The first tests are simple blood work...

ferritin, transferritin, TIBC, etc. If these are elevated, then the
gene test is done to confirm.

If they hassle you just give them this information....
http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/...?hwid=hw180388

http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal...04/update.html
If it is good enough for their members, it is good enough for YOU.
And they even found a doctor who tested positive, who worked there!

Let us know! What you find out!

This site has photos of a woman who was misdiagnosed:
http://www.blogfabulous.com/miracle-...ception-shift/

Understand completely all sides of the issues! Docs have heaps of paperwork to do and then some these days...I'm chuckling at a couple of doctors because they are going 'paperless' and NOW have to key in everything during an office visit - at times it's frustrating because they're soo busy typing that they DON'T LISTEN to you.
As for some other docs? WHERE IS MY 2" by 4"??????? I wanna start swinging.

Mrs D's info about Kaiser is valuable as That is a known 'thrifty' HMO! Thanks! Mrs D! Valuable stuffs.

Again the thyroid? I kept asking my own neuro about this issue and he was firm that there was NO connection.... But because of other medical issues, I was sent to an endocrinologist and voila! Yep, the thyroid immune markers were there! Do, please--Keep in mind that a medical 'specialist' these days has heaps to keep up on just in their specialty.... to be a bit more 'inter-disciplinary' would consume their entire days and nites and leave no time for US! It's the lazy docs that just say "Live with it, nothing to do" that I hate!
Just taking a look at the neuropathy index:
http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/alfindex.htm - is enuf to give one pause for thought? And, that's not all of the neuro field!

Frustration DOES come with this territory! It is part and parcel of it all. Vent and learn, these are the best things you can do to learn how to cope with it all.

What kind of bribe would you take to clean MY kitchen? I'm willing if you are!

Hugs and hope always! Don't give up. EVER 's - j

MrsD - I need to look into this even more. My skin kinda has that look, I'll look for more photos and stories. I had CT scans of abdomen 2-3 yrs ago for stomach pain - though gallbladder. Nothing wrong. Doc just ordered CT of head, neck and chest because I'm worried about lymphoma, and they noticed a small cyst on my liver. At least they think it's a cyst. My doc wasn't too concerned so I wasn't. Makes me wonder now. The fact that I have a normal cycle and that helps keep it "calm"... I'll have to get some notes together and get back in touch with the good doc. Thanks again for that!

dhalek - I am seeing an endo. He felt since my "basic" levels were 'normal' he didn't need to test for antibodies, even though he's the one that said my US and biopsy were 'consistent with Hashimoto's'. He said he wasn't going to treat it, just watch and wait. I go back in July for another US to see if the nodule grows and a follw-up visit with him.

Gotta go. Grand daughter is throwing fits...
Hubby's obliviously eating Ice Cream....

dahlek: I think I'm going to retire from the big cleaning after the other day!
Make the kids do most of it so I can do the least...
I'll save my energy to go dancing! Hubby is in a band, I dance most of the night. Beats me up and have to rest for a day or two, but at least it keeps feet and ankles strong!

Did a bit more research on my morphea. A few years ago, they didn't know much about it, other than it wasn't systemic. But, I found something today called Deep Morphea or subcutaneous morphea that can cause SFN, High ANA Titers, some esophageal involvement, the itching and hyperpigmentation!
With General morphea, the "patch" usually goes away after a few years. I've had mine since around 1973! I can tell just by looking at it that it involves deeper tissue because if I compare it to the other side (inner knee) it's very concave unlike my normal knee which is slightly convexed!
I'm going to look into this much deeper, but I'm starting to think this may be it.
Thanks again for all the info, and for not letting me ignore this!

I could have used you! At least you've got kids, tho it may require some sorts of persuasion?
I had always thot my Thyroid was an issue, and the Neuro said NOT! It took some funky blood workups to get my Ocon to refer me to an Endo...Who did the AI-Thyroid tests...The PN and the thyroid mite be connected? But I think the two issues went whacko independently of each other....
I'd managed to 'save' some old sonos that were going to be destroyed from when I'd first gotten thyroid problems a dozen years ago and the Endo compared them to his own sonos.... comment was: "Original ones show 'YUCKY' Thyroid, Now, it's REALLY 'YUCKY'!" [Auto-immune scarring] What does one say to that? Other than....'Oh, I sort of figured something was off.'
Just press asking questions! Don't give up? It only took me four years of asking all of my dozen docs the same questions to get answers! July isn't that far away really... But THEN press for answers and w/lymphomas you mite just want to have a look-see by a good Oncologist? Especially if it [cancer] runs in your family history that you know of... or even suspect. Ocons look for/at other markers from blood tests and something mite pop up there-tho I hope truly that all is clear! It's a peace of mind thing, if you can afford it-DO it!
If insurance is an issue? Your local American Cancer Society may have programs for screenings and the like...how extensive depends on where you live, I'm afraid. I hope you get lucky!
Hugs and hope always! Keep faith in that your body is telling YOU things, it's just the learning what's being told to you that's a challenge. - j

Cancer is big on dad's side.
Grandfather had prostate cancer. He had 6 brothers. One died in WW2. Of the remaining 5 only one didn't have cancer. One of them even had thyroid cancer. We also believe thier father had cancer. He committed suicide in 1928 for financial AND health reasons. The cousin who just passed away with AML also had a thyroid mass.

On mom's side, Mom has CLL and survived Breast Cancer and her grandmother had stomach cancer.

My dad also having a multinodular goiter puts me at a higher risk for pappilary carcinoma (thyroid) and my mom having CLL puts me at a higher risk for lymphoma. Plus, (ashamed) I'm a smoker for 29 years. That's why my doc ordered the CT's for me and that's why we are going to keep an eye on the thyroid nodule. I know here that at least 2 of my doc's wont ignore any signs of cancer. The cryoglobulin test (which was normal) can be a cancer marker as well.

I'm going to discuss those risk factors with my endo as well as my symptoms and see what I can get from it. He just talks with a heavy accent at a very low volume...
Have a great day!