Linda - I just wanted to say thanks so much for your message. Yes, I too am overwhelmed, but I feel lucky to have found this site with so many people who have such extensive knowledge.

Dear axseptants, Yes, I could spend all my time reading and posting. I really don't have much of a diagnosis, including tests, etc. I have had severak MRI's, but all I know from that it that my back is worse than it was. This may seem off-the wall, but when I had some MRIs, Cat scan, at U. VA. the doc didn't see much when I was lying on my back, but he decided to do one in the sitting position and he saw the herniated disc and an entrapped sciatic nerve, so he did the surgery. I was reassured when his nurse told me he doesn't do surgery unless he has to. I should probably put this on the SC group. It just seemed like a bit of common sense, when he had me sit down. Linda

This is so old and you don't seem to be logging in any more which is a shame. For anyone reading this post with similar symptoms....try asking a doctor about Behcet's syndrome. Very similar symptoms to Sjogrens but with the addition of genital ulceration. It's so frustrating that so few doctors seem to have heard of it and the ulceration, which should be a red light to them, goes right over their heads. Anyone with Behcet's is likely to have very unremarkable blood results and scans as the major cause of problems is inflammation.