When to contact your Rheumy?

[sarahjane]

Hi all-I hope those of you dealing with the hot weather are coping! My paddling pool is a godsend...
Quick question-I have neuropathy confirmed in my L leg and I've recently discovered a further area of unilateral numbness on my back following a T dermatome.
Do I wait until my next apt which is in 2 months time or do I let them know? I'm never quite sure when to do this!! I guess I don't like making a fuss over nothing....

Thanks
Sarah

[Pisces24]

I'd let em know.  You just never know.

Not to alarm you, but my lymphoma was found on a fluke CT scan. They had just turned on the air in April 2012 and everyone was coughing. I told my pulmonologist who decided to do a diff test and since I hadn't had a CT in 4 yrs, he ordered one and they found the lymphoma.

So if there is a change, I tell my dr.

[sarahjane]

Thanks for that! It's a fine line sometimes between being an advocate for yourself and being over reactive! After all its only numb skin and doesn't change my life. But how much is too much when losing sensory nerves lol 

[Carolina]

I am lucky that I can send a Duke system email to my doctors, to notify them of something that I have a question about.

Telephone calls are a nightmare if there is a huge list of "if you want a new RX, press 7" "if you already have an RX hang up and call your pharmacy" "if you are having a nervous breakdown, call 911".

I'm always having a nervous breakdown by the end of the list.

And even being put through to the person who will tell your doctor what your want means leaving a voice message, and then playing telephone tag for the next three days.

But call if you don't know  what to do.  Why not?  They can't shoot you!

That's a joke.

Hugs, Elaine

[sarahjane]

Haha thanks Elaine!

[eye2dry]

when I leave my rheumy, I make my next apt right then and there.

But as I go out the door.....he always says   "call me if you get into trouble"

and I have taken him up on that between appts.

eye2dry

[soycoffee]

Elaine/Carolina
   I also have access to all the doctors I've already seen, via the Penn system (University of Pennsylvania). I cram a lot of complaints and information into the 750 allotted characters. Usually the doctor directs a staff member to give me a call with 2 to 4 sentence of what s/he wants me to do. Generally it works ok. Once, though, I sent my Penn neuro 4 consecutive messages about new symptoms.

  Review: I do like the system. I would rather be able to write at length, and feel confined by the word limit. Often it saves me and the doctor the need to see me. Once, with my new rheumy, I had such a severe shift in symptoms and a hospitalization within two weeks of my first visit to him that he agreed to see me again at his next available appointment -- thanks to the email system. Then he gave me a standing order for Medrol for flares. No need to write or call, any more, until the prescription runs out.

But in reply to SarahJane, you should call or send an email or whatever you can do. It's ok to ask to be seen sooner, to evaluate a new symptom, or sometimes it works to ask the doctor to make the determination. Just call.
Best,
Soycoffee