Prayers for Good Sport needed

[Lady Elissa]

Update: Bill continues to feel better and the physical therapy is really working wonders! He saw the rheumatologist on Tuesday, and she took a very thorough history and did a thorough physical exam. She also looked at the lab results I brought from the family doctor's office. She said there is definitely something going on and that there is always an answer, but sometimes you have to dig for it. She intends to do just that! She sent him for lots more labs and is getting the records from the kidney specialist that saw him in the hospital. He has to go on Monday for xrays of his hands and feet. Bill sees her again on Feb. 19. Hopefully, she'll have a diagnosis and treatment for him. Meanwhile, he has four more weeks of physical therapy. Keep the prayers coming! Will update again after the 19th.

[Forbes girl]

Elissa, I love it when a doctor says there is always an answer and you just have to dig for it. That means they are willing to work for the answer and they will ultimately get it. Always encouraging to the patient. So happy to hear Bill is feeling better. I will continue prayers on his behalf. Thanks for the update.

~HUGS~ Kathy

[Lady Elissa]

We have a diagnosis. The rheumatologist's office called today. Doctor wants to see him sooner than next Friday, so they moved his appointment to Wednesday. She said he has lupus. I'm assuming she'll start treatment/medications when we see her next week. The specialists in the hospital never even considered lupus. Our family doctor wins the prize! That's what he said he suspected when he referred Bill to the rheumatologist.

[Lady Elissa]

Well, we are back to square one! It seems the person who told me over the phone that Bill is positive for Lupus misspoke. According to the doctor, he has elevated immune markers, which means his body is unhappy about something, but all of his lupus tests but one were negative, as is his rheumatoid arthritis test. He also is negative for Hepatitis B, liver and urine tests are normal, but he remains anemic. They retested the one positive lupus test, and it was negative on retest. She started Bill on predisone to see if he responds and sent him for repeat labs of the immune markers and to test his iron level. She wants to see him again on Monday to evaluate the effectiveness of the predisone, and said we need to follow up with GI regarding the anemia. I called the GI doctor and he'll see Bill on March 1. As Oliver Hardy said way back in the day, "Isn't this a fine kettle of fish!" Or, in the words of Chester A. Riley, "what a revolting development this is!"

[Sara]

I'm so sorry Bill is going through all this. Praying for both of you. Hugs

Sara

[lugerry]

Elissa,

Haven't forgotten you and Bill. You both are in my prayers everyday with hopes you can get some positive answers to what is going on.

Hugs, Barbara

[becozy]

Keeping you all in my prayers. Please keep us updated, Elissa. ((Hugs))

[Lady Elissa]

As it happens, we have a diagnosis. This time, it came straight from the rheumatologist, not from an office person who spoke out of turn over the phone! According to the doctor, Bill has an autoimmune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica. She based the diagnosis on his immediate, excellent response to the low-dose prednisone she started him on last week and his blood work. He was like a new man just a day and a half after starting the prednisone! He's able to get up and down stairs (no more sleeping on the couch), and can drive his truck. He's still losing his hair, but hopefully, that will get better as his disorder is brought under control. He has followup with the GI doctor just to make sure there's no other cause for his anemia. The rheumatologist will see him again in five weeks and will eventually repeat the DNA blood work to see where he stands. Continued prayers are appreciated!

[Forbes girl]

Poor Bill, he has gone through so much but I am glad there is FINALLY a diagnosis so help is now on the way. I'm so happy to hear he is already improving and feeling better. I'll keep the prayers going for him as usual. Thanks for the updates, Elissa! I have had company staying with us and they just left today so I haven't been on here for a while.

~HUGS~ Kathy

[becozy]

Stopping by to say and to see how Bill is feeling!

[Lady Elissa]

Thanks, Barb! Bill is doing much better! He's even driving again! He saw his cardiologist for the first time since he got out of the hospital on Thursday. The cardiologist says his heart is fine, and his blood pressure is well under control. He's having normal blood pressures, with medication, for the first time in many years. Bill sees his rheumatologist later this month, and the kidney specialist again next month.