National

[Guest guest]

Pat, All my life I have had joint pain and all the regular tests for RA, Lupus, etc have always been normal. National Jewish after listening to me (and all the info I had learned on this site) ran a specific blood test for Anti CCP antibody. Normal or low is less than 30. I scored 185. I do not have RA but I do have an unknown auto immune problem which catagorizes me as someone who should respond to Pred. and Imuran. If I had know this sooner would I have gotten sick at all? Don't know but I felt the $ (which I took out of my retirement) was well worth the cost. Insurance paid for the hospital but the gas, motel etc cost me about $1000.00. Simply being told it was NOT all in my head was worth alot. Dyane, 54, Phoenix, IIP 02 now NSIP 09, Breast Cancer, Psoriasis, Lipodermatosclerosis, Diabetes, and now a RA like autoimmune component, yadda yadda yadda."Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving is a pretty, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, chocolate in one hand, Margaritas in the other, loudly proclaiming "Holy **** What a ride!"."