Well I saw my doctor's Nurse Practitioner on Tuesday. I was ill at that time, but she didn't really order anything. I just asked for an Immunologist referral, and I got one. Once I mentioned that I keep getting recurring yeast/thrush infections, she agreed that I "definitely have something going on." So hopefully I'll get somewhere with this next doctor.
I'm pretty sure they have tested my parathyroid levels in the past, and they've done an "immunity panel" to rule out the most common immunodeficiency disorders, but not all of them. There is certainly a wide variety of components that can be missing from your immune system, and only an Immunologist would know which ones to test for. And I really feel this is all linked to the Epstein Barr virus. All my problems seem to have started around the same time I had mono!
So anyway, I'll keep you all posted. Immunodeficiency is a wee bit scarier to me than Lupus because I work in a hospital with mega germs almost every day. Right now my illness has progressed to a harsh, moist cough with shortness of breath. I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow. I hope I'm not getting pneumonia again! I've had so many sick patients coughing in my face lately... I feel like I am bound to get ill no matter what I do! I wash my hands after touching every patient, but as soon as I touch the door knob to walk out, I'm exposed to more germs. For an immunocompromised person, a hospital is the worst place to be. I'm afraid I will eventually have to choose a different field in nursing, and deal with relatively "healthy" people (non-infectious patients, anyway). I'm jumping ahead I guess... Sorry, l'm feeling a bit anxious about all this! :worried:
PS: My doctor was going to recommend a mouthwash usually given to cancer patients to help ward off canker sores. She couldn't remember the name of it. Does anyone know? They're almost completely healed now, but I'd like to keep them from coming back!