the autoimmune professor

The hematologist/oncologist refers me to infectious disease as well as an allergist. The allergist runs all of the normal tests as well as some not so normal tests and everything is negative with the exception of cottonwoods and mold, which I am well aware that I am mildly allergic to. At this time, I contract COVID for the third time (also vaccinated) – did I mention that the original rheumatologist feels that the COVID vaccine and/or my first bout of COVID is what triggered the autoimmune to come on so strong. I wait until I have gotten through COVID and finally see the infectious disease doctor. She orders numerous tests that are testing for continued Lyme, other bacteria’s, co-infections, viruses, and fungi. Everything once again comes back negative with the exception of my Lyme test (though it has decreased) and one common mold test. I follow up with a chest CT as well as a full body nuclear bone scan. Both are completely negative. I have also gone back for a check-up with my rheumatologist as my urinalysis showed a lot of white blood cells and protein in it which is new for me. While I am there, he re-runs all of my blood work (we are now in May) as I have not had rheumatological blood work since January along with another urinalysis. My blood work comes back quite normal for me with the exception being once again my white blood cells and lymphocytes and a few autoimmune tests that are only slightly elevated and some protein in my urinalysis. The protein is not enough to trigger cause for concern, but the rheumatologist does want to see me back in three weeks. In the meantime, I notice that I have been going to the bathroom an awful lot (about 12-16 times per day), so I decide to follow up with a urologist just to be safe. My rheumatologist gets me a referral and sends over my labs and I have an appointment scheduled for the following week. I read up and research issues related to protein in urine and find that symptoms also include foam in the urine as well as low-grade fevers, swelling in the body, and high blood pressure. My blood pressure has pretty much returned to normal since I stopped using prednisone in January, but I have all of the other symptoms.

I am very open with the urologist and let him know everything that I have gone through and thankfully he is able to see all of the tests in mychart. He is concerned about the number of times that I use the bathroom, but at the same time, I do make him aware that I consume a lot of liquid (I am always thirsty and am never without some kind of beverage). He runs another urinalysis which comes back even higher for protein, white blood cells, and epithelial cells. He schedules a scope to check for issues with my bladder so that he is able to see if there is an actual medical issue or if this is lupus/autoimmune related and my kidneys are being attacked. However, at this point, I still have high white blood cells, high lymphocytes, and abnormal urinalysis and am not any closer to answers. At this point, I see infectious disease once again – all negative and the urologist once again – all negative, so he refers me to a nephrologist to make sure that the lupus is not attacking my kidneys. I cannot get in until September, but thankfully the rheumatologist is not too worried. I just followed up with my ophthalmologist, my eye pressure is not increasing, but it is not decreasing like we thought since I am not taking the prednisone anymore; however, I am also having eye changes more frequently than I normally do and now have 3 different prescriptions for my contacts and 2 different pairs of glasses depending upon my eye dryness in the morning. I got back to the rheumatologist next week, so fingers crossed!