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I Never Thought…

Joel Knight's avatar image

By Joel Knight

1 min read

I’m a 62-year-old white male. For the last 17 years, I’ve been treated with multiple surgeries on my spine, from my neck to my lumbar.

Searching for answers

The doctors thought it was spondyloarthritis (SpA). A recent blood test to determine if I would be referred to a doctor for my arthritis revealed my ANA blood work was at 80. The doctor called me at home on a Sunday evening (we don’t get that kind of service anymore- they are a great doctor) with the news that my ANA results is a measurement for Lupus.

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Coping with a new diagnosis

I was shocked because I thought Lupus only affected women and people of color. I was so wrong. I don’t know what to do next. Just wait for symptoms to get worse? If anyone else has been through this, I would like to know what proactive actions I can take.

Thanks

Joel

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