My Hip Woes

I have been telling my Rheumatologist that mu hips hurt for a couple of years now.  The Rheumy kept telling me that the pain couldn't be from my RA because it was on the outside of the hip.  Now I have been told several times that some parts of my body that just could not be RA.  Usually when I get them to finally order x-rays they discover that YES, the pain was indeed from my RA.  It is a cycle we go through and I know and understand the cycle.

It took me a long time to get the Rheumy to listen.  Finally she said that she thought the pain was from bursitis and that one injection would help tremendously.  So I finally relented and said, lets go, I want the shot.  So I went to get the ultra sound and discovered that the pain wasn't from the bursitis the Rheumy swore it was from.

I went back and asked for some x-rays to be taken of the hips.  She reluctantly agreed.  I only see her every six months so I knew it would be that long before I got to talk to her about the results.  Sure enough when I got the x-rays it came back that I had damage due to RA.

YIPPEE!!!

SO when I finally got back into see her again I asked her to have a look at the x-rays.  She goes over the results, looked over at me and said, "So your hips hurt don't they?"

I swear I wanted to scream at the woman.  I had been telling her for over 2 years that my hips were hurting, TWO YEARS.  She looks at me and says. "So your hips hurt?"  For crying out loud, have you not been listening to me AT ALL?  SO yes my hips hurt, yes the pain is from RA, yes there is damage from RA in my hips, and yes the pain on the OUTSIDE of my hips is indeed from RA.

Sometimes I really wish I were wrong about these things.

The Rheumy concluded that yes at some stage I was going to need hip replacement, but that we wanted to put that off as long as possible.

It is so very frustrating, it is a fact of life for so many of us who have to live with this disease, and it is hurtful, when our specialist and doctors do not listen to what we are saying.  I know for a fact that they know more than I do.  I would never try to actually diagnose myself, I know I can't do that.  I have lived with RA for 20 years now, and know a few things about it.  I know when my body is being affected by it.  I want to work in conjunction with my team of doctors.  I want to be listened to.  I don't want to be blown off by people who are there to help me manage this condition with me.  Every time I have been told that something could not be caused by RA in my body, it has always been caused by RA.

At what stage do we say, "Hey, I really don't like hitting my head against this particular brick wall anymore?"