Immune diseases affecting one side of the body

[Guest guest]

I was reading this article about a disease that involves the immune system

attacking (and inhibiting the growth of) one side of the body, and it reminded

me of the fact that I -- and many other ReA sufferers -- report symptoms

typically manifesting more severely, or at least differently, on one side of the

body versus the other.

http://cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/25/surgery.parry.romberg.disorder/

In my case, my left side is where my problems began (my initial staph infection

of the epididymis/reproductive system, pelvic lymph nodes and spermatic cord was

on the left side, and my first arthritic symptoms appeared on the left) and is

generally still where the worst ones appear, though of course I have symptoms

all over my body on both sides and some of my most dramatic episodes, like my

right arm radial nerve paralysis three years ago for about 10 weeks, have been

on the right.

I'm curious to discuss this phenomenon with other sufferers and see what we can

learn about the way in which the immune system partitions its functions based on

the sides of the body (presumably with some connection to the hemispheres of the

brain) as well as how this impacts us as ReA sufferers. Perhaps we could learn

more about how ReA works and how to treat it (or at least relieve its symptoms)

in the process....

- from Maine