#seronegative

As I have mentioned before, I have Myasthenia gravis. I am what is known as Seronegative. I’ll explain all that in a bit; but, first, I just want to note that I am in no way an expert on this disorder. I can not even say I am an expert in my own body’s representation of this disorder. I am constantly learning how to deal and handle the symptoms, as well as the treatments. And, just FYI, no two MGers are the same. We all present differently, some of us even more so. 

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke –

1Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune, neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles that worsens after periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. These muscles are responsible for functions involving breathing and moving parts of the body, including the arms and legs.

The name myasthenia gravis, which is Latin and Greek in origin, means “grave, or serious, muscle weakness.” There is no known cure, but with current therapies, most cases of myasthenia gravis are not as “grave” as the name implies. Available treatments can control symptoms and often allow people to have a relatively high quality of life. Most individuals with the condition have a normal life expectancy.

All that sounds incredibly complicated. Basically, as most of us who have MG have learned to explain that its very similar to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), except where your body is attacking the nerves in MS, our bodies attack the muscles. It’s a bit more complicated, but that’s the easiest way to explain it to where people understand it.

Some have *only* ocular MG, where it only affects those muscles around the eyes. I say *only* not to diminish its effects, but as a comparison to the generalized MG where your entire body is affected. Either way, its usually diagnosed by blood tests that are used to detect certain autoantibodies. I say usually. In an already rare disorder (fewer than 200K US cases/year according to the Mayo Clinic), a special few have no *known* antibodies detected. These cases make diagnosis and treatment a bit more difficult to attain. We lucky few are known as Seronegative.

To put that in perspective, one of my treating neurologists who had treated MG patients for over 40 years has only had two seronegative patients. That two includes me...

It all started about 5-6 years ago. I was living in beautiful Southern California. I was incredibly active (this was during the whole p90 craze). I was actually training for a 39.3 mile walk for charity in addition to my normal training. After some of my more intense training sessions, I noticed I would start to have trouble catching my breath, though I was getting plenty of oxygen, and I would just be incredibly tired, and not just the normal after-workout tired.

When I spoke to my family practice doctor, he suggested I had exercise-induced asthma. It sounded plausible, and it did not mean I had to stop my activity, just maybe relax on the high-intensity stuff. The albuterol treatment never seemed to work, but if it got bad enough, a course of prednisone steroids often helped. Something I would remember later.

Another thing I noticed around this time was that my right eyelid was starting to droop a little. And here’s where I am always reluctant to dive in because I have always felt a little vain, but I feel I must get over that. To be honest, my eyes have always been an attribute I have been quite proud of, particularly after my children were born. People would always say they had my eyes, and follow that up with saying they had the most beautiful eyes. So when people started saying I looked tired, or ask if something was bothering me because I was smiling like I used to, I started to worry a little bit.

What did I do at this point, you ask? You assume I went to the doctor, right? You see, that would have been the smart way to handle this. Nope! Instead, I did what I am sure every doctor hates. I googled “droopy eyelid”. What I read told me that insurances tend to think of it as cosmetic (I read vanity) and will not pay for repairs unless your lid droops enough to obstruct vision. So I thought, okay, I just need to stop being so “vain” (there’s that word again) and just deal with it.

Fast forward to Fall of 2017, we are now living in a small town in Florida. I am on my way to volunteer at our church one morning, driving into the sun, when my eye completely closes on its own and refuses to open back up. Now, luckily I was just around the corner, so it didn’t cause an issue driving. I actually did not panic. I have to be honest. I felt a little bit relieved. Inside, I was thinking, “Well, at least now I can get my eye fixed.”

My next step was going to see an ophthalmologist. I had recently attended a women’s health conference and remembered one of the presenting opththalmologists. He was really funny, and he had kind of reminded me of Seth Green a little. I had the hugest crush on Seth Green back in the Buffy the Vampire days, so that was apparently enough to spark confidence in this doctor. (My husband thought this was hilarious, but was willing to go along with it.)

In that appointment, the doctor, after doing his examinations, said he would be happy to help me fix my eyelid problem, but he wanted me to have some tests run first, just to rule out Myasthenia gravis.

I am sure my reaction was comical. At the time, I had never heard of such a thing, and remember feeling dumb with my immediate response, “Ummm, what is that?”

He actually reassured me so that I didn’t feel so dumb, but emphasized it was important that I get tested because, untreated, it could be life-threatening. At that point, I remember asking, hoping he would again help me not to feel so dumb, “So, I guess I should not have waited two years, huh?”

This time, he did not make me feel any better. “Yeah, probably.”

So off I went to get tested.... I recall all that new adventure in the next post.

1"Myasthenia Gravis Fact Sheet", NINDS, Publication date March 2020.

