Juvenile Rhematoid Arthrits

[citysherry]

Originally Posted by SoMDGirl42

a SED Rate or an RA Factor.

Take her to a rheumatologist and request a Westgren sed rate blood test - this will tell if she has elevated inflamation. Anything above 24 in a young healthy woman is considered high - I don't know what it should be with a child.

[Christy]

Originally Posted by Toxick

Mostly knees. Seems to be the hips and shin too.

By the time my daughter was tested and diagnosed, there were days she couldn't walk at all.

Love,

The crazy lyme lady.

[vraiblonde]

Originally Posted by Christy

insist she be checked for lyme.

I don't understand why doctors would make such a big deal about testing for Lyme. You'd think it would be part of the "ruling out" process.

[bresamil]

Tox
Listen to Christy. Seriously. Lyme. Demand the test.

[Toxick]

Originally Posted by Christy

It probably is a load of crap. I know I'm : but insist she be checked for lyme. I had to fight with 4 different pediatricians just to get one of them to finally run 2 sets of lyme tests. Lyme disease is rampant in this area. Even if you think she's never had a tick get her checked. The deer ticks are so small, they are easy to miss.

I'll try that. But doesn't lyme disease also display a specific pattern rash?

[Christy]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

I don't understand why doctors would make such a big deal about testing for Lyme. You'd think it would be part of the "ruling out" process.

Lack of knowledge. The pediatricians I went to said it couldn't be lyme because she didn't have the bullseye rash. Not everyone gets a rash, or if they do get a rash it resembles something else. They insisted my kid had Fifth's Disease and a dash of rheumatoid arthritis.

Another craptastic reality when it comes to the treatment of lyme disease, is that the CDC is so in bed with the insurance companies that doctor's stand to lose their medical license for "over treatment" if they don't just administer the recommended six weeks of antibiotics and then stop. Six weeks of antibiotics works great for folks who catch it early, but is not nearly enough for anyone who's had lyme for an extended period of time without any sort of treatment.

I was actually told by the "experts" at Children's hospital that if my daughter's lyme symptoms didn't go away within six weeks, then she really didn't have lyme.

[vraiblonde]

Originally Posted by Toxick

I'll try that. But doesn't lyme disease also display a specific pattern rash?

You could have missed it or she may never have had a rash:
Lyme Disease

[Christy]

Originally Posted by Toxick

I'll try that. But doesn't lyme disease also display a specific pattern rash?

Not always. My daughter didn't get the bullseye rash. (see previous rant)

[MMDad]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

I don't understand why doctors would make such a big deal about testing for Lyme. You'd think it would be part of the "ruling out" process.

My doctor didn't have any problem doing it, even though my symptoms didn't totally fit.

Originally Posted by Toxick

I'll try that. But doesn't lyme disease also display a specific pattern rash?

The rash is usually gone long before you have arthritic symptoms. It's also very possible that you didn't notice the rash because it isn't always obvious.

[Toxick]

Thanks all for the info. I'll be making another doctor's trip in the near future.