Just got my test results back. ANA is still positive, no specific antibodies. No celiac or chrons disease. My white blood cell count is low again. It was low in July and then went back up in November. Now it is low again. What does this mean?
My P-ANCA is positive and has been increasing for the last 8 years. It indicates inflammation in the colon but I have no diahrea, just left side pain and constipation and have had that for years. I am concerned that the P-ANCA may indicate something else that they are not looking for, but when I looked other possibliites up associated with this positive score, the diseases were scary for me and I quit looking. I don't see my rhuematologist again until May. She said they will retest WBC then. I feel like crying and feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. 40 is too young to be thinking this way. It is not fair. Pity party......
Winnie
winnie, I am sorry that you are having such a hard time with these issues. I would think that you could call your docs office and talk to his nurse and ask if you should be concerned about any specific autoimmune diseases at this time.
I also want to tell you that it is so destructive to worry yourself to death over all these issues. If there is anything that is uncertain in life it is blood work in relation to an autoimmune disease. Many times a person can be seronegative (neg. blood work) and be sicker than a dog. Then the next person can have extremely high blood work and not evey have any symptoms.
Please try to take a deep breath and blow it out slowly through your lips. This is such a good stress reliever and also helps to lower the blood pressure some. Believe me, I am not putting you down about your concern as I have been the world's worst worrier much of my life. I have had such a crapshoot trying to get diagnosed over the years and I didn't die and am still kicking but never feel good----sooo, I just get up and put on my tennies and do a few things here and there to make it look good.
Just keep on keeping on, do what you can, when you can and rest when you need to. Keep track of your health and take care of yourself. Try not to worry and give your problems to your source of strength and you will make it through. Good luck and hang in there. Life can be tough, but there are rainbows here and there that make it worthwhile. Irish ;D
Thank you Irish, I needed that. Sometimes I forget the simple things in life to help myself out. I feel overwelmed lately, healthwise, I have had major problems with my gut, and have problems with a co-worker who wants to have a power struggle which I don't want any part of. The two problems combined has sent me for a whirl and am not dealing with it very effectively. I have a call in to my stomach doctor about my current stomach pain and to explain my stomach test results but has not returned my call. I will try to quit worrying and place my fears in God's hands. Thank you again.
Winnie :)
Hi Winnie,
I have a +P ANCA and the same abdominal problems you have with no celiac or chrons. Don't worry about the white count, if it is a concern your doctor will let you know. I have read that a +P ANCA may be associated with Sjogrens. P ANCA can be from other autoimmune diseases too but having a P ANCA does not necessarily mean you have those diseases. Have you had the ELISA test? This is usually done if you have a P ANCA.
I had a wise doctor once tell me that some diseases take years to evolve and I just needed to take care of myself and wait it out. In the meantime, she treated me based on my symptoms. I have worried myself to death in the past. It is hard not to do that, but it does no good and doesn't change anything. I finally learned to let it go when I realized it was ruining my life. Now I enjoy each day without looking ahead to what might go wrong. People say I have a good attitude - 'course it took me 6 years to get a "good attitude". LOL!
Talk to your rheum about your concerns at your appt, or call in like Irish suggested. Hang in there and try to see the little joys that God puts in each day for us. I have found that I miss them if my eyes are always on myself. :)
Patty
Patty, It took me longer than 6 years to figure out how to not worry so much.
As a nurse I always had lots of stuff that took over my mind during the day and when I left to drive home from work. I finally figured out that if I pretended to have a shelf next to me in the front seat of the car I could lay all my worries on that shelf.
They were still nice and close to me as I drove home in case one of those "worries" needed to hit me over the head to remind me to call work when I got home.
This is a very simple thing but it sure helped me dump off some of the load so that when I got home I wasn't feeling to burnt out. Thanks for your input. Irish
Thanks to both of you - today I feel much better about things. I did not know that a positive p-anca caould be associated with sjogren's. I also found out that my rheum doctor is one of the best doctors in the state, so that is comforting. I tend not to trust doctors, but I have to in order to keep my sanity. Even though I have a gastro that has autoimmune knowledge, I am looking for another doctor because his nurses and office help does not return calls in a timely manner and sometimes not at all. I plan on seeing a naturopathic doctor in several weeks and I hope that he can help me with my stomach problems. The only thing I have to deal with is work and I am going to request a meeting this week and end the power struggle. I need to deal with things quickly or I will just make my health worse. I used to work in a psychiatric clinic before becoming a teacher, I need to apply some of the techniques that I taught my patients to relax and enjoy life. I guess, sometimes we are our worst enemy.
Winnie
Winnie how low is your white blood cell count?
Mines been low for years and they the docs never do anything about it. If it drops to 1.2 they order me loads of blood tests that take a week to come back, then by that time it's improved to say 1.8 and they say to me "it's low but passable we will keep an eye on it".
This happens all the time.
I don't know how low it is. In July, the doctor said it was low but boarderline low. I have a call into my gastro and I will find out, if he ever returns my call.
Winnie