not knowing that makes me feel helpless.
Now I think no wonder it hurts so much! Thank you for the words of encouragement, it was a lot to process through...been researching drug costs and price shopping for labs and a CT. It shouldn't have to be this hard.

I'm curious if anyone else here has been DX with CLUB FINGERS?

 

[sunkacola]

Don't know what "club fingers" is.
But I regularly have what they call "trigger fingers" meaning that they won't bend or one gets stuck in one place. It doesn't last more than a few minutes usually although one time a thumb stopped working and I couldn't use it at all for nine months.

 

[Mirador]

Thank you, Maxsmom. Yes, for sure. I was determined for a long time to finally have an answer. It is the not knowing that makes me feel helpless.
Now I think no wonder it hurts so much! Thank you for the words of encouragement, it was a lot to process through...been researching drug costs and price shopping for labs and a CT. It shouldn't have to be this hard.

I'm curious if anyone else here has been DX with CLUB FINGERS?

The clubbed fingers... you said you have possible pulmonary issues? Clubbed fingers can result from pulmonary or cardiac conditions. Maybe it's time to add one more specialist (cardio) to your itinerary of examinations. Believe me, I know the drill with the half dozen specialists!

I also found the rheumatologist to be the most thorough examination I've ever had, outside a hospital. I was sent to him by my primary care doc to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, because of the pain I was having that she couldn't readily diagnose. The rheumatologist did do bloodwork, but he also ruled out RA right on the spot, and then mentioned my having fibromyalgia, almost as if I already knew I had it. Which I didn't. But I'd suspected it (at least two of my cousins have it), and I'd already asked the primary care doc if that could be my issue, but she was non-committal and left it to the rheumatologist to decide. After the super thorough exam, he was very matter of fact about me having it, saying it almost like it wasn't news to me. I guess it was pretty obvious to him!

Best of luck with your health concerns.

 

[RLG]

The clubbed fingers... you said you have possible pulmonary issues? Clubbed fingers can result from pulmonary or cardiac conditions. Maybe it's time to add one more specialist (cardio) to your itinerary of examinations. Believe me, I know the drill with the half dozen specialists!

I also found the rheumatologist to be the most thorough examination I've ever had, outside a hospital. I was sent to him by my primary care doc to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, because of the pain I was having that she couldn't readily diagnose. The rheumatologist did do bloodwork, but he also ruled out RA right on the spot, and then mentioned my having fibromyalgia, almost as if I already knew I had it. Which I didn't. But I'd suspected it (at least two of my cousins have it), and I'd already asked the primary care doc if that could be my issue, but she was non-committal and left it to the rheumatologist to decide. After the super thorough exam, he was very matter of fact about me having it, saying it almost like it wasn't news to me. I guess it was pretty obvious to him!

Best of luck with your health concerns.

Thank you Mirador. I had actually intended to show him my fingers and toes but he spotted the changes immediately. It has changed noticeably this year. When I came home I read about possible causes for clubbing fingers I kind of lost it lol. He ordered a CT but wrote it as a chest x-ray, need to contact him. I have a PA/Lat chest x-ray Wed. He thought I could get a free CT under the Affordable Care Act but I'm not quite old enough yet.
If it IS actual club fingers, well...oh boy. One step at at a time I guess.

 

[Sabina]

I've gotten trigger finger a few times & it's miserable. I do computer work & I believe that's what causes it for me. They sell small braces for it on Amazon & they really help. I would wear mine at night while sleeping. Google "trigger finger brace" or look them up on Amazon. I bought one for my 94 year old aunt who does a lot of knitting & it's helped her also.

 

[JayCS]

Believe me, I know the drill with the half dozen specialists!

Oh dear, I would never have believed it, if you'd have told me a year ago, but I've now had 25+ specialist-types, 40+ docs altogether, and counting, cuz what's definitely still coming up is pain clinic, kidneys, a Chinese-acupuncture-doc and getting Hashimoto and Sjögren's checked on (about 30 diagnoses up to now). Luckily we have a brilliant health care system here and almost all doctors are good, kind people and experts, who do their best to help, but find me a hard nut to crack (not just the fibro), but admit that, which I give them credit for. (Most helpless were 2 of 3 orthopedists, just cuz they couldn't see anything and most of the pain docs cuz their meds harmed a lot more than they helped.)
But much more important are good PTs, because that's always what I've come back to, the only thing that helps me, osteopathy & cryotherapy & acupressure, even more important is my self-help, analyzing symptoms and alleviating them.