[Journey]

About 6 months ago, I had some bloodwork done. The ANA titer came back positive. The physician's assistant waved it off as no big deal, since it was just barely positive.

Lately, I've been in a lot of pain physically. I can barely move. I'm an emotional wreck. My birthday is on Friday (24), and I feel like I'm 74. Yesterday, my bf pointed out I had a rash on my face... a butterfly rash. That's a sign of lupus. I knew that the rash is a sign of lupus because my mother and several cousins of hers have lupus. I looked up some more information on it, and I found that a positive ANA titer is an indicator of lupius. The stupid physician's assistant didn't catch it!!!

I called my doctor this morning requesting that more tests be done, because if this is lupus, I'm in the middle of a flare up. Hopefully I'll be able to get the bloodwork done ASAP, because you only test positive when you're having a flare up.

I'm scared. I'm a nursing student, and if I have this dibilitating disease, will I be able to continue with school? Will I be able to achieve my dream of becoming a midwife? How will I care for my kids when I can barely take care of myself? Will I forever be banished to a life of poverty, on disability, suffering from depression (a symptom of lupus)?

I have such a strong family history of it, really there's little doubt in my mind that I have it. I have a lot of the symptoms. The ANA test can come back positive for arthritis, but I tested negative for the rhumatoid factor. It's also an indicator of multiple sclerosis, which I have a lot of the symptoms of.

I'm scared. I have a lot on my plate right now, and I just want to cry.

 

[mommy2boys]

Journey,
I don't know anything about lupus

I only have hugs.

 

[Pynki]

I have an "undifferentiate Connective Tissue Disease" or UCTD.. Basically.. It's lupus without the rash and lupus specific anti-bodies..

Lupus in general is not the death sentence it used to be.. I became part of a wonderful communityhere .. The women there are lovely.. Full of useful information about a large number of auto-immune problems..

A couple of things I've found.. Auto-immune disease runs in families.. Not that they will all have the same disease, but that some will have auto-immune disorders.. In my family my sister has ITP.. I have UCTD.. Both of us have problems.. Neither knows exactly why..

A positive ANA is CAN be indicitive of an auto-immune problem.. NOT neccesarily Lupus.. It's just proves your system is attacking itself for some reason..

Best of Luck.. PM me if you would like.. I did A LOT of research on Lupus..

Warm Squishy Feelings..

Dyan

 

[MommytoMJM]

Oh Journey- I can so relate, I too have a positive ANA, and 10 of the 11 indicators for lupus, I was on a 9 month course of Isonazaid 5 years ago which has been linked to triggering lupus and corresponds to the time I started getting sick. I was dx'ed 4 years ago with Fibromyalgia which you can have in addition to lupus...sigh. Anyway.....all of this to say, I know what you are going through......I have an appt with a rheumatologist on Dec. 21, my PCP wasted no time in recommending that when my titer came back positive, if you EVER need to talk, feel free to message me about anything at all. My doc figures I have about a 90% chance of having it.

 

[BBerryBliss]

hugs for you mama. My aunt is going thru something simular. I myself got a positive ANA back when I was pregnant but after a ton of blood tests Lupus was ruled out. We still don't know whats wrong.

sending feel better vibes your way