Funny story when I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis. I saw a PCP who said he knew what the problem was but my eye (uveitis) had priority so he sent me to an ophthalmologist. My PCP said for me to come back to see him after the ophthalmologist was finished with me. I spent the entire day with the ophthalmologist getting eye drops and things done. At one stage the ophthalmologist had a handful of little white pills that he wanted me to take saying the pills would help the inflammation inside my eye.

I didn't know what the pills were at the time. My eye improved after countless eye drops while I in the chair at ophthalmology. I was sent back to the PCP when the ophthalmologist said they were ready to see me.

I spent at least two hours with the PCP because he had an entourage of medical students with him. He was explaining what to look for when a patient presented with reactive arthritis. The PCP wanted me to do a "show and tell" everything. I was a nursing student at the time so being thoroughly examined wasn't too unusual. I didn't mind the "telling part" but nothing was off limits with "showing every part" of me. The medical students looked at everything! They found stuff that I didn't know was there.

When it came time to treat me --- sulfasalazine was in vogue at the time. I had a follow-up visit a week later and I told the PCP that I was cured --- all the pain was gone. The PCP was surprised and said it must have been a coincidence because he said sulfasalazine wouldn't have worked that quickly.

Many years later I was thinking about the little white pills the ophthalmologist gave me. I'm now certain those little white pills were my first Prednisone dose ever and probably not a small dose.