All I now right now is that I have a positive sed rate and positive ANA. My doctor is sending me to a rheumatologist. That's scary enough but I guess if I can see a neurologist I can see this guy to. My neurologist has always had this thought in the back of her mind as to whether I have MS since through the many years, 1997 to present, I have still just the one lesion. She was more sure when I had the episode of optic neuritis last year.

So I have been reading a lot on the Lupus association page about a lot of its signs and symptoms, etc. Sure, I have some of them, what MS person doens't. I have the fatigue, I don't think it's as bad as it was, memory loss, I think that is my worse. But I have a lot of unexplained muscle aches. I hae had one persistent one for umpteen years. It's right below my right hip. I akso have some in my upper arms that I have never told anyone about. I also have my psoriasis. Some of the lesions have been biopsied and have come back as psoriasis but I have a lot of lesions that don't look like what was biopsied. I don't have any swelling in my joints, chills, fevers.

I guess my one big concern is that could we have been treating this as MS for years when it isn't? If so do I lose my SSD even though I still have the cognitive problems and some fatigue. Or am I just jumping the gun here and looking for things that I shouldn't be. But I want to be informed when I see him

Doydie- let me just tackle this part: you do not lose your SSD. You got it because you were/are too sick to work and that doesn't change even if the name of the bag of symptoms does.

I hope things turn out for you in the best possible way re: diagnosis. I just don't know what that is. When we find out we will help you.

ANN

I think SSD is based on your origional diagnosis. If there is a change, they will review it. Keep notes, and track of all your appointments and tests. You won't necessarily loose SSD, but they may put you up for review. Do you have an assistant that helped you through this process? Contact him or her and let them know what is going on, so that if anything different does occur, you are on top of it. It will be OK. ginnie

People with lupus can be on disability.