I saw my GP yesterday and was told that the lumps on my knuckles are not due to my arthritis, but cysts that have formed and they will go away with time. It's just my sort of luck to have odd things like this happen, but I am so unbelievably relieved to hear that my arthritis is not getting to the point of disfiguring my hands! He didn't say what caused the cysts or maybe he did and through my relief, I just didn't hear him.
When I spoke to him on the phone, he warned me that depending on what he thought when he saw me he may have to give me a steroid injection. I try to avoid steroids at all costs. Every time I've had them as treatment, I've gained an average of a pound a day. The most I've gained is 20 lbs in a month! It's awful when it happens and it's the sort of weight that is really hard to get back off! Luckily, after examining my hands, he decided the steroid treatment was unnecessary.
As for my painful, stiff knee is a whole other thing and is probably due to my arthritis. My doctor has set me up to see a knee specialist next month, but the elusive Rheumatologist has still not contacted me for an appointment. Thank God my GP is an excellent doctor and is really proactive with my care. I don't know what I'd do without him!
When I spoke to him on the phone, he warned me that depending on what he thought when he saw me he may have to give me a steroid injection. I try to avoid steroids at all costs. Every time I've had them as treatment, I've gained an average of a pound a day. The most I've gained is 20 lbs in a month! It's awful when it happens and it's the sort of weight that is really hard to get back off! Luckily, after examining my hands, he decided the steroid treatment was unnecessary.
As for my painful, stiff knee is a whole other thing and is probably due to my arthritis. My doctor has set me up to see a knee specialist next month, but the elusive Rheumatologist has still not contacted me for an appointment. Thank God my GP is an excellent doctor and is really proactive with my care. I don't know what I'd do without him!
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