I will be 55 in a few weeks, I am married with one daughter and two grandchildren. I work full time in a Law Office in the suburbs of New Orleans, and yes, working is getting harder by the day. And yes our house was spared in Katrina, we had exterior damage, a downed fence and our shed blew away and yes I did have a flair after Katrina.
I had been ill for years, gone to many doctors and they couldn’t find out what was wrong with me. I just got diagnosed last month and I am going back to the rheumotologist Tuesday and this time my husband is going with me. The nurse I work with recommended this rheumy.
My daughter works for pulmonologists and the other day she got some old records of mine from a rheumy I went to 3 years ago and it showed I had high titers for Lupus. He did not give me the results and I was shocked when my daughter called me the other day and told me she had these records. I am not on any meds yet, as I wanted the tests done again when I was there last time, but with these old tests coming to light, I don’t feel like I need more test to prove I have lupus. I think I was in denial but now it all makes sense. The RN/Paralegal that I work with looked at the old tests and said she cannot believe this doctor did not give me the test results three years ago. He just referred me to an infectious disease doctor who told me I had Epsteins Barr, she mentioned nothing about Lupus. I have been treating myself with over the counter meds, like Ibuprofen all this time.
Please excuse me as all this is so new to me, the terminology and test numbers, etc. Today is the best I have felt in a week.
I am so happy to have found other people with Lupus to learn from and share.