Lupus!

[Essexpaul]

i have had most of the symptoms mentioned on here but have been to the hospital and doctors countless time, but Lupus has never come up?
so how do i ask my doctor to test for it? do i suggest it? ask him to test me for it?
i am asking for help on this as i am quite a shy person and i find it very hard to complain about aches and pains to my doctor, ( i feel i am wasting his and my time)

having looked at the site 65% if not more is what i have and my doc is still trying to find out what wrong with me, i get very swollen aching joints ( my feet look like i am the Elephant man most days and its not water retention, i swell up like a balloon)
i am now at a loss as what to do, i have seen doctor after doctor and specialists at the hospital Lupus has never come up.
will my doc think i am a hypo if i ask him to do more tests?

i used to be very active a full time job as a chef and 3 (yes 3) part time jobs cleaning, now i can't even managed to do my own cleaning, i am so frustrated.


you're advice would be of great help on how to ask my doc to test me for this?



Thanks

[Essexpaul]

:shrug: :shrug:

:doh:

[Shera384]

Welcome to the forum EssexPaul.
It can't hurt to mention Lupus, you could ask him to test you for rheumatology complaints, rheumatism & such like. Or even ask if he's tested for arthritis, that will open up the discussion for you to explain about the aches & pains you get.
Explain how much you've gone down hill, & ask if he can suggest anything else.
But doctors are not mind readers, & you really need to tell him exactly how you feel.
Write it all down on paper & take it with you, & hand the list over, then you won't have to say anything til he asks.
Good luck love. I hope you get the help you need.
(((hugs)))

[Tom]

Welcome to this site. :wave:

There is nothing to shy about, you need answers. Print out the symptoms list, highlight the ones you have, and tell your doctor to test for Lupus. Your paying them for answers, not questions. I understand how you feel, it took me 12 years to get my dx and the doctor told me it was all there in my file. I guess finding a doctor that can read is important. :shrug:

Good Luck and take care. :thumbs:

[Clare.T]

Welcome to the forum Paul

It is very daunting having to persist trying to get help when baffled doctors are increasingly uninterested. All of us have experienced that. Somehow you have to summon up the courage of your determination to get answers.

It isn't usually a good idea to say outright exactly what you think you might have, but it is very useful to prepare a presentation of your case.

Try to get all the details of past visits, tests, any medicines. Then your health history symptoms assess how much pain you are in and how much it affects your daily living.
Tell the doctor that you can't work and that you would like his help to make an all out effort to improve your health with the hope of getting back to work and enjoying life again.

If the doctor asks what disease you are thinking of you could say something like you'd been watching a TV programme where lupus was mentioned so you just wondered. ( there is mention of a recent BBC programme here )

If by any chance he says men don't get lupus, look him in the eye and say you know it is relatively unusual but they do in fact and often go undiagnosed because it's not considered a possibility and IF you do have lupus you don't want that to happen to you.

The problem is that lupus symptoms resemble those of many other diseases, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask about the possibility of autoimmune connective tissue diseases in general & ask if you have ever been tested for them.
If you have been able to get previous test results you might be able to see that for yourself.
Ask for a complete blood count and an ANA screening test ( anti nuclear antibodies) Ask for a urine test.

I hope you will soon get some answers

Good Luck

Clare

[Essexpaul]

I'd like to say a big thank you to you all,
i have to see my doctor on Friday, and i will be writing down a list and i will be asking him to test for the possability of Lupus.



i know i shouldn't feel like it but my doctor makes me feel like i should shut up and get back to work, problem is i tend to put on a brave face when i see him. not this time? with you're advice i am going to put him right on a few things.

i'd love nothing more than to be back at work and be independent again.

the advice one here has now giving me the courage to speak out and tell him how i feel and not let him tell me how i feel for a change.

Thanks to everyone who replied


:D :thumbs:

[Linda_L]

Good luck Essexpaul!

I think the others have given you good advice. When I first went I wrote a long 'history' of all my symptoms and typed it up. I made a bit of a joke about it and called it 'my essay' when I handed it over but the doc put it straight in my medical notes. I also am learning that when doctors say 'how are you feeling' I musn't say 'fine' if I'm not! Don't worry about feeling intimidated and awkward. I worked with doctors for years and I still feel a bit like that sometimes when I'm sitting in the clinic. Mind you, some of the receptionists are worse!

[trapped]

just to say good luck

take care
sam

[Angelheart]

Hi there

I agree totally with Linda L. To add i also felt like that when I first went to the doctors, really all I wanted him to say was yes I agree you need to be off work and you have your mind to decide if this is the case.

Its like we need some sort of approval or something but over time you will approve yourself and allow yourself time away from work and also allow yourelf to know your own body and know if and when you go to work it will be because of how you feel not because you feel guilty or letting other people down when really its only yourself you are letting down by not allowing your own body heal itself.

I always like to think and say to myself dont fight mother nature she is bigger than you

Good luck and I hope you can find the strength within in you
With Love
Michellexx