KATE'S INTRO

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone!

I have actually been here (but not really) for a short time. I had joined a few weeks ago and then we got a surprise visit from my father in law who was driving from NY to IL the next day. He gave us one day warning. As some of you can probably imagine, when living with chronic illness, one's house isn't always in "guest ready" shape. I had to put my lists on digest and get to work. He visited for 5 days and then Easter break with 4 children at home didn't give me much time to read email. I just took myself off digest and wanted to share an intorduction with all of you. I think I will just jump in here rather than try to read all the old digests of the past couple of weeks.

I'm Kate, a 42 year old mom of 4 daughters (ages 14, 12, 8.5 and 3.5). I have been happily married for 15 years to my husband, . We also have two puppies. We live in the suburbs of Chicago, and have been here for our entire married life, but we both grew up in western NY. All of our extended family is still in NY. Are any of you from the Chicago or Buffalo areas?

To give a bit of background...I don't have an OFFICIAL diagnosis of Lupus yet, but I hope you don't mind if I hang out for awhle and learn a bit from you all. I am especially interested in how you got your diagnoses, as I have found many have been diagnosed based on a positive ANA and elevated sed rate and a variety of symtoms. My doctors don't seem to want to make the commitment yet to lupus yet. Possibly, that is because I also have Hashimoto's thyroid disease (auto-immune), but have not improved with treatment of that. Does anyone here have BOTH of these diagnoses? We all know how if you have one auto-immune issue you frequently another or others.

Since the birth of my last daughter in 2000, my symptoms have been more pronounced although I can identify problems much farther back than that. I have had chronic pain issues (especially arms and legs and lower back), extreme fatigue, low grade fevers (unexplained by any other cause like cancer or infection). In trying to diagnose the cause of the fevers, I think I have had every test known.....numerous scans, MRI's, bone marrow biopsies.....tons of blood work. I have a postive ANA and elevated sed rate. I have a chronic low grade fever. I have low white blood count, and anemia. I recently tested postive on the anti-DNA antibodies, but as far as I know (based on tests from last year the other anti-bodies...smith etc. were normal at that time.) I do not have a butterfly/ malar rash, but occasionally have small scale like red spots on my face and scalp. Occasional mouth sores. Some urinalysis abnormalities, (but don't remember what they are...).

I have been termed "lupus suspect" or "Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease". With the recent anti-DNA testing positive they are now sending me to Loyola Univ. Hosp. downtown for access to better specialists than the ones near me. My appointment is May 19th.

I'd appreciate any advice for this appointment, and would especially love to hear anyone's story on how they came to be diagnosed. Does this group have any "bio's" in the file section that I could read?

Hoping to educate myself and especially make some new friends,

Kate