First appointment next week
Hi,
I have my first appointment with the rheumatologist next week after a 10 month wait. My GP thinks I may have PSA, my twin sister has it. I have had awful joint pain in so many joints , swollen fingers, periods of absolute exhaustion and night sweats when my symptoms are particularly bad. There’s definitely a flare pattern to it, where some days / weeks are better than others.
Currently for the first time in the last year I’m feeling really well, my joint pain is still there, but completely manageable with non steroidals.
I’ve been so desperate for this appointment and now typically I’m having a great week, my skin psoriasis is the best it’s been for years and I’m so worried they will dismiss me as being fine / not having anything wrong. My bloods only showed elevated plasma viscosity and were otherwise normal, my xrays were all normal, despite being in significant pain.
Any tips for my consultant appointment?
Hey
, thanks for sharing here. I'm glad to hear that you have an appointment coming up after having to wait for such a long time, but gosh isn't it annoying when symptoms calm down just before an appointment?! I have had this happen so many times! Do you have any photos of your psoriasis/redness/swelling, etc? If so, these can be helpful to show your rheumatologist what you usually deal with. If not, don't worry - they should take all of your symptoms into account, even if they aren't as bad as they may usually be (be sure to let them know that this currently level of severity is not your norm, and definitely mention your sister's diagnosis). I personally find it helpful to take a list of symptoms/some notes in with me so I don't forget to mention anything.
We have a few articles which look at ways to get the most out of your appointment, which I hope will be helpful:
https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/what-to-expect-rheumatologists-office/
https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/productive-appointment-procedure/
https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/tips-successful-doctor-appointments/With regards to blood tests and x-rays being normal - you are definitely not alone! At least within this community, it seems to be fairly common to have blood results come back within the normal range. There's a great discussion on this here: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/q-and-a/negative-lab-tests/ X-rays can pick up on joint damage, but sometimes other imaging tests (ultrasound, MRI, for example) can pick up on things earlier/different issues when compared to an x-ray: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/test-diagnosis/ My x-rays, so far, have always come back okay, but an MRI and a nuclear bone scan both showed inflammation.
I hope this information is helpful and I haven't overwhelmed you with too much to read. Take your time and let us know if you have any further questions. Best wishes for your upcoming appointment. Please let us know how it goes! -Catherine, Community Moderator
