Hello All,

It's me again! As you can tell, I am not currently suffering from fatigue or (severe) joint pain! {Mouth sores, ear pain, and lymph pain/swelling nice and active, though.}

I was hoping someone could point me to a website listing doc's who specialize in AI. I have looked, but keep coming up with only rheumotologists with specialties in internal medicine--what is that, exactly? There is a rheumy about 15 minutes away with that title, but I wonder if driving farther to a lupus specialist would be worth it. Also, would a lupus doc be one to treat other AI, as I am pretty sure I sure I have not only lupus, but also some scleroderma, Sjogren's, and Raynaud's. (Perhaps that means it is MCTD?) Anyway, thanks for the help.

Hope you all are having an up day, HUGS DeeDee http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

DeeDee,
I have never heard of a Dr. that specializes in just Lupus. The Rheumatologist is the type of Dr. that you want to see. Since Lupus and all the other AI diseases overlap, he is the one who is supposed to know about all of them. I hope you don't have all of those specific ones...... some of those, not all, do have specific tests to determine if you have them.
Take care & good luck, Ann

Oh, boy--just lost my post. AAGGHH. Here goes again:

Hi Ann,
Well, I guess I thought that since Lupus isn't all that prevelant, the local rheumies may not see many patients with it. I figure they get more arthritis; that seems to be more common. I can just see me going in and the doc saying, "Yeah, I treated a lady with lupus once...when was that, '69?"!! I don't want to be the first person with lupus someone treats, though my husband says that could be a good thing: a novelty for the doc to find interesting and concentrate on. I've read about some wacky rheumies on other boards. Like this one lady said hers told her that all women test positive for lupus! I keep thinking she must have misunderstood him...
Anyway, I got in touch with a "local" Lupus chapter and they are going to help me find a doc, etc. Everyone is so nice. It is great we are all here to help each other. Oh, BTW!! My results are in-----but I don't know what they are! I called and the nurse went and looked and said they are on the doc's desk and he'd called me tonight or tomorrow. Guess tonight's out (12:41am), heehee. I sure wish she'd have just told me, but what's another day, I guess.
Well, I gotta hit the hay. Looks like all conditions favorable for a good night's sleep tonight. YEEEAAAA! Take care all, DeeDee