Upon yet another appointment with my Rheumatologist on Monday, I decided it might be time to make the change I’ve been thinking about. The wait time is usually minimal, it’s not hard to get appointments in a pinch, and the staff is pleasant. There are many pros to my doctor’s office. However, when it comes to the fifteen or so minutes I actually spend with him, I feel cheated somehow. I seriously think he could have a double life as a salesman. Why do I say that? When he enters the room it’s how are you, compliment, compliment, blah blah blah. Then comes the inevitable talk about a knee wash (Arthroscopy) he feels it’s necessary I get. When I turn him down, he instantly has a scour on his face and becomes agitated for the rest of my appointment in which he will still push a knee wash.  I’ve done a bit of research, and what I’ve read leads me to believe I’m not a candidate for this.  As well as, it may cause more pain.  The following are links to a few articles on the subject: 

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/arthritis/a/athroscopy.htm, http://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/osteoarthritis/news-and-research/arthroscopic-knee-surgery-2.php, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthroscopy

His reasoning for my needing this procedure was that my knees are still slightly swollen and warm.  However, my sed rate was up from 6 to 19, which is still within normal ranges.  Therefore, Azulfidine was added to my regimen.  Generally, my knees don’t hurt too badly.  The latest x-rays done on them about 6 months ago,  showed some Osteoarthritis.  I expected them to be very bad, but they weren’t.   All in all, his pressuring me about a knee wash every visit is getting old.

Plans are in the works for finally establishing a new Rheumatologist.  I’ve seen many in the last twelve years, due to all the moving we’ve done.  The doctor I’m currently seeing is the doctor I was seeing before my husband joined the military.  When we moved back home, it seemed natural to return to him.  As the years have gone by, I’ve learned a lot about doctors and taking care of myself.  I guess I’m just not as naive as I once was.

Follow-up:  In my last post, I was curious about some issues I’ve been experiencing.  When I brought the topic of my arm feeling like it was floating away at times, my doctor looked me funny and said he’d never heard of it.  Then he went on to say, if the problem remained, that I might need to have a nerve test done and see a Neurologist.  He quickly moved on to something else.  I never even got to ask about the issues I experience in the evening.  I did do some internet research about the floating arm feeling.  It was best put as…the way things feel so light after you’ve been carrying or lifting heavy things for a while.  This sensation seems to be linked to either neurological disorders, anxiety, or just random occurrences among the general population.