LIP BIOPSY

[Patze]

Hi Allium,

That's a good rendition!


Patze

[baddabingtim]

just get the biopsy - it does not hurt and will put your mind at ease

[irish]

allium, I had the lip biopsy when in fact my rheumy(who turned out to be worthless and is no longer employed by me) suggested it and my ENT said "no way" did I have sjogrens. He did a good job. It healed and he knew what he was doing and what he was looking for. It was positive and he darn near fainted!!!!

Bottom line is: find doctors who treat you for your symptoms and do periodic blood work cause chances are you will eventually turn seropositive as I did. Make sure getting the right blood work done. Actually, many people are treated without positive blood work or a lip biopsy on the symptom basis. Some docs are even treating with Plaquenil when people are having lots of joint and muscle pain plus fatigue. If you feel better that is the important thing.

Be aware that not all people with sjogrens have dryness issues right away and some hardly at all. Dry eyes were the last thing I got after having issues for 40 years.

It is my humble opinion that rheumatologists come in many forms. Some only look for Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. They don't like the burden of getting too involved in issues that are complex and demand a lot of thinking. The one I had was like that . I went to her for 1 1/2 years and it was a useless endeavor. The last time I saw her she complained that I took too much of her time with all my "complaints". That was the last trip to see her.

I would think that she was somewhat surprised to get info from my infectious disease doc about 1 month later explaining that I had a form of  noncontagious TB that needed one year of treatment. And then she may have raised her eyebrows when she got info from my immunologist months later stating that I had myasthenia gravis, hashimotos and low t cells. Well, excuse me for complaining!!!

I am having a sarcastic streak this weekend! It takes all kinds and some of these "ologists" are definitely one of a kind. Irish

[Patze]

Hi Irish,

How right you are...some "doctors" should not be near patients, no matter how intelligent they may be.  Oh yes, the "you're taking up to much of my time" routine, where do these doctors come from?  Mars (no offense meant if you are from that wonderful planet )?

I'm so glad that your biopsy went smoothly, I swear the ENT that did mine was just looking for a paycheck, and it did hurt (for a couple of weeks since I wound up with silk stitches instead of the ones that dissolve).  Thankfully most people that have it done, have decent doctors who know what they are doing, and have few if any problems.  And it's so sad that some labs just don't see enough samples to do a good reading.  I'm still trying to figure out why some infiltration is an inconclusive/negative response?  I won't do that test again.

And I so agree, some of the "ologists" are there for the easy to diagnosis, not the slow to develop whatever may be lurking. 

Take care -

Patze