Hi everyone, I was hoping you could perhaps give me some pointers for my first apt to see the rheumatologist next week.
I am 37 and developed psoriasis in 2016 during a breakdown with my mental health through workplace bullying. In October last year I was out walking in the lakes for my birthday. Then little did I know my life was about to change. Approx three weeks later I was in severe pain withy left hip and die to other medication I was on I was not able to take anything else other than morphine, so I was forced to be off work for two weeks pumped up on morphine due to the severity of pain I was experiencing. I have had to come off that medication now and instead take naproxen, gabapentin, amatryptiline and when required tramadol. I also receive three monthly cortisone steroid injections in my hips. I am constantly battling severe pain in my hips, left knee, pain in my joints in my ankles, wrists and sometimes fingers when I working. I have had blood tests, xrays etc but finally I am getting to see the rheumatologist after several cancelled visits next week. I am very scared that he is going to say it isn't psoriatic arthritis as I just don't know what else it could be. My scalp psoriasis gets so bad I lose clumps of hair with the plaques and it is so painful when I bend my neck it feels like my skin will cracked. The flakiness is so embarrassing 😳.
Basically I really want to make the best out of this apt next week and I wondered if any of you have any hints and tips I can use and if anyone had any 'I wish I had asked that at the beginning feeling's that you could share with me? Sorry for the long post, I just felt it was important to give my background too. Thanks in advance, nicola