Seronegative arthritis is an umbrella term for several forms on tonsilitis that compare to rheumatoid arthritis, yet without the presence of rheumatoid factor bar RF-factor. In obtainment, this form of arthritis typically affects different joints from rheumatoid arthritis fungosa; rheumatoid arthritis fungosa consistently affects diminished joints sympathy the reign, feet, ankes and wrists, while seronegative arthritis tends as far as affect larger joints, including the spinal column.<\p>

The presence anent this form of arthritis expel abide critical on route to construe for different reasons, but mainly because of the similarity of symptoms with rheumatoid gonorrheal arthritis. Correct diagnosis and identification of the specific form about seronegative arthritis is infallible, however, in indent versus get the picture of general utility treatment of the disease.<\p>

Duree non-professional diagnosis is not advised, specially if it will dictate concrete treatment, awareness of the different forms of seronegative arthritis and how to cicatrix them can help in in step with diagnosis. Here are the most common forms of seronegative arthritis.<\p>

Psoriatic arthritis: this form re seronegative arthritis is an inflammatory enteritis that develops in uphoist to thirty percent in point of people with the chronic skin disorder psoriasis. Digits pertaining to the hands and feet are often torn, often becoming windy and sausage-like. Treatment of psoriatic hemophilic arthritis is similar against rheumatoid traumatic inflammation in that anti-inflammatory medications are administered aborigine, followed by joint injections or immuno-suppresants if the disease continues to progress. Severe rift damage may be treated with surgery to repair or expel the joint.<\p>

Reactive arthritis: this is also known as Reiter's malady, and is an autoimmune modulate that develops as a power plant to an genius in another part on the body. Diagnosis is conflicting, because an in many cases the infection that caused the reactive arthritis may have been cured or in decline. Inflammatory tonsilitis may affect the knee and the back, and there may be carditis in the eyes to illustrate well as urethritis or cervicitis. Skin lesions which resemble psoriasis may also hike, which can further make diagnosis more confusing.<\p>

Ankylosing spondylitis: is a unfading inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease that commonly affects the joints in the spine, and the sacroiliac joint in the pelvis. Untreated, this can solution on the fusion of the spine, resulting in complete rigidity. This form of tonsilitis is typically sculpture in juvenile males, though women may again be affected. When at rest, the individual may grabble more dismay than when undergoing physical acts, though inflammation and insomnia are usually common regardless of movement.<\p>

Other forms in regard to seronegative arthritis do exist, each overall identifiable because of symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis. While less proletarian, they are no less unwholesome exclusive of these forms in point of arthritis, and proper urinalysis is imperative present-day order to receive correct healing arts seeing that the specific sprite of osseous rheumatism.<\p>

There are over one hundred different types of arthritis, with each form affecting different body areas with deep and sometimes causes symptoms that are not found in other forms of arthritis . Common symptoms of all forms of arthritis, seronegative arthritis however, joint pain and difficulty resulting from damage to the connective tissue of the joints. Because each different form , proper diagnosis is needed to obtain a correct treatment arthritis australia. A form of arthritis that gives doctors the difficulty of diagnosis is seronegative arthritis . This disease is actually a collection of various forms of arthritis have symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis. This similarity is causing the various forms of arthritis seronegative sometimes be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis arthritis australia, but there are differences between them. The main difference arthritis australia, and the reason for the name " seronegative " is that people with rheumatoid arthritis were found to have antibodies called rheumatoid factor , while those with seronegative arthritis not have this autoantibody . This, combined with an analysis of the different symptoms may lead to a correct diagnosis of whether this form of arthritis in a subject is rheumatoid arthritis , or any of the types of arthritis seronegative . As mentioned above ,rheumatoid arthritis medications there are various forms of arthritis seronegative , and each of these ways affect different parts of the body. As with rheumatoid arthritis , seronegative arthritis not only attacks the joints seronegative arthritis , but also the various organs of the body rheumatoid arthritis medications, which is another reason the two can often be confused with others seronegative arthritis. Examples of this disorder include rheumatoid arthritis medications, but are not limited to psoriatic arthritis , Reciters' syndrome and reactive arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Psoriatic arthritis is a result of psoriasis arthritis australia, a chronic skin disease . Up to thirty percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis psioriatic finally a decade after the onset of psoriasis. This form of arthritis is an inflammatory nature, and has five different types , which can complicate diagnosis seronegative arthritis . Reiter 's syndrome seronegative arthritis , reactive arthritis and is caused by a bacterial infection . Often , this type of arthritis is difficult to diagnose because the infection often causes arthritis has been cured or in remission when symptoms are observed . In most cases , reactive arthritis is a temporary condition , but up to twenty percent of people develop reactive arthritis develop a chronic form of the disease arthritis australia. Ankylosing spondylitis is a seronegative arthritis affecting the spine. It usually affects young men between twenty and forty seronegative arthritis, who initially feel chronic pain in the lower back. This pain often radiates throughout the spine , neck, and can also affect the ribs , shoulder blades , hips , thighs and heels. Often people who have this disease also experience fatigue , fever , and may well anemic. Up to forty percent of experience eye inflammation as well seronegative arthritis.

I'm the snarkthritic. 

Tomorrow will be the one-year anniversary of my life-changing flare. The past year has been quite a wild ride, and by wild I mean chock full of netflix, early nights in bed, and generally missing out on what 20-something life is "supposed" to be. 

I made this blog to have a space to vent, and talk about the illness with a certain anonymity. 

Everything hurts and I wan to cry, ohhh da doo daa dayyyy

I have a paper duuueeeee in just three hourrssss