My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
If you are scheduled with your first appointment with your rheumatologist, you may be a little nervous as to how it is all going to go down. The unknown is usually what makes people nervous. If you are a bit nervous, you may want to know the order of how your appointment is probably going to go. Here are a few things that are usually done during rheumatology appointments, and the order in which they often take place.
Paperwork
The paperwork you submit to your rheumatologist is vital to getting the correct treatment. They need to know what medications you have tried, what surgeries you have gone through, and other methods you have tried in an effort to improve your condition. If your condition is relatively new, your family history may also give your doctor hints as to what you could be dealing with.
Vitals
Your basic vitals will need to be taken when you arrive. This is to ensure a baseline of health and to ensure that you are in a good condition to start treatment. Vitals include checking your oxygen levels, blood pressure, and temperature, in addition to your height and weight.
Meet Your Rheumatologist
Your initial meeting with your new rheumatologist will help him or her to physically see exactly what you are experiencing from the outside. They may ask you to do a few motions to check how limber you are or how well you move. Many people with arthritis have a hard time moving their neck, hands, or wrists. In addition, if you have any skin lesions, you will want to make sure to show them.
Bloodwork
There are many blood tests your physician can order which may help them to accurately diagnose your condition. They may ask you to come fasting to your appointment.
Ultrasounds
Depending on your condition, your physician may order you to have an ultrasound to get an image of what is going on under the surface. Ultrasounds can be done of joints to see how much cartilage is still present, along with where nerves are lying.
Bone Density Scan
Bone density scans are vital to many types of rheumatologic problems. For example, if you have any osteoporosis or stenosis, your physician will need to see what condition your bones are in in order to treat you appropriately.
In conclusion, there are many ways in which your rheumatologist may want to examine your condition. Make sure to be open and honest with your physician so that you are on the same page with how you want to go about your treatment.
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