I didn't have the energy to post about this yesterday so I'm posting it now before I go back to sleep a little longer.
It was a very successful appointment with my family doctor...
1. I asked if I could be on something stronger than Cipro/Flagyl given my symptoms during this flare, and asked if I could have Prednisone...she said yes. So I start with 25mg and reduce by 5mg per week.
2. She carefully read over the list of my symptoms (I wrote them all out on a piece of paper, week by week) and yet again felt baffled over what could be the cause of it all. She wrote my name on the list and kept it. When I told her that meat made me vomit she cracked a joke (I forget what she said) and started laughing - turn out she's been a vegetarian for over 20 years.
3. She told me she will continue to treat my flares even if I don't get a diagnosis (i REALLY hope she keeps up to that).
4. She wrote me a quick note for income tax just stating that I am on the gluten-free diet for Celiac disease.
5. She gave me a req for x-rays of the hands/feet/lower back to test for psoriatic arthritis (she agrees that there may be a connection between my psoriasis flaring and the back flaring). Not sure when I will get a chance to get those done, or where. I guess when I go back to the city.
6. She said it is good that I am being re-tested for low oxygen and sleep apnea (my respirologist decided this on Tuesday). She thinks the reason the low oxygen-specific test didn't show anything is because it may have different standards. The problem is that to get oxygen therapy covered by the drug plan it has to be the oxygen-specific test that shows it. (To explain, I am still suffering from near daily severe headaches and dizziness, and many causes have been ruled out).
7. She told me to let her know how the Prednisone effects the possible psoriatic arthritis...she wants to know if it does indeed help the psoriasis AND the flaring back at the same time, because Prednisone is an option to treating psoriatic arthritis. I'm curious to see, too!
And that's it...
It was a very successful appointment with my family doctor...
1. I asked if I could be on something stronger than Cipro/Flagyl given my symptoms during this flare, and asked if I could have Prednisone...she said yes. So I start with 25mg and reduce by 5mg per week.
2. She carefully read over the list of my symptoms (I wrote them all out on a piece of paper, week by week) and yet again felt baffled over what could be the cause of it all. She wrote my name on the list and kept it. When I told her that meat made me vomit she cracked a joke (I forget what she said) and started laughing - turn out she's been a vegetarian for over 20 years.
3. She told me she will continue to treat my flares even if I don't get a diagnosis (i REALLY hope she keeps up to that).
4. She wrote me a quick note for income tax just stating that I am on the gluten-free diet for Celiac disease.
5. She gave me a req for x-rays of the hands/feet/lower back to test for psoriatic arthritis (she agrees that there may be a connection between my psoriasis flaring and the back flaring). Not sure when I will get a chance to get those done, or where. I guess when I go back to the city.
6. She said it is good that I am being re-tested for low oxygen and sleep apnea (my respirologist decided this on Tuesday). She thinks the reason the low oxygen-specific test didn't show anything is because it may have different standards. The problem is that to get oxygen therapy covered by the drug plan it has to be the oxygen-specific test that shows it. (To explain, I am still suffering from near daily severe headaches and dizziness, and many causes have been ruled out).
7. She told me to let her know how the Prednisone effects the possible psoriatic arthritis...she wants to know if it does indeed help the psoriasis AND the flaring back at the same time, because Prednisone is an option to treating psoriatic arthritis. I'm curious to see, too!
And that's it...