Thanks Stoney, interesting information. Sounds like what happened to my big toe: sub-luxed bunion which my last rheumy thought was associated with PsA. Rightly or wrongly I think of the thumb joint which is on same side of my body, as the counterpart to that joint. Perhaps due to damaged tendons(?) Wondering if you have good range of motion since the repair.
Range of motion and strength are good. The only thing that reminds me that I had surgery there is things like carrying something on my flat hand. Pushing my thumb back like that is still uncomfortable, three plus year later.
Itās funny that you mention a bunion. I have bunions, and it seems as though itās familial. But Iāve got some other issues with it, including nerve pain between the toes. Iām scheduled for an ultrasound guided steroid injection, and then weāll see what happens. The doctorās tentative plan for surgery would be to correct the bunion and shorten my second toe. What?!?!?! Iām not in any rush to do that, and will definitely be seeking a second opinion.
That nurse practitioner should come across the big pond and school the neurosurgeon I saw. Said neuro guy looked at my MRI and specifically said my cspine issues were from the PsA, not because Iām older than dirt and have āregularā arthritis. He also said the reason I list a bit to the left when I walk is because the PsA seems to have hit that left side harder (as it were).
Then she can come two blocks down the street and talk to my rheumy who always checks my hands and who diagnosed the last big flare I had as only in my hands. Iām wearing a brace today because my right thumb hurts all the way down into my wrist. But I guess she would school my rheumy that itās just āregularā arthritis because Iām older than dirt.
So when can you get into the Bath Clinic?
OMG that appointment sucked and what a waste of your precious time!!! Who was that dingbat, anyway?
She was tired and couldnāt think straight? Really? Wow! So, she made light of your chest pain? MTX might be causing it? Youāve been on MTX a few years now, right? Suddenly ITāS causing chest pain? Hmmmmmā¦
You have every right to be frustratedāor fricken irate! 
Steaming mad!!!
Well, I guess you can cross her off your list of health care professionals! I hope you can arrange for an appointment ASAP in Bath. And please get that chest pain checked out thoroughly! That should never be ignoredādid she even do an EKG?
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Oh my ! That was a terrible appointment ! Iām glad you are seeking care from a different healthcare provider.
Iām sorry you and your husband wasted your time at that appointment. Let us know how the new appointment goes.
Iām very glad to hear you get rather more considered care! Just to clarify, after Iād contested the very speedy OA diagnosis the nurse sort of agreed that PsA might cause OA, sort of in that she opined that it was possible there was still a bit of inflammation in my body somewhere. I think thatās a very reasonable assumption! I rather think thereād be a bit more though, were I to chuck the meds out of the window. Iāll be laughing about this one day I expect.
Iāll start finding out about the other clinic next week. Thanks sixcat!
Thanks Frances. Iāll update when thereās anything to report. I know itāll all come good. I had a bad feeling about it all in the waiting area, seemed to me people looked unusually placid, resigned even ā¦
She didnāt do an EKG, she didnāt really do anything. She told me to see GP about chest pain as well as maybe stopping all the meds to see if that helped. To be honest, if this is how things are then itās best I know now. I might have excused that appointment as an off-day but the news that I was to see the same nurse in 3 months was too much.
Sounds like a nice result on the thumb, quite encouraging!
Bunion surgery sounds so workaday till you get into the detail, I guess the big toe is so essential for walking that it just has to go well. Mine certainly did, 7 years on itās just fine. Thereās a lot of metal in my foot but I can wiggle my toe, not an essential manoeuvre but Iām glad itās still flexible. My big toe is shorter though, perhaps that is why your surgeon wants to shorten its neighbour?
Iām glad to hear youāre seeking help from someone else and not accepting such poor health care !
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The second toe is extra long and thatās creating its own problems now.
Stoney, I have that problem, too, with the second toe on my left footā¦itās extra long and fat and lumpy from arthritis and probably being broken more than once. Iām glad Iām not alone with the weird second toe on one foot!!!
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Wowzer! Thanks to the great encouragement Iāve had from all of you plus husband giving me a kick up the backside, Iāve booked an appointment at the renowned clinic for this coming Monday! Iāll send a postcard! And many thanks again all you wonderful people.
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Hi Sybil! Late to the party but thought I would include my 2 cents anyway. You mentioned you cost the NHS plenty and are prudent in regards to any additional incurred spending of funds by carefully managing your health needs. Well, sadly you need to focus on the additional costs this person is acruing to the system by dismissing symptoms not just for you but likely others if she truly believes PSA does not effect the spine and makes excuses for unread imaging. What a waste of imaging cost if unread and how much does dismissal cost? Surgery, loss of income, additional consultations to correct ignorance? If you can possibly take the time to report your experience you would be helping the NHS even more than you already are. Bottom line is she is costing the system far more than a vigilant patient such as yourself can make up for. On top of the insulting, unsatisfactory appointment which I assume does not even come close to the advice often given to newbies about feeling like you left an exam feeling confident about the diagnosis and having a plan you are comfortable with, she is clearly an example of what is going wrong with public healthcare. Glad to hear your hubby is so supportive and intune with you and that you are going to get the proper care at the Institute you deserve. Best of luck!
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Rachael, I know, I know, I know! Because you are echoing the thoughts Iām having now that this peculiar experience has started to sink in.
The only thing Iād say is that I donāt necessarily blame the nurse as an individual. I donāt know what was behind it all but I doubt she set out to mislead to let anyone down.
There was more lol, it was in fact even worse than Iāve described. Iāve been making a list just in case I decide to complain or need to explain my move. āComplainā is not really an adequate word, I know it was a pointless, misleading waste of time and money and the responsible thing to do might be to flag that up with the hospital. Iām fortunate in that I know my way around the disease by now and Iām on a good treatment plan. Iām not sure what would happen to newly diagnosed people who met with the same approach, itās worrying.
One thing I have done is to contact the hospital to request that they get a radiologist to report on my x-rays. Not heard back yet.
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Thatās a serious worry. If this was your first time in and you were told āthese canāt be a problem,ā youād either consider yourself back to square one and try to find another reason, leading to more wasted time and money, or, even worse, accept it as nothing and let it progress.
Yep, exactly.
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All done & dusted! I had a private appointment with the new rheumy today. She found lots of tender joints and enthesitis. Said that Humira may be struggling a little but it would be foolish to jump ship just now so is upping my Mtx at this point. The transfer to her NHS list goes ahead once me & my GP get her letter.
I could go on and on and on 'cos her expertise was so reassuring and made for an interesting appointment. But I wonāt, Iāll leave it at that, I think thatās quite enough of me! There is such a weight off my shoulders, PsA is still my problem but itās no longer my puzzle.
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Happy to hear that, Sybil. Always good to have a happier ending.
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Yay - itās such a relief to have a rheumy who actually knows what theyāre doing! I finally binned my local backup rheumy here (I go to the top psa clinic in Toronto) after he described the meds Iām on as poison. All he ever wanted to do was give me steroid injections ā¦
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