New Rheumatologist

Monday was much better with this new Rheumatologist. It was like a night and day difference compared to the jerk one I saw. This new doctor was considerate and awesome, and so were all the staff.


He actually asked if I had ever applied for disability. He's the first who ever has. It made me feel like I was dreaming.  I explained I would have but had gone through so much hell and so many doctors who were reluctant to help with it, that I needed one to support me during the process, and jokingly said by all means he could if he wanted ( most of them have just laughed it off in the past and didn't take it seriously.. wanted me to "wait and see if it got better.." even after dealing with this for over 8yrs )....

He nodded while looking at the paperwork and said "Sure, I'd be happy to".

It took me by surprise, like... did I just hear him right?

He did a full body exam and looked over all the paperwork I brought and asked relevant questions as we went along. He definitely thinks I have severe Fibromyalgia, and he agrees he feels something else is going on causing the other stuff. What, he's not sure. Which I am okay with, because like he said "you can't diagnose something like this in less than an hour". But it was a night and day difference compared to the last guy I saw who blew me off.

One thing I that kinda made me iffy, is that he doesn't believe in seronegative autoimmune stuff. He's one of those doctors of the belief you either have it or do not, but he also said "who is he to argue with Mayo Clinic or any other doctor". So maybe he is willing to be open minded in the event nothing else can be found... I have all the other symptoms, and even showing him a pic I took of a face rash he was like "huh.. that does look a lot like a lupus rash".

Like many doctors who have opened up to the possibility have said "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...."

During my next visit I plan to bring in some articles I have come across online about seronegative stuff.  I am hoping after reading some of them, he might be more willing to consider it possible. In the meantime, I am still keeping my ears open for anyone in the area who is openly accepting of it. As with many other things, the South is behind the curve medically speaking, so it is possible he hasn't seen or heard enough convincing research or talked with other doctors who have clinically treated people for it despite their bloodwork coming back negative, if they persisted with all other symptoms long term.

Funny enough, this guy's office is literally right across the street from the old hospital my mother worked for yeaaars ago, before Katrina. It was weird being back there and seeing how much it all changed.

I actually didn't need a referral for this guy. I called their office when I found it listed online. The doctor I wanted to see had retired, so I saw this guy instead. And amazingly, I got this appt a week out from asking for it. It was a smaller clinic, everyone there staff and all was amazingly nice.

The new doctor is amazing in comparison and seems like he genuinely wants to help figure all this out. He's also helped me find a new general practitioner, which I was also still waiting on with the last clinic since I moved back down here. I have referrals and need to get more testing, but one day with him got me further than months of waiting with the other place.

We'll see what happens.

Abridged Update

I have been busy since my last lengthy update trying to catch up on everything I hadn't been able to do while my wrist was bothering me, including a ton of art and design related things.

So far, my wrist has been holding up pretty good. I am still being careful and taking plenty of breaks, and wearing the brace when I do anything with items weighing more than a few pounds. It's so wonderful to be able to sculpt again and make things.

Last week our power went out for several hours in the evening on a night I had planned to sculpt and work online. Rather than sit in the dark and do nothing, I decided to amuse myself by attempting to sculpt... in the dark!

I tried to record a little here and there with my smartphone, but it's not the best quality since there was not any light except my LED lantern, and only a small portion of what I did because I had limited battery. If it came out okay, I will process and upload it at some point.


Last we left off with medical updates, I was waiting to hear back on the bloodwork. I waited for over a month, calling and waiting to hear back from them, playing phone tag. Finally get told they *only* ran the ANA... after telling me it would be a more detailed test. Between the doctor and the lab order, it got screwed up and they only ran the one, with the results being exactly like they were every other time - weak negative, which everyone considers as "negative". When I expressed my displeasure about the messup, the nurse was short and rude with me, and told me she'd have to call me back after she checked. Which, she never did.

Their incompetence was infuriating, and after all the trouble I had with that hospital chain between the security guard giving me a hard time over Ember, ER meh, run-around with trying to get a referral and waiting months, blunders from their clinics and total disregard by one of their jaded specialists, I will be filing complaints and won't be using them for anything in the future unless I have absolutely no choice. I honestly expected more from them, as big a name as they carry.


I saw a new Rheumatologist on Monday who was amazingly better by far than the jerk I first saw. I've written a separate post to share info on how that went.

Wasabi had to go to the vet last week. He's had a lump on his belly that I thought was a nipple, but then it got a little larger and I kept an eye on it and he didn't seem bothered by it. Then it got bigger again where it could really be felt and was inflamed, so I scraped together the last $100 Mike and I had and took him to the vet. The lump is in fact one of his little nipples and it was inflamed and angry. So they gave him an injection kinda like they did for my wrist ( ouch poor boy! ) and gave me an expensive cream to put on it and waiting to see how he does. It hasn't changed much so far. I have a feeling I might have to take him back in. Which is going to cost more money. :/ I just hope it's nothing serious.

Otherwise things have been as okay as they can be. Dog training stuff is going well. I have a separate update for that as well. Have a ton of creative stuff to finish and take pictures of, and ideas to bring to life, so stay tuned!