Attendance Allowance

Neither - it is the UK I'm afraid. Attendance Allowance is a UK benefit so it never occured to me you might be in the USA!

So - back to the drawing board!

Yes, I discovered some of my forum friends are in the UK. The forum is not specific about the location...at least not that I have noticed! But some of the terms tell me the story. Reference to the "loo" are tell tale signs! LOL It makes it all the more inviting to share, but also the more important to be specific! The reference to Alendronic Acid is curious. I wonder if this is common to UK only. I haven't heard of it here in the US. I'll do more checking on that one. This forum is to informative to give up on for any reason like this. I have enjoyed my conversations and just now realize I don't know where too many people are. Maybe I'll change my profile name. I'll think about that.

The forum itself is based in the UK - the site was originally set up in 1997 by two doctors in northern England (a married couple I assume) to provide a reliable source of information for healthcare workers. In the meantime it has grown and added all sorts of things including access for patients to their GP to make appointments and order prescriptions via an App. That is why they are so particular about links to less respectable info and sites! Google patient.info and read the Wiki page!

You will know AA as Fosamax. In the UK most out-of-patent medications are referred to by their substance name not the brand name. 

And although I am British and know about the system there - I live in Italy 

Oh, my goodness! The presence of other countries is becoming more visible! I did find reference to Patient.co.uk somewhere. Glad to meet you, Eileen! Thank you for the Wiki page info...I'll go there to have a read. And thank you for identifying Alendronic Acid as Fosamax. I certainly have heard of that! Don't know much about it. Making these connections is very important. I still haven't had my first appointment and it is looking like it won't be until July now. Although, I am pursuing appt with a naturopathic M.D. which I was able to move from June 22 to May 10. And I already have some blood work with this doctor that may be a beginning. Other work will need to be transferred over from a previous rheumatologist from last year that may be helpful also. Here the specialists are in such a restrictive bind with the insurance companies and government that they are driven to almost insanity and foul manner. It is VERY hard to find a civil rheumatologist at all. I've checked reviews of the one I am going to and they are not good, but none of them are. Many of the reviews are referencing poor office help. Hers is that way to an extreme. Onward and upward!

Not sure it is entirely the system! Or maybe...  UK rheumies are a mixed bunch too - with some very bizarre ideas at times and often rude/dismissive. Especially we find for the autoimmune disorder I have - it isn't an arthritis although the symptoms are more "arthritic" than anything else, it is a vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels) and affects muscles more then joints. But it does little long term damage, it is just very disabling, and it usually burns out in 2 to 6 years. It responds very well to prednisone - but many doctors think "Give pred, patient back to normal, send them away" - except it isn't like that at all! So we feel we are often regarded as nuisances...

Ah well. Such is life