Differing opinions...

Today I had an appointment with a perinatologist for a preconception appointment because my husband and I are deciding to have another baby or not.

It was a long, drawn out appointment. He had all my internist notes, rheumatologist notes, labs from the last year etc. He was very thorough.

He pretty much said his medical opinion is I DONT have Lupus or a very MILD case of Lupus. He said he's taken care of pregnant women with Lupus and he said their labs and physical state are a lot worse than mine. He said he isn't a Rheumatologist and he will respect my rheumatologist opinion and treat me as he would any other Lupus patient in pregnancy but he is personally questioning my diagnoses.

I'm questioning it too! I've been hurting all week and I had labs drawn Monday and everything is perfect. My inflammatory labs are the lowest they've been in a year... yet I'm still hurting.

I'm getting so frustrated. I don't want bad labs at all. I'm happy they're good but it's also frustrating because then you're not sure why you're in pain.

I suffer from body pain, fatigue, muscle twitches, oral ulcers and rashes.

I see my rheumatologist next month. I'll always discuss with him his opinion but I don't look as bad as I feel on paper.

You may want to get copies of all of your testing & get a second opinion with another rheummie. It can be difficult getting a dx, however, when there is conflict I would go with another opinion.

Take care.

Just because your labs are normal, or close to normal, that does NOT mean you don't have Lupus. This is a mistake Drs who are NOT rheumatologists and are NOT experts on Lupus tend to make. Lupus is diagnosed BY SYMPTOMS.

I can't stress this enough. Anyone who wants to question your diagnosis because of labs doesn't know what they are talking about.

And because your labs are normal, that doesn't mean your disease is "under control" either!