Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - Introduce yourself and meet others

with RA and the biologic modifers your whole immune system is suppressed. this means you can be subject to any viruses/ colds very easily. my experience with biologic modifiers was horrible, the worst being kidney failure which put me in the hospital until the kidneys came bac; torn retinas in both eyes requiring surgery; a severe rash in the groin which almost would have required losing my testicles. but that is my system. not everyone will experience what i had. also if you go on any biologic modifier have your liver enzymes check before and during the use of this medicine since a lot of it has to metabolize thru the liver.....i had at one time cellulitus and had c.diff. but the c.diff was after the removal of my gallbladder. c. diff can be eradicated with vancomycin orally, but it is a very strong antibiotic and can be hard on the digestive system, as i experienced. i was on it for 2 weeks and my stomach was hurting all the time.

Hello @mam4252, welcome to Connect. I think that is one of Mayo Clinic's strong points - patient centered health care. Mayo Clinic as a whole is a patient centered health system so they do referrals to other specialists when/as needed. I think they are really unique in the health care industry. Here's some information on their care:

The Mayo Clinic Model of Care is “carved in stone” at Heritage Hall
— http://history.mayoclinic.org/toolkit/mayo-clinic-model-of-care.php

My experience as a patient at the Mayo Clinic Rochester Campus has opened my eyes to how good of a job they really do looking at the whole picture of a patients health. I had swelling in my right leg and I was able to get a referral to Rochester Mayo Clinic. They determined I had lymphedema but at the same time gave me a referral to orthopedics for my knee and also setup an appointment for me with sleep medicine where it was determined that I also have obstructive sleep apnea. I am scheduled for a knee replacement due to bone on bone advanced degenerative arthritis in my right knee when I me with orthopedics last year. They did have me try a steroid shot and physical therapy first but that's a good thing.

If you would like get a second opinion from Mayo Clinic, you can find the contact information for
the Minnesota, Arizona and Florida campuses here http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.

@mam4252 what has been your biggest challenge helping your daughter?

Thank you for your reply. In response to your question, Besides RA (which has ravaged her hips, neck, knees, spine and wrists) Carrie has diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, Addisons Disease. Her main problem is the terrible fatigue these illnesses cause. The doctors we see are all very specific to their specialty but no one looks at the whole person to figure out what’s really going on. Each disease seems to be in check but Carrie is unable to function. It’s as if the combination of diseases has overwhelmed her body. The reason we are considering coming to Mayo is to get someone to look at all the whole picture and offer treatments that might help overall. Is this something that the clinic does?

In my humble opinion, the Mayo Clinic is one of the few health care systems that does look at the overall health picture of the patient. I would give them a call. Also, the following post may be helpful when you have an appointment setup.

Your Tips on How to Get Off to the Best Start with a New Specialist — https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/your-tips-on-how-to-get-off-to-the-best-start-with-a-new-specialist/?pg=1#comment-240765

As I mentioned in a former message, w/THC effect is immediate...wo/takes weeks to build up sufficient CBD in your system. I use gummies.

Go! I wish I had a Mayo near me...

Hi...im terry..i have rheumatoid...i believe its getting worse..its nice to be able to chat with others and get info

Thanks for your input. We are in the process of getting an appointment with Mayo.

Trying to fill out the questionnaire sent by the clinic but can’t get off the first page. The next button just sends us back to the first page.

@mam4252, I would try calling the clinic and asking them about the questionnaire. Normally forms and questionnaires won't let you go to the next page if there is a required field not filled out. These are normally indicated with a red asterisk *.