Hi there, I applied in early July from my GP and I got a call back from my RTC provider today, saying they will call me on Thursday for their assessment. I'm a bit confused because I was told it will take months to years for this to happen so I'm unsure where I am on in the pathway. If I do get a positive diagnosis, how long do I typically wait for medication?
Sorry I need to rant. I noticed finger swelling so I phoned my GP, a few days later they gave me a same day appointment where they referred me to the rheumatologist. A month later I got an appointment with that doctor who confirmed psoriatic arthritis and promptly requested a steroid injection for my fingers and to start methotrexate. Got started on methotrexate but the steroids injections took a long time. I got worried by what she said where if it is left for too long, it can cause permanent damage and tried to go private but even when I found some doctors to do the injection and they said they could do it, they pulled out and took my consulting money, saying "It is out of our scope". After them yanking my chain for weeks, I couldn't get an appointment and relied on the long wait time for the steroid injections. 2 months later I finally got an appointment and it brought so much relief however it gave me a permanent boutonniere deformity. I would have loved to do physio and fix it through conservative management but even they said it has gone too far. I'm trying to become a surgeon in med school and my finger is fucked by the same system that took its time to give me an urgent steroid injection. I tried to ask for surgery but they said I need to be on stable DMARDs but methotrexate was messing up my liver and sulfasalzine wasn't working at after 2 months of usage. I just had enough and they said it shouldn't affect me much? I absolutely hate this system. I told them I don't feel like the sulfasalzine isn't helping me at all, I am actually supplementing my sulfasalzine with NSAIDs. I also have wrist weakness in my left hand too where it hurts so much to pick up anything and it wakes me up in the night. I feel like I lost my left arm, I can't do much with it. I'm just so disappointed where I begged for an earlier appointment but got rejected. I never wanted this, I always wanted to become a doctor and when I finally have the chance, I get hit with this. I'm tired.
I am offered a laptop and other options to choose from. I have to pay £200 for it which I get and if I want to upgrade, I have to pay for it. I got the list to choose from but adding the £200 and the upgrade price, it is like £10 difference between getting it from retail or from them. Studytech seem scammy. They even recommended a lighter laptop for myself but only gave me heavy laptops to choose from.
Edit: I just wanted to add a bit more context, as I don’t think this is always as straightforward as it may seem.
The options are quite limited. There are only around 7 Windows-based laptops available, compared with about 20 MacBook options. The base Windows laptop comes with 8GB RAM, which technically meets the Windows 11 requirements, but in reality may struggle with basic day-to-day tasks, especially over the length of a university course.
The price of this base laptop is also the contribution I would need to pay myself. The remaining 6 Windows laptops cost more, meaning a higher personal contribution. When you add together the standard DSA contribution and the upgrade cost, you end up either paying just enough to get a laptop that is only barely functional, or paying even more for a device where you could potentially get much better specifications elsewhere for the same amount of money.
DSA support is for people with disabilities who have an official diagnosis and evidence from a doctor explaining how their condition affects their daily life. The equipment provided needs to be reliable enough to support them throughout their time at university. Once the laptop is issued, it cannot be exchanged or upgraded, so choosing the right device from the start is really important.
I completely understand that there have to be limits and processes in place, but for students relying on DSA, especially those managing health conditions alongside university, the lack of practical Windows options can make the situation quite stressful and financially difficult.
I am using the USB-C to 3.5mm jack connector provided and it keeps cutting out my audio. why is that?
I have two left and I don't know what they are or where to find them. I don't think the game has a stat for them to see where you are missing them except for these?
Had a horrible reaction to my liver while on methotrexate so was put on sulfasalazine, they said my ALTs on this drug is also going up so I am expected to be put off it soon but we will see. I've been on it for 5 weeks and I still feel aches and joint pain after 5 weeks in, I've noticed on methotrexate that I felt better after 2 weeks in but I don't feel different at all on Sulfasalazine. Does it need to take longer or is it not good for me?
Don't know if it can already do this but can be a massive help for people who study
I know the screen is AMOLED but surely it's like AoD and has pixel movement technology? Just think it be cool to use like an alarm clock. I have application on my tablet but it feels bad if anything as I use it as a note taking app. Phone might be better because I can grab easily. Should I not then?
Had a massive flare up in November causing my fingers to get swollen up and I saw a rheumatology doctor a month later. With everything that hurted at the time, I've avoided talking about the coincidentally wrist pain. They gave me steroid injections for my fingers 2 months later but because they took so long, my finger has a boutonniere (bent permanently) because of inflammation damage. They put me on methotrexate and while everything calmed down, my wrist still hurt. I got put off metho because of my raised alt levels and got put on sulfasalazine. My wrist still hurts. I can't grab anything that weighs a few kilograms and have developed weakness. I've tried occupational therapy, physical therapy, and it hasn't helped. Do I have permanent damage in my wrist and what can I ask for?
Edit: I didn't avoid talking about it, but it didn't look inflamed, and the rest of my hands were in so much worse shape. Thought the pain would subside after being put on metho.