Cleveland Clinic

I had been severely ill, incapacitated with constant acing pain in neck shoulders hips, and knees, - stiffness in joints, extreme fatigue, and muscle weakness. I was supposed to see my PCP Dr. Yon Chen at my appointment in chagrin on 3/26. Due to a power outage I was rerouted to Solon and seen by Chen's nurse practitioner. She listened to my symtons observed the way I moved, examined me. She said she believed I could have polymylagia rheumatica, an auto immune disease. Prescribed prednisone 60 mg a day for 5 days and ordered blood work. She told me to come back in a week. The prednisone relieved my symptoms dramatically 3 hours after the first dose. I viewed my blood test results, in my chart in 2 days. There were enough flags to be the United Nations. I went back in a week and saw the nurse, she informed me Dr. Chen didn't think I had anything but arthritis., but at my insistence I was given a referral to a rheumatologist. On my first appointment with the dr, she said she believed I most likely had the PMR as the nurse did. I was diagnosed formally on 5/17. My follow up visit on the 25th with my PCP Dr. Chen, she informed me she would no longer be treating me in any manner from that moment on. Now I have no PCP to work in conjunction with my Rheumatologist. This is a serious auto immune disease that takes years of. prednisone therapy to control, and continual monitoring for possible progression into GCA, an even more serious auto immune disease, and testing for side effects from prednisone therapy. Had Dr. Chen had her way I would have never been diagnosed, in which case if PMR goes untreated the patient will likely develope GCA, and have both diseases. I was made aware recently by my pharmacy that Dr. Chen canceled the prescription that was ordered to the pharmacy by Nurse Danielle Savage on 3/26 for the prednisone. Fortunately, I had already picked it up as I went their directly from my visit.