Saw the new RD again. Talk about a changed attitude! Last time he tried to
tell me it was all fibro. Now that he's gotten all the test results back, he
was very compassionate -  said I have confirmed Sjogren's as well as some
form of inflammatory arthritis. He tried to pin it to psoriatic (because of
the sun rash on my arms) but since I had no rash on my head and had already
seen a dermatologist who ruled it out, we couldn't do that. We're still
searching for which arthritis. He did a very specific, very sensitive blood
test for RA, but that was negative. Of course, that doesn't rule out
sero-negative RA.

He has given me lidocaine patches - with a lot of refills. He said I was to
use them for spot pain, i.e., my neck or lower back or shoulder, etc. He
also refilled my ultram - with a gazillion refills. When I said I hoarded
them and only took them two or three times a week he said no, that was not
effective pain control. I am now to take one every night and can take two a
day as needed. He said for me not to sit in pain when there were effective
countermeasures. Gee, I like him! :-P

DeeTee