Over the last two years I've lived with some pretty intense pain in my joints. I don't want to sound like an old lady but sometimes it hurts so much I can't even hold a pen, let alone indulge in the hours of drawing I love to do. After what seemed like dozens of tests and a string of stumped doctors all of whom said "It seems like carpel tunnels but it's not..." I may be getting closer to a diagnosis. A test finally came back positive, my ANA test.
ANA stands for Antinuclear Antibodies. At higher concentrations they often begin to attack the body itself, targeting cellular DNA. When I first read that, I thought it sounded cool, like maybe I would change into an all powerful mutant. Then I remembered it just makes me hurt all the time. Dang. But the pictures I found online of ANA test results still looks eerily super human, like cryptonite.
Anyone know anything about ANA problems? I've got a Dr. appointment on Monday.
5 comments:
Most positive ANA results don't have significance, so physicians should reassure their patients but should also still be vigilant for development of signs and symptoms that might suggest an autoimmune disease.
The finding of a positive ANA (titer greater than or equal to1:160) in a patient with persistent symmetric polyarthritis is compelling evidence of a systemic autoimmune condition, either spontaneous or drug-induced. However, because polyarthralgia is a nonspecific complaint, the presence or absence of rheumatoid factor, associated symptoms, and specific ANAs are of critical importance in the diagnostic process.
So how positive was your ANA? And was your Rheumatoid factor positive also?
wow, mom, that's not english... translation = katy is a mutant! i hope when you're done mutating you'll be one of the x-men, Storm and rogue are my top picks. maybe you'll turn out to be something feline and battle can be your side-kick!!
but on a more serious note, sorry about all the pain involved. that sounds like a major ouch!
I'm sorry about all the pain you've had - that really sucks. I hope you can figure out what's going on and find a treatment that will help.
I actually understood about 90 percent of what your mom wrote Katy. I did find Amy's comment rather amusing, as well...
Katy, that doesn't sound like much fun. I'm anxious to hear what the report today is. I hope you feel better.
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