Email a copy of 'Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Onset Stories, page 25' to a friend
Loading ...
E-Mail 'Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Onset Stories, page 25' To A Friend
Loading ... Loading ...6 thoughts on “Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Onset Stories, page 25”
Comments are closed.
Did you ever get the results of your Vectra DA test?
Mini update: After doing some research on the Vectra DA test, I found out that it does NOT tell the doc which type of autoimmune disorder I have. It is used as a baseline and comparison to show the progression of autoimmune disorders. When confronted with this information that I got straight from calling the 800# and talking to the makers of the Vectra DA test, the rheumy refused to talk to me. I never went back to him.
I have also won a case for SSDI based on my heart disorder, anxiety and autoimmune disorder combined. Thankfully, now I have an income. Hopefully I will be treated better as a Medicare patient than I was as a Medicaid patient.
I recently found a new rheumatologist who seems to be very well-respected. It is an hour’s drive into downtown Chicago which will be tough for my anxiety, but I am willing to do what it takes to start feeling better. It’s rather embarrassing to not even be able to hold a fork and have to have your 4 year old feed you your dinner. But the wedding is in almost 1 year exactly and I WILL wear both rings if it kills me!
Hi Lisa,
Ask your new rheumy to do a bloodtest called Anti- CCP. It’s a newer bloodtest that is more of an indicator of RA (something like 95% of people positive for Anti-CCP have RA, whereas you can test positive for Rheumatoid Factor and not necessarily have RA). They’re beginning to use this test more often – it’s now part of the new standards for testing. It’s useful when a person appears to have RA but the tests are not backing it up. Sometimes the anxiety/depression issues are due to the disease itself or other auto-immune diseases (hashimotos). Good Luck!
95%? Mine is negative. Rheumatoid Factor still negative. Vectra DA test shows I am still dealing with moderate RA on my current treatment, interesting test. Will be interesting to see if it does get lower as I feel better or go higher when I don’t.
Just a note for Lisa – you’re right, the panic/anxiety disorder makes it easier for them to blow you off, medicaid patients often don’t get the same quality of care that privately insured patients do and, yes, your rheumatologist is a jerk. Keep standing up for yourself. Calmly and patiently demand the quality of care and attention that you know you deserve. Be persistent. He could help you with a prednisone bridge – ask. If you have any options for another rheumatologist you might seek a second opinion. Good luck to you!
I feel for you. I have been through almost the exact same things! I was treated like it was all in my head also cuz the blood tests came back normal. But 6 years later, its positive. I wish I could bring results to UMC (charity hospital) and say, “look, it’s not anxiety!”. I’m beyond frustrated with the way I have been treated! I can’t afford a Rhuematologist either