| Re: No more tunnel vision
Dear Winger.
First I want to say that losing your mother to a murderer has to be just about the most horrible thing a human being can experience. I read your note and my eyes just welled up & over. Please accept my condolences, to you and to your family.
As for times of enormous stress & how they affect people, yes, absolutely, I've seen people who erupt in all sorts of physical ways. My own symptoms hit a new level during a time of great personal loss. But I'd had all sorts of signs and symptoms on & off; and I'd suspected for years that I had some unnamed malady of some sort. And I'd been in the sun a lot mroe than at any point in my adult life, which cannot have helped.
Anyway... Is there any chance at all that there were *other things* on your bloodwork BEYOND a positive ANA that caused your dr. to prescribe Plaquenil? e.g., positive rheumatoid factor; an autoantibody; or depressed "serum complement" levels? You are legally entitled to ask for and receive copies of your labs. And you could also call and ask point-blank why the Plaquenil, as you are certainly entitled to know the reason(s).
Plaquenil does not suppress the immune system; in contrast, the *other* stronger medications (steroids and immunosupressants) DO. A series of posts on this very question re: Plaquenil flew back & forth just in the last week or so. Look for the subject header to open it up and peruse the posts. If they don't address your concerns, just yell.
I hope you stay in touch with all of us here.
Sincerely,
Vee
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