I empathize with your concerns following your diagnosis with GCA. I was confirmed with GCA in mid-October, and immediately put on 50 mg of prednisone daily. It probably started a few weeks previously. ( I had developed PMR symptoms over the summer, but ignored them until mid-September. ) I also responded very quickly to the prednisone, and the symptoms rapidly, or gradually, were gone. I am currently on 15 mg daily, have been since the beginning of November, and hoping to soon reduce again.
I have had one virtual visit with a rheumatologist. He appears to be a man of few words, so I did not get much of an idea what to expect in the future. This is the great puzzle for me, as I do not know, when I seem to be experiencing symptoms, if they are part of the PMR/GCA package, or a result of the prednisone, or just me aging. For example, I have developed slight shaking of my hands, which I do not remember experiencing before. I am wondering if this is something others have also experienced as part of the PMR/GCA/prednisone journey? There seem to be more questions than answers when dealing with PMR/GCA.