How long to get a diagnosis?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Just wondered how long it can take to get a diagnosis? My daughter is seeing a consultant tomorrow, are there any tests we can expect tomorrow. Only asking as I am getting huge pressure from school for a diagnosis.

Thanks

2

Good morning, it really depends on your Dr. I imagine he/she will order blood work for RA which consists of the following blood test:

RF

CCP

ESR

CRP

ANA

Once you have the results your Doctor will go from there. Good luck to you.

3

  So sorry to hear you are getting pressure from the school.   Hard enough to deal with the health issue / concerns related to your dau.

   She will get blood tests as outlined by steelygirl and possibly xray if one particular joint is afftected.   Almost everyone of my blood test came back neg for RA so it was confirmed with xray and MRI of my hands which showed multiple erosions of the bone.    From what I understand the CCP blood result is generally the one which leans toward the diagnosis but it is also the doctor examination and the eval of your dau signs and symptoms.   It can take some time for accurate diagnosis

   Best of luck with the appt tomorrow

4

You didn't say what the suspected diagnosis is. Is it RA? And why does the school push for an RA diagnosis?

A good rheumatologist will usually diagnose RA on the spot, before confirming blood tests. They are trained to look at multiple tell-tale signs that add up to RA.

I hope they find whatever is ailing your daughter. I wish her all the best and you, Mom, also.

5

Thank you. It has been so stressful. She's had 2 underlying problems for a few years. I've put all her medical notes together and am convinced there is a connection! I think it is her muscles rather than joints. Luckily we are seeing a very good consultant, she mainly deals with the rare cases.

She had abdominal surgery in March and they found adhesions which they had not suspected, cause unknown. School think it is in her head, relations with me & them have broken down now! I need her to be out of pain no child should have to suffer this long in pain, I have tried so hard, always phoning round different hospitals to get her appointments as soon as I could. School have used this against me!

6

I have been waiting for my diagnosis 7 years

7

 How did the appointment go with the consultant?  Hopefully you will get some answers soon

 

8

Sorry to hear of your daughter's pain and suffering. She has a good advocate in you.

Too bad you can't fire the school.

Best of luck to you both.

9

took me 10 years!!! they diagnosed reactive arthritis and then changed it to rheumatoid as i had a full body bone scan which detected active inflammation.  i hope it isnt RA xx

10

I was diagnosed on my first visit to the Rheumatologist, blood test were done and they just bore out his diagnosis.   That doesn't necessarilly mean the diagnosis is correct, the Rheumatologist may change the diagnosis along the way.   Mine did:   originally diagnosed with RA a couple of years ago and then a couple of months ago he revised to to PsA.   Just a subset of RA really, there subsets to subsets to subsets in this disease.   No cause, no cure and sometimes, as in my case, no treatent that actually works.   I had a two lung lobes removed three weeks, when I saw the Rheumatologist a couple of days ago he was excited and hopeful the lung cancer was the cause, so once the tumour was removed my symptoms would disapear or at least improve.   No such luck, although hard to tell at the moment whilst I'm on all the meds for the lungs.

11

 Good luck to you Tony.   I have been thinking of you and wondering how you are doing post lung surgery and rehab.   It would be such good news to hear that the lung ca was the cause of all your RA severe symptoms

Have not heard of that before but that would be great if your pain was better controlled./ symptoms  properly managed

12

I'm fine.   Unfortunately, removing the tumour did my RA/PsA no good at all, it's back.