- Diagnosing illnesses with no specific test etc

[Guest guest]

**How do they do this bit?????? If there are no specific tests for many of these diseases!

How do they dignose? By eliminating all the possible things it could be via blood tests, scans, observation, clinical drug trials, time, repeated blood tests etc.

You see, many diseases have general markers like ESR that show up in path tests and might have stuff like granulomas, tissue, edema which show up in scans. So although there is no specific blood test they can safely say you have X via all the readings on repeated path tests and scans. Thats why I was so shitted off at your immunologist for not doing more tests, cause the more he does, the better he can see what stays abnormal, can eliminate possible things to do with whatever is abnormal in your blood, and eventually get a diagnosis.

Its not so they can get a new car - its just that there is no specific test to diagnose some illnesses so they have to do this. I know it frustrates the hell out of my Dr. Still does when my inflammitory markers are up and he dont know why. But they dont have all the answers as much as they and you would like them to.

I guess what I am trying to say is that some illnesses just do not have specific tests. They are yet to be invented. They can only be diagnosed via eliminating the illnesses that have the same symptoms but have specific tests, observation of your progress and symptoms and repeated tests, trial drug therapy and the like. A good dr will know what they are looking for. I suspect my immunologist thought sarcoid all the time, but the only way he could diagnose it was to observe and re-run tests, eliminate other things it could be, do scans etc...

Unfortunately I know this cause its what happened to me and is still happening. They are not out to get you, just your Dr might not be cluey enough to read path reports well and look into what else it "could" be.

Took my immunologist from June till October before he said "Sarcoid" and when I didnt respond text book he went back to square one. Took a year then to combine all symptoms with drug trials, other specialists, many many tests etc before I got diagnosis of neurosarc. At times he said see me in 3 months, but I said no, will see you in 3 weeks LOL. And I am still being sent to specialists even now... but if they had not tested me for everything and tried treatments etc then they would not have such a specific area of which to look at. Now they know what they are dealing with, the problem is how to manage it.

**LOL, could be! I am not sure yet, am wondering whether to let him do his thing, and see what his final prognosis is.

He could be eliminating... As I said, the first 4 months with my immunologist were shakey.

**he had three pages or so of them, trouble is, he hasnt shared them with me or my GP yet, Gp said he usually takes ages to write.

That is not alot of lab results. LMAO You will know me if you ever see my file. It looks like the yellow pages. The first lot of blood tests I had were over three pages of forms, let alone results. My 6 weekly lab tests are usually 3-4 pages long... 3 pages is bugger all results honey.

**isn't is more along the lines of, we don't know what you have, we cant find out what you have till you develop a definitive symptom,

No hon.

>>>>When you see them next, if you dont get an answer ask if they are eliminating other illnesses during this process or if they just have no clue? LOL**I will enjoy asking him that! LOL

Well its important to know. Even if you see my immunologist, as I thought my immunologist was a prick after about a month since he had run test after test and had said nothing. Now I know why he said nothing - he was watching, eliminating, and re-testing. So its very important at this stage for you to know if this is what is happening.

**yes to all of that, apart from being able to tell you whether it works, as I have not taken it yet, as it made me so nauseaus last time that I did not want to have to deal with that in the middle of doing my assessment work, so can start now so he can see I am trying things.

A little advice... start on half the dose, that way if you get an allergic reaction to the tablet you have less of it to clear in your system. If you are ok, take the full dose. My neuro always starts me on half the dose to build up to the full dose.

Hope that helps exlpain it more to you hon? If not I will try again :-)

*hugs*

Love Aisha