Case of the Mondays

[maisfeeka]

So...

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis which has been doing fairly well, but still, I've had to make a lot of adjustments to the way I live. And my doctor and I decided that trying Enbrel would be a good thing. It has a lot of scary possible side effects, but they're very rare and I'm not a high risk candidate for any of them. So... after several months of looking into it, we decided to go with that plan last Wednesday.

I did, however, need to get a test for TB first as that can be a high risk thing, so they need to make sure you don't have it when you start out. Had the test read Friday at about the earliest you can possibly read the test (barely 48 hours) and the nurse wasn't sure about it, so my doctor looked at it and said it was fine.

But, by Saturday it was red and raised and a fairly big splotch on my arm. So... I called this AM and they told me to come in immediately and well, turns out I have TB. Lovely.

So... did the chest x-ray today and made an appointment with my primary care person (talked to her nurse for a while as well) and started on the anti-TB drugs and told my parents and checked with a doctor friend of the family to see if my little nieces should be tested and all that good stuff (my primary care is away till Monday so I couldn't get that info from her today).

At the moment, since I'm showing no symptoms, we're hoping I have latent TB, which means I'm not contagious. I've got to call tomorrow to see what the x-ray showed. If I have active TB... wow. So not fun. Effects my job, my family, everything...

Anyway... Keep your fingers crossed that the x-ray is clear and that all's well.

Or send Carson over to check me out. ;)

Or any of the boys with soup and tea and support. ;) ;)

Thanks.

~ (A considerably less-freaked out than at 11 AM this morning) Mai

Comments

[lisayaeger.livejournal.com]

*crosses fingers and toes*

I'm hardly a nurse, but I thought that latent TB wasn't that uncommon?

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Couldn't tell you. I know I'd thought till today that if you had a positive skin test you went and had a chest x-ray and if it was clear you were golden. The whole going-on-incredibly-strong-antibiotics-for-nine-months was a shocker.

[lisayaeger.livejournal.com]

Ouch! That's a loooong time!

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Yep, with special liver tests and check-ins all over 'cause the medication can cause severe hepatitis and liver dysfunction.

[carly-sullivan.livejournal.com]

They're more vigilant these days than they used to be, because TB is on the rise.

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Yep. And where I already have an auto-immune disorder - probably two... *sighs*

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

Oh *HUGS* darlin', that sucks!

I hope it gets cleared up soon. I know what you mean about it screwing up work... Oh, sweetie, I'm sending all kinds of good thoughts. Keep us posted, okay?

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks. And I will. I have to tell them either way, and even if it's active I might be okay enough after a month of the meds for it not to be an issue, but... sheesh.

I'll let you all know what happens.

[carly-sullivan.livejournal.com]

As teachers, we probably have a greater risk of exposure than many other professions, but there's a good chance it's latent. My older brother and sister always show positive on skin tests, but never anything on chest X-rays. The old family doctor's opinion was that it was the result of being exposed to my maternal grandfather, who did have TB (and probably a few others things after working in the mines as a young man.) They figure my sibs built up antibodies, or some such. No one has a good explanation of why my skin tests are negative, since I was Pop's favorite and with him constantly, but my immune system has always been weird.

Anyway, hang in there and take care of yourself. Odds are it's nothing. You might want to ask them to retest, and to look into your diet. If memory serves, certain foods can interact and cause false positives.

Will be sending lots of good thoughts your way!

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I appreciate it. Never had a positive test before. I'll know more tomorrow and then when I see my primary care on Monday. :)

[firiel44.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}} How rotten - hope it turns out to be not so bad. I'll keep you in my prayers!

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm hoping I just have to deal with nine months of medication that hopefully I'll tolerate well. ;)

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, hon, *hugs*

This is so sucky! I hope everything goes well for you.

And the RA is crappy, too. It unfortunately runs in my family: my great grandma, my grandma, and my mom's starting to get it. And there are even days when I find my own hands aching for no apparent reason whatsoever. My mom and I were comparing notes and figuring out that the aching (for both of us) seems to coincide with severe allergy attacks - which makes sense, considering RA is a genetic autoimmune disorder. My mom says that taking antihistamines helps her. I haven't had any pain in a while, so I've not had a chance to try it. I have to be careful with some antihistamines, because pseudoephedrine starts making my heart race if I'm on it too long :(

*more hugs*

*and cookies*

MerMer/Kiki/Ida (pick an alias, any alias!)

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

They've actually just done some research which connects RA with histamines (here (http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20060215.112302&time=12%2023%20PST&year=2006&public=0)).

I haven't had much difficulty with my (really mild) allergies so it's hard to tell for me.

Thanks for the good thoughts! :)

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Ahh you're lucky on the allergy front, believe me!

What's funny is that my mom probably could have told the researchers that (well, unscientifically) a year ago :)

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my allergies used to be much worse, but they've really tapered off dramatically in the past few years.

[celli]

!

*hugs* That SUCKS.

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, totally.

I told my mom it's 'cause I just wasn't getting enough attention. Made her laugh anyway. ;)

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

Jesus H. Hang in there, take care, and know that we are thinking of you!

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks, feeling much better now that I know my x-ray came back clear.

[audrich.livejournal.com]

Good grief, Mai, I'm so sorry!

I really hope that the health issues get attended to as quickly as possible and that you are feeling brighter soon

{{gentle hugs}}

*sends Carson right over with massage oil*

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Aud. Just heard from my rheumatologist that my x-ray came back clear, so at least I don't have active TB, so I'm not contagious or anything.

*snuggles with Carson*

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

Crappage!

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Yes. I'll be keeping the boys for a little bit. But I'm much relieved that my chest x-ray came back clear.

i should go back to bed. Sleepage was not real good last night for some reason.

[peregrine-ek.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor thing. So sorry you have all this shite raining down on you.

{{ Hugs }}

E

[maisfeeka.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Clear chest x-ray was just confirmed though, so at least it's not active TB. Yay!