Most lupus patients are familiar with the dsDNA antibody blood test. Like the ANA result, it is a blood test most closely related to lupus. Occasionally a positive dsDNA result can be seen in other conditions. But, the presence of a dsDNA antibody is considered specific for a diagnosis of lupus. As there are multiple ways a lab may detect a dsDNA, there still remains the possibility of a false positive, but a positive dsDNA result warrants a trip to the rheumatologist. (Reminder = “false positive” simply means the test is positive, yet the patient doesn’t have the condition associated with that result) Patients often are referred to a rheumatologist with a notebook full of labs, mostly of all varieties of antibodies and it is overwhelming.
[Read more…] about Know the facts about your dsDNA antibodyLupus
Transitioning from the pediatrician’s office
Being diagnosed with a chronic medical condition during childhood or adolescence shapes the lives of the patient and their family. In Rheumatology, the pediatric rheumatologist can become an additional parent and a partner. Pediatric hospitals and clinics become homes away from home. They are often painted bright colors, have comfy furniture and entertainment throughout the halls as everyone tries to make the heartbreaking reality of disease in children more palatable. Thankfully, treatment success in rheumatology is the norm and there will come a day in most patient’s lives when they need to say goodbye to their pediatric rheumatologist and find a new adult-focused rheumatologist. Transitioning from the pediatrician’s office is a day most patients and parents dread. This process, known as “transition,” is an integral part to any young person’s care.
[Read more…] about Transitioning from the pediatrician’s officeRace & Lupus: Understand the Connection
Lupus can affect anyone. And although this is true, we do not want to ignore the fact that lupus disproportionately affects certain people. We have discussed how it affects young women, but we haven’t discussed how it affects young Black women. Lupus affects 1 in every 250 Black women and when compared to the white community, the prevalence of lupus in the Black community is 3-4x higher. It is well established that Black lupus patients tend to be sicker, need more aggressive medications and have worse outcomes. And despite the amazing advancements in testing and treatment, Black patients don’t benefit from those advances to the same extent as their white counterparts.
[Read more…] about Race & Lupus: Understand the ConnectionDo you have common lupus symptoms?
This is going to sound strange and I hesitate to even say it…but after 10+ years of diagnosing and caring for lupus patients, I feel like I can “smell” lupus. It’s weird, I know. But when I’m approaching a consult, whether in the clinic or in the hospital, my lupus-spidey-sense gets activated if the patient has lupus. When I teach young doctors-in-training and listen to their long list of possible diagnoses, I get excited but also impatient, waiting for them to reach the same conclusion I’ve already reached.
[Read more…] about Do you have common lupus symptoms?What you need to know about Lupus – Pt 2
Lupus is not a diagnosis that anyone wants to hear come from their doctor’s mouth. It’s not very well understood by most and although it can be comforting to know the reason for your symptoms, it can be downright terrifying to think about your future. Lupus is a condition of ups and downs, sometimes extreme downs, but it is possible to live a happy, full life while also living with lupus.
[Read more…] about What you need to know about Lupus – Pt 2