Getting the Lupus/RA Diagnosis (or I KNEW something else was going on!)

About a year ago, I received the diagnoses of Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.  It took awhile to get there, though.

I know I've mentioned in previous blog posts that my blood work didn't show anything wrong, but that's not entirely accurate.  At the time of my Fibromyalgia diagnosis, there was nothing of note in my blood work, but there have been some funky issues in my blood work over the recent years.  But there were no major red flags until my medical team started doing investigative work into my history and started ordering the "non-standard" blood tests.  So, again, I found myself going from doctor to doctor, having so much blood taken I started to joke that they should just put a port in, over the course of about 2 years.  

The appointment where I finally received the diagnoses?  It took ten minutes with a new Rheumatologist who looked at my file and said "I'm adding the diagnosis of 'Unspecified Autoimmune Disease' to your file, but you have Lupus and RA.  And you have to start on this medication today."

On one hand, I didn't want more diagnoses.  I certainly didn't want additional medications. But on the other, I was right.  Even though the symptoms for Fibromyalgia, Lupus, and RA are similar experiences in the body, I knew there was something that was dangerous in my body.  Fibromyalgia makes life miserable as hell, but it doesn't cause damage to organs and joints.  Lupus and RA do. 

Lupus is a condition that can affect almost any part of the body, especially the skin, blood, joints, kidneys, heart, and brain.  Without proper treatment and management, Lupus can be fatal.  Rheumatoid Arthritis is a progressive autoimmune condition that mainly affects the joints, but also muscle weakness and swelling.  The damage to the joints can be debilitating. Disease modifying drugs, such as Plaquenil, can be a great first line defense for these conditions, but other common treatments include chemotherapy drugs.  

I don't share this information because I want pity or people to feel sorry for me.  I strongly believe that everyone has their own challenges to overcome, and these just happen to be mine.  I believe that I've been dealt these cards because I am strong enough to handle it and the natural advocate in me can advocate for individuals with invisible illness and can educate about invisible illness.  This will be a lifelong battle for me.   

Definitions of medical conditions listed in my medical chart