Saw my pain doc today... my back has been hurting since the surgery, so he re-ran labs (rheum panal) since it had been about 2 yrs. I was in for some shots in my shoulders, but the nurse practitioner gave me the lab results while I was there.

My rheumatoid factor was elevated and the TSH was elevated also. Both were normal last time. So now. I'm trying not to freak out, and I have a referral for a rheumatologist.

The one he would like me to see won't work money wise right now. (I owe the clinic money and would have to set up a payment plan just to make an appt.) So I got the name of a friend's rheumatologist, and I'm gonna try to get my doc to write the referral for him instead.

But I have to wait til Monday to call them and then with the holidays... ugh...

I keep trying to just tell myself if it is rheumatoid, then meds might actually help my pain cuz then they know why everything's hurting like this still. If it's not, well I'm already in this spot of pain and not knowing so I'm used to it.

It's just scary...