New Diagnosis

I have been dealing with an excess of doctors appointments to identify the source of my lack of energy and increased pain. Most of these appointments have been with a rheumatologist at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham.

We ran blood work that indicated that antigen HLA-B27 was positive, which is an indicator of arthritis. With that information, we elected to run a round of steroids (Methylprednisolone) and an X-ray to see if the inflammation appeared then decreased with the medication. The X-ray was negative for inflammation but the medication did work. Once I was off the medication, the inflammation came back within two days. I reported this to my doctor, who then elected to run an MRI on Tuesday.

I just got off the phone with my doctor and I was diagnosed with juvenile spondyloarthropathy (JS) of my SI joint. JS is an inflammatory disease that is progressive and can cause spurs, pain, etc if left untreated. It also weakens my joints and bones. The good news is that we’ve caught it early enough to stop or slow most further progression. We will begin sulfasalazine pills and Humira injections in the coming weeks as my current treatment plan. This is a big and scary diagnosis for me.

I would appreciate thoughts, prayers, and good vibes as I grapple with this new diagnosis and treatment. Thank you.