Update: Pulmonologist Visit

    I had my follow-up visit with my Pulmonologist since being out of the hospital. He received all of my blood work back from when I was in the hospital three weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was given more bad news. 
   Here's the fun part about having any autoimmune disorder: When you have one form of autoimmune disease, you typically have more that follow. This is true in my case. I tested positive for Polyarteritis Nodosa also known as PAN. PAN affects the skin, the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, heart, and eyes. This is treated the same way as my Wegener's and Goodpasture Syndrome (chemo and Prednisone). We are still awaiting my ANA and Rheumatoid Factor tests, but, my Rheumatologist is almost 100% certain that I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis since I am already in the early stages of Osteo-Arthritis. Let me break down everything I have...maybe it will give you all a clearer picture of the fight I am in with my own body.
   Since I have explained the PAN, let me start off by explaining Wegener's, which is the first form of vasculitis I was diagnosed with. Wegener's can affect virtually any organ in the body, but it has a predisposition for certain organs. Right now, the organs that are being affected the most in my body by the Wegener's are: sinuses, trachea, lungs, joints, skin, and nerves. Wegener's is a disease that causes inflammation of all of my small blood vessels. I run a fever daily, and that stems from the inflammation from the Wegener's. I am also severely anemic, which is caused from Wegener's. Having Wegener's doubles my risk on forming cancer because of the drugs that are being used to treat my vasculitis.
   Goodpasture Syndrome is a rare but very serious autoimmune disease that attacks the lungs and the kidneys. This disease occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly produces antibodies against collagen in the lungs and kidneys. Collagen is a protein that helps form connective tissue. I cough up blood from the Goodpasture Syndrome and from the Wegener's ( I have 9 nodules on my lungs from the Wegener's). 
   Rheumatoid Vasculitis has not been confirmed yet, but is suspected. The cause of RV is unknown, but due to my very compromised immune system, and the pathological changes involved in my blood vessels, it is highly likely that I also have RV. 
   Hopefully this blog will help you to understand everything that is medically wrong with me. My body is waging a hell of a war on me. My body is slowly and painfully killing me. The next step in all of this is an open lung biopsy. Then, I have to have another biopsy on an adenoma that was found on my adrenal gland. The adenoma may be cancerous, but I am not going to think negatively. I have too much going on with my body as it is. And, yes, I am very overwhelmed. After my open lung biopsy, they will transfer me to either Parkland or Medical City Dallas where I will stay until they can find some-sort of treatment plan that will at least allow me to live life a little easier.
   I will write a more positive blog this evening, just wanted to update all of you on what happened at my appointment today. 
   Mark 5:34
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."