Insanity with Chronic Pain Dr., MORE Crazy w/Rheumy's NP & TRAFFIC Beyond NUTS in Dallas!!!!

NEVER again will I allowANY of the Dr's I see in Dallas,  talk me into driving LATE afternoon RUSH HOUR in the POURING "Cats and DOGS"RAIN! Not when just about EVERY DRIVER DOES not CARE if they RUN OVER You OR not!!!!

PLUS I have been going to the couple of"specialists" up there for 10 years & they ALL knowI have to make a 40 plus  mile commune one-way and then back!!! Then when  they  "delay"you because they make a mistake, that you have to go BACK into the office, & "question" the doctor, (by the way good thing I did" I was CORRECT! Had I NOT "checked" I would have been in a world of severe pain till at least this coming Monday, and this way LAST Wednesday!  Plus they also knew I was on a Schedule" due to trying to get two doctors visits done on that day. I DID NOT want to have to drive home, then GO BACK again in a few days! The driving on dry pavement is bad enough, but having to be in the car in stop & go rainy, wrecks, & road construction, at 5:00PM in Dallas on I-35 and I-45, just is enough to make you hurt for days.... 

To top it off, my Rheumy's NP is nuts.. she wanted me to walk over to another building (this is at like almost 5PM) to get my hands X-rayed & Labs done, which I have done here in town usually...plus NO WAY was I saying till Lord knows when in the pitch dark, that I don't drive well in due to the headlights anyway... I tried to TELL her but she is too busy "typing" on her computer to even LISTEN to me, sitting 10 feet away in the room! She will NOT speak up, I cannot understand her & I kept asking her to "speak up" and sh jut "mumbles"....

So, then I finally get out of the "pits of hell in Dallas Traffic" have to stop & get myself & the pups some dinner... & by the way I got home (which I did NOT expect" to be gone over 10 hours or so.. I still had to  change clothes, put stuff away & try to settle all 3 of us down, so we could eat...

NOW I still think my doctor (Pain Doctor) is mistaken, but the way I need to explain it will be difficult on the phone, so I HOPE the email address I have for his Business Office & Patient Manager (who is awesome) works... MOST Dr's now days have "portals" & out of all  them he does not.

Thens the NP at my Rheumy's Office wanted me to see a "Dermatologist" cause this is probably Psoriatic Arthritis - the BAD thing is when I showed her the places, she asked me "Do you have Psoriatic Arthritis?" I was like WHAT!!!???That is what I am ASKING YOU?!! I wanted to shake her... that chart of mine and ALL of the updates.. by now SHE should have KNOWN I was asking about a NEW SYMPTOM and ILLNESS!? Not having to tell her what I had.... I asked her since it is a form of Arthritis, why do I have to see a Dermatologist? Of courseI have the plaque's & trouble with my scalp, BUT I did not know that the RHEUMY would not handle it all! Which I'll be darned if I find one in Dallas..like she wanted.. We have one right here I found, that I believe tales my insurance, had his "bio"  etc... he shows to be extremely good.

So here we go again, with a new doctor, like I did not have enough.. and I am NOT going back to Dallas for Labs & X-rays on my hands when they can do that here!

Arthritis Symposium in Dallas at Presbyterian Hospital Tomorrow Free Event!

I am thinking about going and for more information and/or to register, see this page!

The event is free, and a Campus Map is on the page also.

       https://www.texashealth.org/dallas/event/arthritis-symposium-thd-art

I continue this ongoing saga of Lumbar spine issues, bad weather that I am SICK OF, am Happy to see more people coming to my blog, and things about Autoimmune and Arthritic Illnesses

Well, here I am again... another weekend that "appears" to look like all hell is going to break loose. Which again is really irking the crap out of me, because I do not want to have to POSTPONE yet another trip to the Casino!!!

I've already been through this a couple of times, last weekend, it was supposed to be "earth shattering" weather and it did NOTHING.

Now here it is Mother's Day, and again the forecast (extended) is showing rain, rain, rain, storms, floods, and more crappy weather.

Actually, I went, got out my brand new white jeans that I've been wanting to wear, and they still have the tags on them. I also have a beautiful top that just looks awesome with them, plus add in my rhinestone studded sandals, a bit of makeup, a necklace and earrings, and I am set to go to Winstar!!!

Well, I call my Mom, and she has not even "given it much thought" of us going. Yada, yada, yada... about how bad the weather is supposed to be Sunday, and thinking we should postpone... well now we are looking at much later in the month, when I had doctors appointments in Dallas - two of them back to back on the 20th and 21t! Neither of which I can miss at all. One is to have my pain pump refilled, the other is my very LONG AWAITED getting to see my Rheumatologist again. It has been months and month, and months since I saw him. In fact due to something, in fact, I believe I had double pneumonia and was supposed to see him. I had to reschedule and the other appointment was like in December of 2014!!! So, it has taken me patiently waiting now for 6 MONTHS just to get into see him. I can see his PA of course much sooner, but seeing him, especially since we are possibly thinking of a medication change... I MUST NOT miss this appt!

I am NOT happy about this "discograph" business. From all I've read it is NOT a "comfortable" type of test. It is also much more invasive than having epidural steroid injections. So, that raises the risk of a spine fluid leak, or infection more than the injections. I see that depending on the scan and how far it needs to go, it can be anywhere from an hour to 2 or 3 hours, depending on what all the doctor orders. I know Medical City Hospital in an Excellent place. So, that in itself does not bother me. But, anytime now when you have a "compromised" immune system, whether autoimmune related, or whatever the case may be, you really are trying to "avoid" anything that could have the potential of causing infection, especially into the spinal fluid, blood and so on. 

When you are sick, the hospital is the very place you want to avoid usually. Because the others around you maybe having many more types of illnesses that could potentially cause a worse infection.

I've not really had many issues, as far as surgery goes. I usually do well under anesthetic. As far as a surgery, I have not had any massive complications. Yet, when you combine the AAI, the prednisone, the Orencia, and other meds I must take, then there is the rise in whether an infection could happen, rather than someone who does not have immune issues, or is not on medications that could cause you problems later.

I also know this is going to be one of those types of tests that no matter what I already have had done in the past 6 weeks, which was the CT Scan and then the epidural steroid injections into the Transforminal space around those vertebra, that shows that is the place of issue, this doctor STILL is going to insist that I have this other stupid test done.


Of course yes, I could "find" another surgeon. Well, that could lead to the exact same situation, and also could lead into me not having the "best of the best" as far as my Orthopedic surgeon go. He is the one that truly remedied my shoulder pain and my neck pain. Without him, I honestly don't think I would have made it.


To me, he is the "gold standard" in surgeons for these types of problems. Although once again his bedside manner is about like a jackass, and he is an argumenative, and thinks he knows absolutely everything, and patients as far as he is considered need to "follow his rules" and NOT try and tell him anything you may know.

So, it is trying to decide what is worse to deal with when it comes to having him as an Orthopedic Surgeon.

I've got to go to get dressed and run to "Wally world". I need a belt to go with some white jeans I would like to wear, thus there is about the only place here to look. Then I have to run Jim over to the Clinic in Waxahachie about some of his meds.

More to come.....