mzbecca
10-18-2005, 12:42 AM
:wave: Hello, everyone..
I am new here..having a hard time. I have had LOTS of lupus symptoms for years, but only saw a rhematolgist just recently..(July) Not yet diagnosed with SLE, but here are my symptoms as of the past couple of years (some for many more years): Severe Joint Pain, Edema, HairLoss, Fevers, mouth and nose sores, arthritis, numbness and tingling in hands/ feet..occassional redness/ blothchy red patches on my face and neck, migraine headaches, anemia/easily bruised, depression, fatigue, receurrent infections, back pain. :nono: yadayadayada
The rheumy I first saw in July thought I probably had Rhematoid Arthritis, Lupus..or something related. All my blood and urine test findings however showed I tested negative for anything auto-immune related. Therfore, it is his belief I have Fibromyalgia with swelling and fevers which are attributed to my bursitis which was diagnosed alongside my arthritis in 2001.
I then saw my family Dr, who ruled out any possible thyroid causes, she agrees with the Fibromyalgia, but also believes me to have Chronic fatigue syndrome after looking at all the comprehensive lab tests I have had. She has still suspected Lupus, but wants some sort of lab-finding that can support her suspicion before she gives me any other type of diagnosis.
..So I saw a 2nd rehematologist today who absolutely upset me. She looked at all of the swelling in my legs, ankles, eyes, and said my swelling she beleived was general edema and not from my joints. She had no answer for why the fevers and mouth sores might be continually occuring. She concurs that I must have Fibro, and probably an anxiety disorder in her opinion which is causing my fibromyalgia. Then she really drove the dagger into me with "Are you sure you aren't just having a "depression Flare"?. I wanted to just kick her...As if I would be going to all of these lengths due to my being a depressed, anxiety-ridden hypochonriac! ..OH those types of Doctors make me SOO mad!! :tantrum:
Little does this woman know aI just lost someone last weekend needlessly..due to dr's like herself who thought my stepmom's sickness was in her head. WELL..she dies 2 days latter from a lupus-related kidney infection!She was only 50!
I suggested maybe having the lab tests done a second time and she looked at me like I was crazy and pathetic..."These tests were only just run a little over 2 months ago"!....Why would you want them again?" (She asked me this Like I am a head case.)
I pointed out that sometimes lab tests are not a perfect science...and a person's body can certainly change in over a two month period of time..She just reccommended an x-ray of my knees and ankles..(Not my back)..where I have even MORE pain.. I couldn't get out of that office fast enough. I was just so angry that I burst into tears!!
Also, I keep hearing that you can have lupus even if your labs come back negative. Can that really be true? Are their really any doctors out there in the U.S. that support this theory? If so, I really need to know. All the doctors I've seen seem to take my lab results from Early August as absolute gospel. PLEASE..IF SOMEONE CAN HELP ME..I DESPERATELY NEED IT HERE!...
My family doc did however tell me to go to a dermatologist. She says a dermatologist can test my skin when I have a rash to see if it shows its the type that forms from an immune reaction/Lupus. I think she wants to give me the firm diagnosis of Lupus (Not just of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia..) She knows what's going on with me is NOT normal by any means..she just needs some other type of positive test result of some sort to do it. SO IF YOU CAN HELP< AND KNOW OF A CARING RHEMATOLOGIST IN THE PHOENIX AREA..KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT LUPUS..PLEEEEZE HELP, OK?? Thanks!!
I am new here..having a hard time. I have had LOTS of lupus symptoms for years, but only saw a rhematolgist just recently..(July) Not yet diagnosed with SLE, but here are my symptoms as of the past couple of years (some for many more years): Severe Joint Pain, Edema, HairLoss, Fevers, mouth and nose sores, arthritis, numbness and tingling in hands/ feet..occassional redness/ blothchy red patches on my face and neck, migraine headaches, anemia/easily bruised, depression, fatigue, receurrent infections, back pain. :nono: yadayadayada
The rheumy I first saw in July thought I probably had Rhematoid Arthritis, Lupus..or something related. All my blood and urine test findings however showed I tested negative for anything auto-immune related. Therfore, it is his belief I have Fibromyalgia with swelling and fevers which are attributed to my bursitis which was diagnosed alongside my arthritis in 2001.
I then saw my family Dr, who ruled out any possible thyroid causes, she agrees with the Fibromyalgia, but also believes me to have Chronic fatigue syndrome after looking at all the comprehensive lab tests I have had. She has still suspected Lupus, but wants some sort of lab-finding that can support her suspicion before she gives me any other type of diagnosis.
..So I saw a 2nd rehematologist today who absolutely upset me. She looked at all of the swelling in my legs, ankles, eyes, and said my swelling she beleived was general edema and not from my joints. She had no answer for why the fevers and mouth sores might be continually occuring. She concurs that I must have Fibro, and probably an anxiety disorder in her opinion which is causing my fibromyalgia. Then she really drove the dagger into me with "Are you sure you aren't just having a "depression Flare"?. I wanted to just kick her...As if I would be going to all of these lengths due to my being a depressed, anxiety-ridden hypochonriac! ..OH those types of Doctors make me SOO mad!! :tantrum:
Little does this woman know aI just lost someone last weekend needlessly..due to dr's like herself who thought my stepmom's sickness was in her head. WELL..she dies 2 days latter from a lupus-related kidney infection!She was only 50!
I suggested maybe having the lab tests done a second time and she looked at me like I was crazy and pathetic..."These tests were only just run a little over 2 months ago"!....Why would you want them again?" (She asked me this Like I am a head case.)
I pointed out that sometimes lab tests are not a perfect science...and a person's body can certainly change in over a two month period of time..She just reccommended an x-ray of my knees and ankles..(Not my back)..where I have even MORE pain.. I couldn't get out of that office fast enough. I was just so angry that I burst into tears!!
Also, I keep hearing that you can have lupus even if your labs come back negative. Can that really be true? Are their really any doctors out there in the U.S. that support this theory? If so, I really need to know. All the doctors I've seen seem to take my lab results from Early August as absolute gospel. PLEASE..IF SOMEONE CAN HELP ME..I DESPERATELY NEED IT HERE!...
My family doc did however tell me to go to a dermatologist. She says a dermatologist can test my skin when I have a rash to see if it shows its the type that forms from an immune reaction/Lupus. I think she wants to give me the firm diagnosis of Lupus (Not just of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia..) She knows what's going on with me is NOT normal by any means..she just needs some other type of positive test result of some sort to do it. SO IF YOU CAN HELP< AND KNOW OF A CARING RHEMATOLOGIST IN THE PHOENIX AREA..KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT LUPUS..PLEEEEZE HELP, OK?? Thanks!!